Congratulations on the new baby !
You can change up your media configuration on the center baskets on the FX see what happens.
My FX 6 : This is just me and a little different than some but I find it works great ! The water comes up the outside through the course white pads , let them be. Now water flows to the center baskets down to pump then up the tube to outlet. In those three center baskets: very "top" place a pad the black one works good , under that pad I have bag of carbon. Some use a blue fine pad on the "top" basket which yes will catch more and protect media better but it will get clogged up faster being a finer pad. The middle basket all bio rings , no pads at all. The very bottom basket is my purgein where the water is the cleanest and directly under it another black pad ( or a blue /fine pad ) to catch any small particles that may get loose that may get into impeller. Really just safety to protect impeller but still another pad . Bottom line pad on top all media in middle and pad on bottom.
I use this configuration on 125 gallons of water and only have to clean filter once every three weeks, also have gone 4 weeks with no problem. Now you still must do weekly water changes no way out of that .
I myself hate polishing pads they only clog very fast making more maintenance , that's the white ones. I have a few videos around and my water is crystal clear , also stays cycled ! This was the latest short update :
https://youtu.be/Ca7w2FCMSyIJust a note Never wash your lite brownish junk off the rings , that's your Good bacteria ! Also never use tap water to rinse them Only tank water so not to kill the good bacteria !