I got a free sample of this stuff with my fluval 406 canister filter and it seems to be doing a good job. I don't know how often it needs to be replaced. Have any of you used it, and if so, how often do you replace the stuff in the media baskets?
Fluval Clearmax
- Thread starter biondoa
- Start date
It sounds like snake oil to me. Yes, it probably works fine removing nitrites, nitrates, and phosphates. Your bio filter is supposed to convert nitrites into nitrates. But the clearmax is doing part of the job depriving your bacteria of food (nitrites). Once exhausted you need to buy more of the stuff unless you want to risk a nitrite spike (much worse than nitrates or phosphates).
Wow, that is not a pleasant prospect. So I suppose if I just remove it, I can expect the same result. So once I take it out of the filter, which will be next week, I will do many tests, and if needed, many water changes. Thanks for the heads up.
You are welcome. I am just not a very strong believer of chemical filtration. It sure has its uses removing medications out of a tank, but all the time should not be necessary. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I would suggest, after you removed the clearmax, to replace that tray with extra biological media. Either more of what you got already or something else - noodles, rings, plastic pot scrubbies. You can never have too much biological filtration. The bacteria will adopt to anything if given enough surface area to grow on, plus they work for free. Just make sure you clean the sponges that prefilter the big gunk out every week whether they need it or not. Keep them clean, and the bio media in the baskets are maintenance free - all they need is maybe rinsed out every 6 months.
Same here. I don't use any chemical filtration. I'd rather use that real-estate in the filter for more biological media.
Ok, cleaned the filter today. It was surprisingly clean, but as you said Duckie, cleaned the pre filters whether needed or not. Everything looked good. Took out the clearmax and replaced with more of the biomax. So far nitrite is staying at 0ppm. If there is going to be a spike, how long would it generally take to appear?
Is this in new, cycling tank?
If it's a tank with fish, hopefully you never see any nitrites. You shouldn't if you keep up on water changes and let the beneficial bacteria colony adjust itself to your tanks' bio load.
Good deal!
Bio max is good stuff. A lot of folks over at an oscar site I hang at swear by pond matrix as well. I've got a mish-mash of bio media between my tanks. Lots of sponge bubbler filters. Extra sponges in my AquaClear HOBs and in my two canisters I have plastic bio balls, plastic pot scrubbers, ceramic rings some extra AquaClear ceramic bits and ordinary gravel.
Bio max is good stuff. A lot of folks over at an oscar site I hang at swear by pond matrix as well. I've got a mish-mash of bio media between my tanks. Lots of sponge bubbler filters. Extra sponges in my AquaClear HOBs and in my two canisters I have plastic bio balls, plastic pot scrubbers, ceramic rings some extra AquaClear ceramic bits and ordinary gravel.