FX5 media problem

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
ok listen carfully:) I had an 2AC 110s on the tank when i got it... it was running for about 3 months. Then i got a Fluval FX5 and took off ONE of the AC 110s leaving another on the tank. I have 8 fish
 
REDKID!!!;675995; said:
ok listen carfully:) I had an 2AC 110s on the tank when i got it... it was running for about 3 months. Then i got a Fluval FX5 and took off ONE of the AC 110s leaving another on the tank. I have 8 fish
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sooo...

running 2 AC's(old media)
Added new FX5(new media)
Removed 1 AC(old media)
### halved the amount of bacteria in the tank###
Tank went cloudy, ammonia spiked...
Did water changes
Ammonia reduced
Added 2nd AC(NEW media)
Tank still cloudy...(wonder why)

You removed or replaced way to much mature media in one hit, you said your tank was a little cloudy with 2 mature AC's then you go and remove one :screwy:

FX5 is good, but it's not a miracle worker.

Sounds like your tank is cycling again, i would pull all bar your 2 hardiest fish out, have your mature AC and the new FX5 running, 35% water changes/week, test your water every other day...

How many MATURE filters have you got around the house? If you have a few, pull a small amount of media from each one and put it in the top basket of the fx5...
 
you are mostly correct.... the tank was almost perfectly clearwith the 2 AC and i removed one because i didnt want to over do filtration. I for got to mention t his.... i removed some of the media from other mature filters on my other tanks and placed it in the FX5 so basically it had most of the bacteria akready... i cut down of feeding and i did think that the tank was recycling.... Would you suggest putting the FX5 back on? Or getting completly new media in?
 
REDKID!!!;676374; said:
you are mostly correct.... the tank was almost perfectly clearwith the 2 AC and i removed one because i didnt want to over do filtration. I for got to mention t his.... i removed some of the media from other mature filters on my other tanks and placed it in the FX5 so basically it had most of the bacteria akready... i cut down of feeding and i did think that the tank was recycling.... Would you suggest putting the FX5 back on? Or getting completly new media in?
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Whats the fx5 doing at the moment? sitting in the corner doing nothing? If you left the media in it, it'll be dead now.

I'd take all bar 2 fish out, do 2 50% water changes on the same day (Try and temp/PH match) run the mature AC and the FX5 full of media(one basket of mature media) run it like this for 3 weeks,testing the water 2-3 times a week as well as 35% W/C. after 3 weeks or when ammonia is 0 add another fish and so on and so on...
 
here's how you want to set up your fx5. from bottom up. 1. media rings. 2. media rings. 3. on top of a cut out screen from a plastic mesh, put carbon. don't use any floss or media bags. it will slow down you flow rate. you could probably go to a lfs and buy some media rings or lava rock that is already loaded with bacteria. that way you'll skip the cycle all together. that's what i did.
 
mikesushi;678027; said:
here's how you want to set up your fx5. from bottom up. 1. media rings. 2. media rings. 3. on top of a cut out screen from a plastic mesh, put carbon. don't use any floss or media bags. it will slow down you flow rate. you could probably go to a lfs and buy some media rings or lava rock that is already loaded with bacteria. that way you'll skip the cycle all together. that's what i did.
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From top to bottom i have- 1.Media rings 2.Massive foam circular block 3.cut up floss and filtering pads. Not ideal but it's working very well,(All of this was seeded media from another canister) Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 5

I tested my flow rates after 2 months without cleaning the FX5 and its still pumping out 660g/hr(full of media) :D

I had jardini,barramundi x2, RD x3, pleco's x2
 
REDKID!!!;678421; said:
do you need another foam? Could i put what it said in the book i got with it? what works the best
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My filter media isn't ideal, in other words the surface area of the media isn't as high as it could be...i will be slowly replacing in the near future.

If you used new ceramic rings in the fx5 did you wash them? They can sometimes be covered in a white powder(especially in cheaper brands) that needs to be washed off. that may have caused the cloudiness, but we thought it was the ammonia because it spiked at the same time...

Do a search for filtration media surface area, you can put anything in the FX5 as lond as its not small enought to fall through the baskets and into the pump...

Nylon scrubbers is a good one, High surface area and cheap!
 
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