Which media for Fluval 405 in cichlid tank??

[scrabble]

Hey all , just wondering what media is best in a fluval cannister filter for a cichlid tank, the tank is 300L - just wondering what media and where to place each in the 405?

[phoenix44]

use eheim pro II (substrat pro II) in the bottom two / three, and carbon in the top. I used carbon cause it polishes the water and keeps it crystal clear, and makes the tank look instantly nicer with those sort of fish.

[ryanjury]

In all of my cichlid tanks I just use some sort of bio media and filter sponges.. Generally I don't use carbon unless I am trying to achieve something with it (ie remove meds) as I find it doesn't do anything for me if I use it every day.

I have never used the eheim media it is supposed to be very good but I have had no problems using the standard bio balls or even pumice and it is an awful lot cheaper than the eheim stuff, each to their own I guess

What media came with the filter?

[Jennifer]

With that size tank to that filter I would use a small noodle as mechanical filtration in the bottom tray to disperse the water and filter out large waste (what the sponges didn't already filter out), then, a larger noodle in the middle container to initiate the biological filtration. Then a layer of filter wool to prevent clogging of the biological media in the top tray, then, 1 kg of Eheim pro media in the top tray.

[Wok]

Because of the design of the 405 filter, the water enters the top, and then down the filter sponges and back up through the 4 baskets.

The bottom 2 baskets I would put in noodles to take out the larger particles first and the remaining two baskets I would use the ehiem substrat (as phoenix uses) as my first choice, but if the budget is not that big then the aqua one filter media will do as good a job.

I use this in all my 3 cannister filters and don't change anything for at least a year.

I avoid filter wool, because it gunks up too quickly and you have to change it regularly or your flow will be diminished considerably.