Can i pack a canitster full of media?

[johnmoore55]

Ok soo i have a 120 tank that i just got and i would like to get a sump, but i have been looking around and sumps are fairly expensive and setting it up just confuses me. So could i buy a canister filter ( preferably XP4) and just fill the trays with media for bio then use my existing XP4 just for mechanical filtration?

 

[yodaLBC]

Yea that will be fine... I use my xp3 and 404 just for bio....

 

[johnmoore55]

what size tank? ya i was just thinking that i may need more than one canister if i do it like that.

 

[vr6fan]

yeah that will work on my 125 I have 2 xp4s and a 405...the 405 has all filter floss and sponges the 2 xp4s are mostly eheim substrate pro for bio...just be careful during maintenance since your cleaning one with all bio and the other one is running just mechanical you could run into problems

 

[johnmoore55]

what kind of problems?

 

[jclyde13]

No, both canisters will need to have mechanical media, otherwise you will just clog up your bio media with waste material, rendering it practically useless.

 

[johnmoore55]

ok so i could put some mech filtration at the top and leave the reast primarally media. maybe i can have three filters. 2 bio/ mech one just straight mech.

 

[FishingOut]

Why dont you just run both canisters like they are designed to and have both mechanical and biological filtration in each canisters.

Either way Xp4's are rated at 265 gallons, Which is ample for a 120gal... Or am I missing something? haha

 

[taksan]

The bottom ...canisters flow bottom to top not top to bottom so your mech media should be at the bottom.

 

[johnmoore55]

can never go wrong with more filtration. also if i have the fish i want i will have a big bio load.