i'm lost...what filter media to use?

[api5ct]

Hello all. Decided to jump into the world of fish keeping a few weeks back and now I'm totally confused about filters :confused:. I bought a 55gal w/ a Penguin 330 HOB. This has the 2 filter cartridges (activated carbon), 2 bio-wheels and 2 filter media baskets. I've been doing some reading and & if I've read things correctly activated carbon seems to be the least desirable filter media. If this is the case what should I be using in my filter (in the baskets and cartridge) and what exactlly is the purpose of activated carbon?

I've read about sponges and filter floss and other media but in all honesty I don't have a clue to what these are. Are they something I could/should use w/ my Penguin? How? Is there something else I should be using?

Please advise....my brain needs a rest. :)

Thanks everyone.

[NJ Devils Fan]

The penguin cartridges have carbon in them. This is chemical filtration. There is also the blue pad which is your mechanical filtration. The carbon will remove bad odors and medicines. After about a week, the carbon no longer has any effect while the blue pad is still fine to use. There is nothing wrong with your filter. Once a week, rinse the pad off. It doesn't matter what kind of water you use because most of your good bacteria will grow on that biowheel.

Sponges are kind of like the blue filter pad, they are your mechanical filtration. Floss is like the polyester you would have in your couch cushions. It, like the sponges remove physical waste from the water. You could change your media, but there is no need to, everything is fine.

HTH

[Matt W]

What NJ said, except I would go to walmart and get a bag of their poly batting. Make sure it is 100% polyester. Fill up both of those media baskets with it. When the poly batting looks like it is all clogged up, trash it and put some more in there. A $1.89 bag from walmart should last you a long time....

The only time I would worry about putting a new carbon filter in there would be if you have medicated the tank and need to remove all the residual medication. Except for that, I would just rinse them off when they look too gunked up...

[famman]

And be sure to rinse your filters in TANK water, not TAP water. The filter is home to the nitrifying bacteria too. Of course once the tank is fully mature it wont matter as much as the biowheels will hold the vast majority of the bacteria.
If you add a lot of fish, you can add gravel or something to the baskets to provide additional biological filtration. If you want to raise your kh you can put crushed coral in one of the baskets. You can put activated carbon in the baskets to quickly remove odors and medicine as mentioned above :rolleyes: .
For now, they can remain empty.
good luck
:)

[NJ Devils Fan]

Famman, it wouldn't matter if you rinse the filters in tap water of tank water because the all of the bacteria you need is on the biowheeles, so wiping out whatever bacteria that is in the actual filter box isn't a big deal. I do it every time I clean the filters and I never have a problem.

[Cearbhaill]

I rinse the cartridges (when I use them) in tap water also- my bio bugs are on the wheels.
But recently I have begun using just filter floss alone in my Penguins- disposable, cheap, and fast.

[Slappy*McFish]

I always clean my filters in tapwater as well. Even my canister filters. I wouldn't, however, advise doing this in a new/immature set-up..only mature/established tanks that already have plenty of bacteria established within the tank itself.