Internal filter media ? what should I do

[Discus3anatic]

In my discus tank i have an Eheim 2217 canister, using the Eheim media. The Mechanical rings first, then the blue sponge, then the little glass balls along with some ceramic rings i had from another filter when i was trying to seed it like 10 months ago, Then i have some fluval polishing pads on top.

However because of the odd shape of my tank, and canister filters being notorious for not having as much sucktion power in the inlet to clean mechanical debris (HOB filters are actually better for this) I decided to put in a Top fin internal 40 filter. Its been in this tank since i set it up. It gets dirty quickly and i always clean it every 1 or 2 water changes, so every 2-4 days. The way i have it now is the 2 sponges it came with are first, then i put a polishing pad after them and then some bio media ..

But ive been thinking.. lol i dont think this thing need bio media, considering the size of the tank and the canister i already have. I was thinking of taking the bio media out and the polishing pads and stuffing like 1 or 2 more sponges in there.. And just make this filter 100% mechanical, because that was the main purpose i wanted to use it for anyway. That and it has a nice spray bar for flow so i dont need power heads in my tank. Here is a picture of the media chamber..What do you guys think ? Keep it like i have it or make it all sponge.. The polishing pad does work.. It gets slimey brown after only like 2-3 days and i have to clean the thing again. But i dunno.

91591

[dprais1]

this is what I have in all my tanks, one filter with 'clean' media just for bio and another filter with mainly cheap, disposable filter media for easy throw-away.

-I use k1 and biopure balls for clean media, basically I don't want anything that can clog because I don't want to clean any more than every January.

[Discus3anatic]

Thats why i have this internal filter..

Most ignorant people on fish forums dont realise that canister filters dont have even close to the suction power that a HOB filter has.. Canisters are only good for biological filtration.. The mechanical filtration sucks because they dont have the power to suck debris like a HOB or internal does.. I can litterally watch food and stuff float by my canisters inlet and not get sucked up unless its litterally right by the inlet of course, but with my internal or a HOB the sucktion is so strong is litterally yanks the food out of the water from a mile away. And dont say its because my canister is dirty lol.. I clean the hoses with a scrubby tube cleaner and i clean the media every few days.. Its just the way canisters are... Thats why they have less water turn over then a HOB.


Anyway, i love my internal because it catches more then my canister does.. But as i said should i change it to just all mechanical sponge or keep it like it is ?

[rickztahone]

Thats why i have this internal filter..

Most ignorant people on fish forums dont realise that canister filters dont have even close to the suction power that a HOB filter has.. Canisters are only good for biological filtration.. The mechanical filtration sucks because they dont have the power to suck debris like a HOB or internal does.. I can litterally watch food and stuff float by my canisters inlet and not get sucked up unless its litterally right by the inlet of course, but with my internal or a HOB the sucktion is so strong is litterally yanks the food out of the water from a mile away. And dont say its because my canister is dirty lol.. I clean the hoses with a scrubby tube cleaner and i clean the media every few days.. Its just the way canisters are... Thats why they have less water turn over then a HOB.


Anyway, i love my internal because it catches more then my canister does.. But as i said should i change it to just all mechanical sponge or keep it like it is ?

Have you ever seen an FX6 in action?

[Discus3anatic]

Have you ever seen an FX6 in action?


lol an FX6 is something the average aquarist cant afford and doesnt have.. Thats a $300-350 canister. I see no point in that when i can use a 20 year old HOB or a $30 internal filter for the mechanical filtration and my $120 2217 for biological and yes some mechanical. 95% of canisters have no water turn over worth mentioning they arent that great at mechanical filtration period dont deny that man

[dprais1]

fx6 is a $300 filter,
I think that if we could find a $300 HOB or combine $300 worth of the AC 110 (that would be 4 AC 110) there would be no comparison

1 AC110 is rated at 500 gph
The fx6 is rated at 593

for all practical purposes I agree with the op completely. my ac 50 does a much better job keeping the water clear than my new eheim classic. but again, we are just talking mechanical

[pastry]

For media, I use ceramic rings along with two different densities of poret foam cut to fit my canister. Did Purigen pads once and recharged them but just never put them back in

[Discus3anatic]

Thats another plus of having a HOB or my internal filter.. The problem with canisters is you have to shut off the valves.. go under the tank uncrew the hoses and take the top off and get to the media to change out carbon or purigen or what not..

With my internal filter i just reach in the tank pull out the box as you see in my picture remove the back and i can put in purigen or carbon bags or what not for chemical filtration if i wanted.. But currently i use it for mechanical filtering.. So i decided to just remove the bio filtration in that chamber and i added more sponges and move the polishing pad back more.

When i first got my eheim 2217 classic canister i was so excited thinking i could remove my HOB and have no more noise and have this awsome huge filter... But little did i realise that the mechanical filtration SUCKS.. and i did some re-search and found out its the same on most canisters people report watching debris fly right by the inlet... Even a smaller 30-40G HOB has more mechanical sucktion.. So i ditched my HOB and bought the Top fin 40 internal.. Its a huge internal filter.. yes its unsightly but its dead silent... Because being in the tank the water dampens noise... I actuallyt have replaced all the filters in my 8 aquariums with these filters.. I have the top fin 10 20 and 40's in my tanks and they are quieter then canister filters and much much quieter then HOB's and they do the same job a HOB does, or better actually. They just take up room in the tank.. which is the only downside.

However like we said we are just talking mechanical.. no internal filter or HOB can even COMPARE to the bio filtration of a canister lol.. I somethings like these HOB filters and even internal filters advterising BIO filtration is laughable.. The amount of media you can fit in these filters is maybe a handfull or two at best.. The gravel in the tank will hold more BB then a HOB or internal filter will ever be able too.


This is what the top fin internal 40 looks like just select it from the menu so you can see the outside pics... Not a bad filter.. large spay bar, two sponges that you can put carbon inside, and then a large chamber you can put anything you want in. Along with adjustable flow and its friggin $23 LOL.. this is the quietest filter i have ever owned in my life EVER. Granted it is only like 200gph or something i forgot, but still i love it. Aquaclear filters are veryyy noisy.. 500gph is friggin awsome.. but in a bedroom it keeps me up at night.. Even my canister i can hear...

http://www.petsmart.com/supplies/filters/top-fin-multi-stage-internal-filter-zid36-20868/cat-36-catid-300088?var_id=36-20868&_t=pfm%3Dsearch

[CrazyAngels]

I would do the sponges as you stated, they are not only mechanical filtration, but add to the over all biological filtration with added bacteria. you could also add a sponge pr-filter to the intake and help keep the internal sponges cleaner for a longer period. By doing this I can go for a while before doing the inside sponges and only cleaning the prefilter during the water changes.