Here is something for you to ponder. I have 2 XP3's that I purchased when I first started getting into the hobby. It came with the more porous sponges at the bottom and a fine filter at the top. IN the middle compartment there was the factory media, I guess its carbon. The lfs told me to throw itaway after a month because it is useless after that time. So I threw it away and bought other carbon for it. Well, when I found MFK, alot of people say to eliminate the carbon. Well on a whim I did throw it away. Now.... the only thing that is in my 2 XP3's are the top white filter and the black ones at the bottom. Thats it, nothing else. I have no amonia and no nitrites. Ever!. I do have alot of nitrates but that just means the bacteria are doing their job. I see no need to buy any media for this tank setup. Any ideas why this is working out for me so well?
No additional media what so ever!!!!!!!
- Thread starter TankBuster
- Start date
Interesting because I am in the same boat. I have a 210 with a huge sump tank but I had no bioballs, drip tray, nothing. Just a sponge element in the sump divider and carbon bags that are already doing nothing because of their age. My system cycled and runs great. It seems that there are so many surfaces to support the good bacteria in my tank I don't need a complex sump system. My gravel and tank decorations hold my biological filtration, my sponge is my mechanical debris filter, and the carbon bags used part of each month are my chemical filter. I don't know if this same setup could handle a heavy load of fish but I'm fine right now!
Bacteria will colonize on the sponge and filter floss just like they would on bio-media. If there's enough to handle your bio load then there's no problem.
If you add more fish in the future, you may want to fill that middle tray though..
If you add more fish in the future, you may want to fill that middle tray though..
After 4-6 weeks carbon will begin to leach impurities back into your system. If you decide to run carbon, that's one thing I wouldn't be lazy about replacing.
If you have a light bioload and perform regular water changes, you may not need media. THen again, having it will only help maintain a rock solid system.
Better be careful now man, now you know the secret.
Manufacturers make lfs' swear secrecy about this.
If your lucky they will just mark you a heiritic (crazy).
DO NOT MENTION THIS TO ANYONE ELSE!
Keep ALL that EXTRA money under your mattress for the day they come after you and you have to run. (also some ziplock bags to put your fish into to take with you)(if they're still alive cause you didn't properly filter the water ( I hope THEY heard ME say that))
Better be careful now man, now you know the secret.
Manufacturers make lfs' swear secrecy about this.
If your lucky they will just mark you a heiritic (crazy).
DO NOT MENTION THIS TO ANYONE ELSE!
Keep ALL that EXTRA money under your mattress for the day they come after you and you have to run. (also some ziplock bags to put your fish into to take with you)(if they're still alive cause you didn't properly filter the water ( I hope THEY heard ME say that))
Well, I have a puffer, BGK @ 12", an Alligator gar @ 14" 4 Pbass @ 6" and a TSN @ 15". Would that constitute as a heavy bio load? 
Carbon is one of the best filter media you can use chemical filtration and when it get old it will probably have beneficial bateria living in it that will act as a bio filter too that will break down amonia.I think it just loses it chemical properties after so long.I wouldnt listen to him.
What other media? most of my filters just have floss or pad you dont really need anything else for most filters.
Yea, That's a heavy bio-load.
So it can NEVER work. I don't care if it seems to work for several years, in a milenium or so it may fail.
Actually, going back thru some old reference books, its amazing how they used to do it.
Its all about balance.
I remember a friend of my Dad's had a 2in shiner in a 2gal goldfish bowl with a plant and an incredible amount of algae sitting in a basement window for atleast 3yrs that I remember. Sometimes you couldn't tell if it was alive there was so much algae in the bowl, then the next time I was there it would have cleaned of a patch of algae. Dad's friend just kept feeding it about once a week with goldfish food, and it got about 3hrs of sun and 8 hrs daylight and no aeration. Doesn't seem like it should have worked but it did.
Keep good notes, any change could kill the bacteria in the system and without a backup (or in your case a heavily populated filter), catastrophy.
It will be interesting to see how long you can maintain this arrangement.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and the fish, Keep us posted.
