Habitat - Indoor :: First-Timer Needs Filter Advice!!!

Turtle tank setups and other indoor configurations.

Post Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 3:18 pm   First-Timer Needs Filter Advice!!!

Hello! I've just finished setting up my new tank but when thinking about when I set the filter up I realized I may be missing something. I bought a Fluval Fx6 and it came with the ceramic rings and media bags, but no activated carbon which struck me as odd. Could users with he Fx6 please go over what media they use in the trays and if the order they're layered in the stacking baskets matters or not? I'm also not sure how much activated carbon I'm supposed to use. I know I can buy it in ready-to-add bags OR buy a canister of it and put it in the included media bags but I'm not sure how much to use. I will have one adult RES in approximately 80-100 gallons of water (120 gal tank, not filled to top due to lack of ATBA). The filter has already been running for a week and I'll be picking up the turtle on the 12th of this month so if I have to add the carbon now I really need to know. Rookie mistake!
Sam_Wolfe
 
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Joined: Jun 28, 2017

Post Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 3:57 pm   Re: First-Timer Needs Filter Advice!!!

First the water flow in it. Goes down inlet tube then up the white foam pads , then to center baskets down to pump and up outlet tube.
Oh , the flat black pad is impregnated with carbon ( which will buy you a few weeks before you need to get some ) and the one with bumps for more surface area is for bio use. Myself I add carbon , also purigen ! Buy bulk much cheaper than those premade ones.

That being said this is what I do personally for my 125 gallons water. I first remove the red part in baskets , I want every cm for more media.
TOP basket : I place a media bag with 1 to 1 1/2 cups carbon and another media bag with 3 - 6 oz's of purigen , yes more purigen than I need but I want crystal clear water . Normally only need about 2 oz's per 100 gallons. Directly on top I use the flat black pad to protect my media. the middle and bottom baskets are filled with only bio rings no pads. NOTE do not try to over fill top basket that's where it purges the air out ! Read page 10 step #4 carefully. It works well for me , look at some of my videos on forum to see.
In time you can but some blue pads (fine) works well too. Or even a white pad (polishing pad ) but they clogged up very fast needing more cleaning. And you know how we all just love doing extra maintenance !

Also you can play around with the outlet nozzle for different type of flows. Myself I don't use the nozzle just the open pipe but I need to see better from a top view using a stock tank.

Good reading here : viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145

The carbon is for any toxic chemicals in water like chloramines.
Purigen is for organic matter.
Some say cost to much (purigen) but it can be regenerated several times making it very cheap. Unlike carbon that "must" be changed once a month ( get saturated with toxins) the purigen last about 6 months depending on bio load before it needs changing ( will turn black when change is needed). Regenerate it and have ready for next 6 months to change it.
litefoot
 
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Location: New Orleans
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Post Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 1:57 pm   Re: First-Timer Needs Filter Advice!!!

Litefoot thank you so very much for your input!! I'll be bookmarking this thread so I can come back to it as often as I need. It's a relief knowing that I can wait the extra couple weeks to get the jar of carbon instead of running out to get it today and I'll definitely be considering the purigen.

I noticed in the filter manual it mentions rinsing my ceramic rings every few months but I had seen talk of that potentially disrupting the nitrogen cycle? Should I be rinsing those when I rinse the foam pads out or do I just not touch them?
Sam_Wolfe
 
Posts: 18
Joined: Jun 28, 2017

Post Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 4:21 pm   Re: First-Timer Needs Filter Advice!!!

When doing water changes along with you filter maintenance put some of that water in a bucket and dip the rings into that to rinse them off "only". That brownish junk is your good bacteria ! You only need to remove any bulk trash on them. Reason I place a black pad on the very top basket as water goes down into bio media. A fine blue pad works too even a white "polishing" pad works there too but those white ones clog much faster. If you use "tap" water it will kill all that good bacteria ! Then you have to cycle your tank all over again.


In time the "flat" black pad that's impregnated with carbon just becomes a mechanical pad and the bumpy one they call a bio pad I mainly use both just as a "mechanical" pad. They don't give enough bio rings to do as I do so I got extra ring's to max out the middle and bottom baskets using them for all the bio work not any pads. I just use the hose to clean "all" my pads or you can use the tank water in bucket and squeeze them clean to even save any bio bacteria in them . I found having the extra rings as I do that little if any bacteria on the pads is not needed to me. Others may say save all you can when it comes to good bacteria ? Did you see my water on any of my videos ? If not look here : https://youtu.be/KREuab7P8eA
litefoot
 
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