Different Canister Media question

[kinipela]

I read over on the plant forum that you shouldn't use carbon in tanks unless you're removing meds. I've used carbon in my Magnum H.O.T. the whole time I've used it... I have two plants in there, and they are doing fine.

What kind of media should I be using then? It has another wheel that came with it, but if I remember right (I'm at work, so can't check), it's for polishing the water.

 

[FroggyFox]

Carbon removes a lot of stuff from the water that can be beneficial to your plants. Since you dont have a heavily planted tank its probably not going to make a huge difference if you take the carbon out...but the comment is usually that you just dont need the carbon so why use it?

I'm not familiar with the types of media you can use in your filter...but your bacteria need something to colonize on (biological filtration) and you need something to take particles out of the water (mechanical filtration). In most hob filters you have a filter cartridge made with some type of floss material that takes the particles out, you rinse that once in awhile in used tank water to get the gunk off...and you also usually have something IN that cartridge or seperate from it but the water still has to go through it that resembles pebbles, ceramic rings etc some kind of porus material that is good for bacteria colonization.

(btw love your horse kinipela I have a 5 y/o perch x mare)

 

[Lotus]

You really don't need carbon in your filter, and it isn't good to have it in there if you're fertilizing your tank. The pleated insert for the HOT Magnum is for polishing the water.

We just use the blue sleeve on our Magnums, and sometimes put bio rings in the central chamber for bacteria colonies. They're little ceramic rings the beneficial bacteria can colonize. If you're using a Bio-Wheel with the Magnum, you won't really need to add any additional bio media to the chambers.

 

[kinipela]

We're not using the Bio-Wheel with it, but it's an option for the future. I haven't even tried using the pleated insert.

So nothing in the inner container at all? Just the blue sleeve will do it? I'm certainly up to trying it, I hate filling it with carbon

 

[david_l]

I have an eheim classic cannister filter. What kind of media should I use?

thanks all