# How Should I Stack My Filter Media?



## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

You want it to go from... intake,larger poured media to smaller poured media, outflow.


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

I use the 305 also. Here's what I do. In the bottom basket I put Purigen instead of carbon. I usually use 2 bags, but this past weekend I put in 4 and WOW the difference was immediate. The middle basket houses the biomax. In the top I use Quilt batting cut to size and folded over three times as a polishing pad. On the sides where the sponge filters go, I use that blue/white filter stuff that my LFS sells for saltwater tank filters, again cut to size. It was getting too expensive to buy the filter pads online in the quantities that I needed. I change out the filter media about every 2-3 weeks as needed based on the cleanliness of the aquarium.

IMO, the sponge filter media sold for the Fluval does not catch smaller debris which leaves the polishing pads responsible for catching all the small stuff. This causes the polishing pads to need to be replaced more frequently. I was changing media every week with the Fluval products. Now I only have to change everything every 2-3 weeks.


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## MyEdsul (Jul 25, 2008)

Thanks a lot cah925 for the great info - no question that fluval polishing pads, etc do get spendy. I saw a post where a guy left the polishing pads in longer - he said although it cut the flow down, the pads caught even more small particles the dirtier they got. I haven't tried that yet. I run 2 fluval 305's on a 45 gallon. I am still experimenting with the best media setup.


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

My polishing pads would always end up in a clump if I left them in too long, so I'm sure they were not effective that way. The quilting batting is great because you can customize it as large or small as you want. I find that folded over three times is the optimum for me without sacrificing any flow. It's roughly the same thickness as the polishing pads.

I bought the quilting batting for $15 (I think) about 4-5 months ago and I still have enough to last another 3-4 months. The blue/white filter pads I think I pay $1.25 from the LFS and they usually last a couple months also.


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## MyEdsul (Jul 25, 2008)

Sounds cool - thanks!


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## mott (Nov 23, 2006)

Man I would hate to change any media in my canister every two to three weeks.
In all of my eheim's the polishing pads last for a good six months without changing.the longer I let them go the smallest of particals get caught hence a cleaner looking tank oh and I don't notice any flow difference.


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## MyEdsul (Jul 25, 2008)

Mott -

I know what you are saying - I am getting ready to put up a 120 - 180 heavily planted, nicely stocked tank. I think Eheim is definitely the way to go. Just seems to be an overall better filter than the Fluval - built totally different and I hear the "bypass" practically doesn't exist. However, the dealer I bought the Fluvals from doesn't carry Eheim (the biggest store - 500+ tanks - in Portland) and I am afraid to buy canister filters over the Internet.


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## cah925 (May 18, 2007)

Honestly, when I bought the Fluval several years ago I was rejoining the hobby after many, many years of not owning a tank. Fluval seemed like the best choice at the time for the money. When the time came for the first filter cleaning I found out that no one - not one flippin' store in Gainesville - carries Fluval filter media sponges for the 305. I found some on the internet and started mail ordering all my supplies, which became a hassle because I had to order a ton of it to make the shipping costs worth while. That's when I started experimenting with the batting and blue/white filter sponges.
It certainly does very well on smaller tanks, but now that I have a 75 gal, I really want to switch to something else but other stuff has priority. So I make due with what I have for now.


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## MyEdsul (Jul 25, 2008)

I hear you - I just know when I go for the "killer" tank - it has to be Eheim.


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