# what do you put in your canister filter?



## kali (May 8, 2009)

beside some filter pad ..aint none but bio-filter media on all my filter.


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## alindeman1989 (Aug 9, 2009)

what kind of bio stuff you run? do you put it on the bottom or top?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

In my 2217 and XP3s:

Bottom- large ceramic media (Ehfimech)
Next- large pore sponges
-ceramic biomedia (Ehfisubstrat)
-small pore sponges
-filter floss
-Purigen
-micro pad

In my smaller canisters, I'll reduce the # of sponges and amount of ceramic media, but still pretty much the same stuff.


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## daverockssocks (Dec 1, 2008)

In my XP3

1: 2 Course filter sponges
1.5: 2 medium filter sponges
2: Fine floss
3: pot scrubbers


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Layer 1 - Sponges
Layer 2 - Sponges
Layer 3 - Sponges

Excellent mechanical and biological filtration. Not that bio filtration is that crucial in planted tanks.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I love sponges, too, I really think they're top-notch filtration.

I always debate using JUST sponges in my filters, but I lean towards thinking that the N-bacteria population is probably more stable in my ceramic media, since when I do filter maintenance I rinse out my sponges pretty vigorously.

That's just my own little theory, anyways. :icon_smil


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## BottomFeeder (Jul 26, 2008)

I run the following in my Eheims (bottom to top)

Ehfimech (ceramic noodles)
Course Sponge
Ehfisubstrat (splintered glass chunks)
Ehfifix (filter floss)
Quilt batting for polishing


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## kali (May 8, 2009)

alindeman1989 said:


> what kind of bio stuff you run? do you put it on the bottom or top?


EHEIM : pro substrate on all basket ( no prefilter media , just a waste of money)
FLUVAL: bio max on all basket


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

Layer 3: Floss
Layer 2: Course Sponge
Layer 1: Course Sponge

When cleaning, I rinse layer 1 vigorously and place at layer 2. The original layer 2 goes to layer 1 without being rinsed. Floss in layer 3 is replaced. I do this to remove thick debris but still keep one layer of bacteria intact.


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## orin999 (Jul 23, 2009)

In my two xp3's i have:
Bottom - Coarse Sponges with finer sponges on top
Middle - filter floss
Top - ceramic rings


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## Justintoxicated (Oct 18, 2006)

Sponges, Ceramic and Purigen, crushed coral.

The Crushed Coral helps stabilize the PH, the Sponges are the most important for filtration and Ceramics to help stabilize bios filtration (and are great to help jump start new tanks). Purigen to remove the stuff that can't be broken down easily (although I'm too lazy to remove it when using meds  )

Filter floss will polish your water pretty nice, but I find it impedes flow once it becomes clogged so I stopped using it. I don't clean my filters very often, like ones every 3-4 months. This has been working extremely successful for me lately. Don't touch a working system is important for filtration in my book. Usually when my filter flow is low I just rinse the pre-filter (sponge) on the intake, and presto no messing with filter needed.


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## GTR (May 27, 2009)

Bottom
Course sponge x's 2
Fine sponge xs' 2

Middle
Fancy Eheim media

Top
Little more fancy Eheim media
Two layers of Marineland's bonded filter pad

I like the Eheim stuff the best since a couple dunks in a bucket it's clean.
Marineland pad gets hosed down with tap water. I think I have all the bacteria I need. lol

SteveU


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## Miss Jinkx (Aug 6, 2009)

I am new to planted tanks and recently a guy at my lfs sold me a product to lower my ph which in fact was a phosphate buffer. Within two days I noticed algae going beserk in my tank and did some reading on the product that he had insisted was fine for my planted tank. Anyway, he refunded the product and gave me a seachem phosphate remover to pop into my cannister. I have an eheim 2213 and I have not taken any of the media out (except for some noodles in the bottom, to make room for the phosphate remover and a purigen pad) 
My question is, should I take out the carbon pad from the filter if I am doing a planted tank?


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## GTR (May 27, 2009)

You may want to take out the phosphate remover. Phosphate is one of the things many planted tank keepers dose. As for carbon, maybe on occasion but not run full time since it may also pull elements from the water that your plants will want/need.

SteveU


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Justintoxicated said:


> Filter floss will polish your water pretty nice, but I find it impedes flow once it becomes clogged so I stopped using it. I don't clean my filters very often, like ones every 3-4 months. This has been working extremely successful for me lately. Don't touch a working system is important for filtration in my book.


Yup, I do need to replace the filter floss once a month to keep up the water flow.

I prefer it that way, though; otherwise all the gunk that is clogging the floss is staying in my tank! This way, it all gets removed from the tank when the floss is thrown out.

I do think that people forget that just because debris is trapped in the filter, doesn't mean it's "removed" from the tank system- that debris is just sitting in the filter, decomposing and still affecting water quality until you manually remove it.


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## GTR (May 27, 2009)

I have two XP3's and they get cleaning monthly on a rotating cycle. I may not need to clean them that often but I start feeling sorry for the fry and shrimp swimming between the baskets and canister. lol

SteveU


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## c_sking (Aug 4, 2008)

Coarse sponge
Gravel uncoated 2-4mm
coarse sand

Or 

4-6mm gravel
2-4mm gravel
coarse sand


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## Rob in Puyallup (Jul 2, 2009)

Fluval here...

Sponges

bio-rings

more bio-rings

Fluval particulate catcher thingy.

(Had Purigen and a phosphate removing media in it until recently. Tank water needs some nitrates and phosphates to support plant growth!)


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