Media for Fluval Fx6 - Piraya Piranha

The-Almighty-Zugs

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Sep 9, 2019
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Ontario, Canada
I personally don't use cannister filters but this may help. Also like to add don't worry about media most have good surface area.https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/canister-filter-questions.667343/
How much do I need to fill it? If the FX6 has three layers, should I fill two layers up with the same thing and then the last one with another? Do I need a sponge or something on any of the layers? I see some people with multiple types of media on each layer so I'm trying to understand. And nylon stockings too. not sure if i need some of them as well.
 
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tlindsey

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How much do I need to fill it? If the FX6 has three layers, should I fill two layers up with the same thing and then the last one with another? Do I need a sponge or something on any of the layers? I see some people with multiple types of media on each layer so I'm trying to understand. And nylon stockings too. not sure if i need some of them as well.

Tbh don't have experience with cannister filters so will allow other experienced members to chime in with their knowledge. Don't want to give wrong information.
 

The-Almighty-Zugs

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Sep 9, 2019
356
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Ontario, Canada
You need mechanical and biological. Chemical is optional, most only use it if you are removing meds or toxins on a temporary basis.

As for what type of media the best answer I can give is the kind you get the best deal on. You have more than enough capacity, so even a subpar bio media will do the trick.

Look for specials where the packaging is changing or the company went out of business.

My media stack right now is:
Fluval mechanical ceramic rings- got a ton of them super cheap when they changed the package years ago.
2 inch thick pond filtration foam (60 ppi iirc)-bought a bulk sheet it is 5 or 6 years old now
Biological is ceramic bio rings- the two brands I have ordered from are long since gone. I will reccomend ordering a sample size from the seller before putting a bulk order in.
Do you have an FX6? As in is the media listed currently being used in an FX6?

And what about this? Would this be the best I can do? Or would you recommend against this?
 

The-Almighty-Zugs

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Sep 9, 2019
356
97
36
Ontario, Canada
You need mechanical and biological. Chemical is optional, most only use it if you are removing meds or toxins on a temporary basis.

As for what type of media the best answer I can give is the kind you get the best deal on. You have more than enough capacity, so even a subpar bio media will do the trick.

Look for specials where the packaging is changing or the company went out of business.

My media stack right now is:
Fluval mechanical ceramic rings- got a ton of them super cheap when they changed the package years ago.
2 inch thick pond filtration foam (60 ppi iirc)-bought a bulk sheet it is 5 or 6 years old now
Biological is ceramic bio rings- the two brands I have ordered from are long since gone. I will reccomend ordering a sample size from the seller before putting a bulk order in.
Do you have an FX6? As in is the media listed currently being used in an FX6?

Any media that multiplies surface area will do, like sponge, ceramic rings, even lava rocks for bio media in one FX6. Then use the other FX for mech filtration with layered sponge of increasing PPI and even polyester floss. Should make for a sparkling tank which has lots of additional bioload capacity
I'm using Biohome. I've also had success with Matrix.
How big is the Piraya? And it’s one? Man your probably good to go with what ever it comes with...
And what about this? Would this be the best I can do? Or would you recommend against this? Is this bio and mech?
 

adamsfishes

Aimara
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Jan 31, 2016
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So here, is the foam the mechanical and the pellets are the biological?

Would you recommend different media?
Pretty much, yes, but the main "mechanical" media is the filter floss. The sponges really are both as they hold bacteria as well.

I did pretty much exactly what's in the video, but I only put Biohome in the bottom two baskets. FYI, you need 4 pounds per basket. I used the included Fluval Biomax media in the top baskets, with the Biofoam at the very top.

I'm currently running the round Fluval fine filter pads between the Biofoam and the Biomax, but I'm eventually going to stop using them when I feel like the dust from my gravel (and Matrix in my HOB) has all been removed. Then my filters will become very low maintenance.
 
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Thacarter54632

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 19, 2019
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I do not have an fx6. I have an eheim 2262, so an equally monstrous canister filter. I prefer to use my canisters for strictly biological filtration and to run inline accessories like my uv sterilizers, co2 reactor (need a new one), inline heaters, etc.

The sticks in the video above are the bio media. I got around 100-120 lbs of ceramic rings around 10 years ago, so that is what I use.

Personally I would reccomend running just enough mechanical to keep detritus out of your biological media, so only the foam. If you run the filter floss expect it to clog quickly and require more maintainence.

For mechanical I prefer to run a hob like the penguin 350, jw fusion 3, emperor 400, ac110 (my least favorite of the bunch) and only run filter fleece. If you only have the one fish, no plants, and no dirt or substrate mechanical becomes less important. For me, my floss cartridges have to be changed every other day because they get clogged with leaves, plant particles, and dirt/root tab particles.
 

Castlk

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Aug 31, 2013
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Both of my Fluval 406's have ceramic rings in them as does my 3 AC-110's and one of my Sun Sun HW-303B filters. My other 2 Sun Sun HW-303B's have Seachem Matrix in them. With regular maintenance all of my tanks are sparkling clean and the parameters are right where they're supposed to be.
 
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