# What do you pack into your canister filters?



## hi-revs (Nov 3, 2010)

Just seeing what everyone puts into their canister filters, and what order theyre in, if it matters.

Heres mine.

2 XP4's packed the same way.

Starting from top down:
-filter floss
-Seachem purigen
-filter floss
-bio rings/ bio stars
-filter floss
-carbon/ammonia remover
-4x original sponges


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

xP4

*********
Oyster shells, crushed coral, Seachem Matrix
*********
Seachem Matrix
*********
Seachem Matrix
*********
4x Filtration pads


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

No poll for Ming 

Have four canisters. Without opening them all up, I cannot really tell you 

Pretty sure I have a bit of everything - bio-max, bio-balls, Eheim stuff, bio-chem star etc. It really depends what I got kicking around when I was setting up.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

They'll be a poll in the future on this topic. I just got beat to it


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

hi-revs said:


> Just seeing what everyone puts into their canister filters, and what order theyre in, if it matters.
> 
> Heres mine.
> 
> ...


XP is running bottom up flow... So what you are doing with filter floss in between is actually reducing your flow and not getting much from using the floss.

A better way to do it, IMO, is sponges or floss on the bottom tray, if you decide to use floss, you can chuck it away when you are done. You can also use sponge but more work to rinse the sponges in tank water. Then you can use rest of the trays for bio-media.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

pot scrubbers and 10 bio stars to fill in between the gaps so i avoid tightly packing them in


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

That's what I noticed with the polishing pad that came with my xP4. I got rid of it once it restricted the water flow.


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## hi-revs (Nov 3, 2010)

charles said:


> XP is running bottom up flow... So what you are doing with filter floss in between is actually reducing your flow and not getting much from using the floss.
> 
> A better way to do it, IMO, is sponges or floss on the bottom tray, if you decide to use floss, you can chuck it away when you are done. You can also use sponge but more work to rinse the sponges in tank water. Then you can use rest of the trays for bio-media.


Yes. I realize this. But i just want my water being crystal clear. Aside from water changes twice a week.
Ive got the 4 sponges on the bottom basket. And i add in 1 layer of filter floss per basket, with whatevers in it, to have it polish the water more.
It does slow down the flow rate with all that stuff in there. but not by that much. Plus with an additional circulation pump, it pretty much evens it all out.


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

hi-revs said:


> But i just want my water being crystal clear. Aside from water changes twice a week.


With WC twice a week, you should not need to rely on floss to keep the water crystal clear ?


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## hi-revs (Nov 3, 2010)

thats true. but even with all that work/material in it, all the floss gets quite the filthy build up.


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## Jaguar (Oct 19, 2011)

Coarse sponges/dollar store pot scrubbies in the bottom, Eheim Substrat in the middle, cotton batting/filter floss on top.


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## Captured Moments (Apr 22, 2010)

XP3:
Bottom tray - the foam sponges that come with the filter
Middle tray - Pot Scrubbers
Top Tray - Pot Scrubbers


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## newfie (Mar 7, 2011)

Hi, I got a 404 Fluval canister I use bio ball top to bottom first two are bio next is carbon /amminoa remover next is sponge, and if you are useing the Seachem purigen to and water changes every two weeks your water should be crystal clear.


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## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

Any ehiem canister I use will have.....
1 sponge and the rest filled with ehiem substrat!


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

Fluval 404 from top down Fluval biomax bio balls, more bio max, Fluval carbon, Fluval clearmax


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