Rena Xp3 users ... How do you load your filter?

K

Ketso

Cityfied Redneck
Jan 26, 2007
347
0
16
Peebles, Ohio
I purchased an Xp3 for my first tank (55g) yesterday. After reading through the literature, I was amazed by how many different ways one could load this canister.

I was thinking of only adding the ceramic rings to the middle basket and leaving in the rest of the sponge/pad type filters as they are.

How do you load your baskets?
 
It would depend on the tank in question. I use an xp2 on my amazon blackwater, so you guessed it, I have peat in the chambers after the sponges. If I were using one on a rift lake aquarium, I would have crushed coral. If I wanted to clarify the water, rid out medications, etc I would use activated carbon. I used to use phos-zorb in all of my tanks for a time when Philadelphia tap water was loaded with phosphates.

The only basic constant I practice in canister filters is keeping the biomedia (ceramic rings, crushed lava rock, et al in the very last chambers where the cleanest water flows.
 
I see your point. I guess I wasnt too clear with my post. I can fix that though. Here goes.

What I am going to do with mine is ...
  • Plants a plenty. Wouldn't say "heavy" but quite a few none-the-less.
  • Plants will be low to medium-low light. Will have 96w of 6500K.
  • Will be a community FW tank ... Tetras, cories, Cherry barbs, Bolivian rams, and Dwarf Rainbows. Maybe 30-35 fish total.
  • Substrate will most likely be gravel with an area of pool sand.
  • Will eventually have a piece of driftwood (as soon as I can find what I am looking for)
So, all in all, a somewhat basic FW setup.
 
For those fish the only specialized media I would use (keep in mind I am a blackwater enthusiast) is mild amounts of peat. Other than that, additional filter floss and/or biomedia is all I would use.

Buying some lava rock that is meant for gas grills at Lowe's or Home Depot, then happily smashing it with a hammer, will yield untold amounts of extremely cheap, very effective biomedia.
 
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I have an XP3 as one of the three filters on my Malawi Lake tank.

I have the bottom basket with the varying layers of sponge, the second basket full of crushed coral, and the top basket with bio-stars.
 
My planted tank XP3 has sponges on the bottom, bioballs and filter floss in the middle, and couple aquaclear sponges and filter floss in the top. My Malawi tank has sponges on the bottom, bioballs in the middle, and crushed coral and filter floss in the top.
 
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