rena xp4 ideas?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
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darwinvsjesus

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 5, 2010
130
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Tonawanda, NY
So, my order for a Rena xp4 came in yesterday. I currently have an xp3 on my 125. My feeling was that maybe an xp4 is a enough filtration for a 125, it's reasonably stocked, but will be less stocked when my 55 is ready.
[do you agree?]

Also, the reason I'm concerned about this is because I wanted to move the xp3 to the 55. So the 55 will have an xp3, and the 125 an xp4. This seems unbalanced [ocd? yes]. I feel like if the 55 is somewhat over-filtered, the 125 should be too. Then again, the xp4 seems like it could be finagled into being adequate. Here's a set-up I was considering:

3 20 ppi sponged, and 3 30 ppi sponges, instead of the standard 2. so that's basket 1 and half of basket 2. in top of basket 2, I would have some left-over bio-chem stars, and the rest will be filled with ceramic rings. Basket three will contain more ceramic rings. Basket 4 will contain carbon (bio-chem zorb for now, but maybe a different 'bulk' activated carbon later? [any suggestions?]

then, finally, the very top of basket 4 will contain the super micro-filtration polishing pad, or I guess it's also called the progressive water polishing pad [it has the blue wool plus the regular white polyfill].

Does this seem doable? The biggest concern I have is the pads in basket 1. is 3 and 3 too much? or should I stick with 2 and 2?

and finally, API advertises the bio-chem stars as being much better than the ceramic rings, but i've heard the contrary from other rena users. one advantage of the bio-chem stars seems to be that they take up less space, but I suspect that, due to the shape, this won't be true if I wanted to add three bags. [60 stars].

That's really all, I guess. I'm hoping for some replies soon, I was going to set it up in a few hours


[i'm taking the already-seeded media from the xp3 and using it in the xp4 - this means the stars and rings in there - but should I do the same with the sponges? The 55 already has a filter with biological media going, so I was going to let the xp3 seed for a couple months, then remove the HOB I have on there.]
 
I think both tanks will be underfiltered.

I ran two XP3s on my 55 and now they're on a 75. It's got heavy stock but I find them inadequate.

My issues with them are mostly related to the flow rate though. Even at best I feel like they could be doing more. At worst (and worst comes VERY quickly if you use that polishing pad... trust me) it slows to a trickle.

That said, they do just fine bio-wise in the 75. But that's 6 total trays, not 4 or 3. I'd definitely recommend getting another filter or two and doubling up on both tanks.
 
Well, I sort of feel that way about my 125. I was considering adding either a sponge filter, aquaclear 110, or even something somewhat crummy like a fluval 405 on the 125 and leaving the penguin 350 on a 55. The 55 will be very lightly stocked.

Thanks for the input, and I genuinely do agree, and this is why I asked. I want the best for my fish, not half-assed poopwater. Plus, I get an extraordinary discount at work. The xp4 cost me 145 dollars. 4 Liters of prime costs somewhere around 54 dollars.

Thanks again!
 
If you can fit an AC110 use it for mechanical. It sucks HARD (I mean that in a good way) and you can access it super easily to pull it out and rinse the poop it collects. Then, beyond a basic layer of mech to keep the biomedia in the canister clean, you can use all four trays of the XP4 for biomedia. Use the bio in the AC110 as well, as it doesn't take up much space, but treat it primarily as mech, using both its main sponge and maybe a finer one on top of that.

I think that'd work really well. I might still prefer a bit more bio capacity than the XP4 but with its flow and the added 110 you should be fine.
 
really? more than the xp4? so, if I have basket 1 with the foam sponges, then baskets 2 and three FULL of ceramic rings and 30 stars thrown in for good measure, then just maybe 2 pouches of bio-chem zorb, you don't think that's enough? that's technically enough bio-media 375 gallons.

It's not that I disagree or don't believe you, not at all. I just want to make sure I'm hearing you right. I might even skip the carbon altogether. It's a ****ing pain anyway when you [god ****ing forbid] have to medicate the tank. or maybe just do 2 or 3 cups of regular black diamond carbon. I don't know. I hear a lot of people skipping carbon altogether.

and by the way, what about doing 3 of each mech sponges (total of six) instead of the standard 2 (total of 4?) and also,

you would definitely skip the micropad? I've heard that before, actually. and to be totally honest, I haven't really noticed a difference with or without the polishing pads.
 
darwinvsjesus;4937560; said:
really? more than the xp4? so, if I have basket 1 with the foam sponges, then baskets 2 and three FULL of ceramic rings and 30 stars thrown in for good measure, then just maybe 2 pouches of bio-chem zorb, you don't think that's enough? that's technically enough bio-media 375 gallons.

It's not that I disagree or don't believe you, not at all. I just want to make sure I'm hearing you right. I might even skip the carbon altogether. It's a ****ing pain anyway when you [god ****ing forbid] have to medicate the tank. or maybe just do 2 or 3 cups of regular black diamond carbon. I don't know. I hear a lot of people skipping carbon altogether.

and by the way, what about doing 3 of each mech sponges (total of six) instead of the standard 2 (total of 4?) and also,

you would definitely skip the micropad? I've heard that before, actually. and to be totally honest, I haven't really noticed a difference with or without the polishing pads.
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i'm feeling the same as you are and with some of the posts i think i might be a little underfiltered. i have an xp3 on a 45 with 4 fancy goldfish and others. i am doing weekly water changes to get the couldyness out. i have tray 1 loaded with 4 filters ( 2 20's amd 2 30's ) tray 2 bottom with 40 bio chem stars, tray 2 top with super activated carb, tray 3 bottom with nitrazorb, tray 3 top with two polishing filters.

i dont think i need the nitrazorb as my nitrIte, nitrAte, and ammonia all read 0. going with sea chem or ceramic rings will be next load change. i dont think you should go with 6 pads and i am wondering about dropping to 2. there is really very little mechanical being done by my cannister. last cleaning and i only had a little gunk in the first pad. that was it. i think i will go towards a 110 on the back middle to do mechanical. with that doing the mechanical and fewer cannister pads, it opens up the trays for more bio load as others have suggested.

that last tray with the polishing pads i think is a waste also. i think the comments about more bio load and less mech in the cannister are the way to go. add on the 110 for the mechanical filtration and let it go.

my noob .02 anyway.

dave
 
south15;5085709; said:
just change your impeller get more flow with the rio 2100 impeller
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really?!?! does it work in the xp3 housing as well?

I've never heard of this upgrade. How much additional flow do you get?
 
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