AquaClear filter media

[pwomble]

I've got an AquaClear 110 on our 56 gallon tank. It came with sponge for the bottom, carbon for the middle and bio for the top. I took the carbon out after about 3 months. I bought another sponge for the middle but it seams to be too thick to keep the bio media down into the water enough.

What filter media is everyone with that filter using?

Thanks!
Paul

 

[liv2padl]

It came with sponge for the bottom, carbon for the middle and bio for the top

dump the carbon and "bio". keep the sponge. that's all you need. rinse it every couple of weeks. it'll last for many years. that other 'media' is all marketing hype and totally unnecessary.

 

[Star_Rider]

if you thihnkg the sponge is too thick..trim it.

the bio media does not need to be submerged but it does need to be bathed in the tank water. as long as water is flowing over the media you should be fine.
the sponge will also acrt as another storage device for more biologicals.

 

[Reddog80p]

dump the carbon and "bio". keep the sponge. that's all you need. rinse it every couple of weeks. it'll last for many years. that other 'media' is all marketing hype and totally unnecessary.

I would only dump the carbon. The BIO-Max are ceramic rings that beneficial bacteria will grow/stick on. The sponge is the "mechanical" filtration although it will hold beneficial bacteria also. As far as Aquaclear inserts the sponge as stated above is the mechanical filtration. The Carbon is only helpful with medicine and water impurity removal, and to polish your water. The ammonia insert is not neccesary and actually would slow down a fishless cycle. The bio-max is just aqua clear brand media.

 

[blue_soda025]

What I did was replace the carbon with another sponge, so I have two sponges and some bio max.

 

[Marinemom]

Sounds good to me.

Marinemom

 

[Rallysman]

I dump the carbon (keep it in a cabinet for emergencies). I run a sponge and 2x the biomax in all of my AC filters.

 

[fishcatch22]

I'd just fill it with as many filter sponges as you can and just save the carbon for emergencies. that's what I do on my filter.