# Canister filter media help



## summit (Aug 22, 2010)

I am planning on giving my canister filter media a good cleaning this weekend and would like to change some media out at the same time, and am a bit confused on my options for what to put in the baskets. I got a good deal on a bunch of seachem matrix, so eventually I would like to use this as my sole bio media along with purigen for water clarity.

Fluval 405 (40 gallon tank)
Basket 1 - carbon (top)
Basket 2 - carbon
Basket 3 - biomax
Basket 4 - biomax (bottom)

replace basket 1 with purigen and basket 3 with matrix, wash out the foam filters in tank water, then next month once the bio filtration has been built up on 1 and 3, go ahead and replace basket 4 with matrix and basket 2 with matrix as well. Am I on the right track? I would do a similar change on the eheim 2075 I also have with my 69 gallon tank.

My concerns is that changing over 50% of the media in the filter will cause a new cycle? The tanks are lightly stocked at the moment however.

With the purigen, is 1 basket enough to run, or should I run 2 baskets of purigen and 2 baskets of bio media rather than 1 and 3?

Thanks for any direction you can offer!


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Here's what I would do. Take out one container of carbon and add Matrix. Wait 2 weeks, take out biomax and put Matrix from the baskets into that one. Put Purigen to replace the second basket of carbon. So now you have 1 biomax, 2 Matrix, 1 purigen. Wait another week and replace the last bioxmax with Matrix and you're done. The bacteria grows incredibly fast with bioload, so you don't have to wait a month.

1 basket with Purigen is enough. And you won't retain any bio in it as it needs to be bleached to regen, so 1 bag is enough.

Your way would work, but I would leave carbon in there with the purigen. It would be pointless and who knows if the Purigen will pick up stuff leaching out of the carbon.

If your fish load is light, you might not even see a mini-cycle. You definitely won't get a full cycle, as I assume your tank has substrate/rocks etc. so the bio bed is everywhere.


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## donjuan_corn (May 6, 2010)

I agree, if the tank has substrate/rocks etc you don't have to be too cautious on the filter.

Everyone has their own prefrences, I use biomax in one basket, sponges in one basket, carbon in the top basket and the biomax stars in another. 

You can't really go too wrong when it comes to the filter.


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## summit (Aug 22, 2010)

Thanks for the help guys! Sounds like a better way to do it  Looking forward to trying out thie purigen, I have read/heard some good things about it! and yes the tank has sand in it, and 1 has driftwood.


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## ncutler (Apr 26, 2010)

I'm always impressed with the way purigen removes excesses, especially the tannins from driftwood. When I removed it once, within days the tannins were visible. Great stuff.


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