XP3 troubleshooting. Need help please

[JESTERX626]

I thought the XP3 came with media, but it didnt. Questions.

1. What are the main stuff I need in the xp3? Only biomedia right? None of that nitrazorb biochemzorb or any zorb bs? Please tell me what exactly I mandatorily need and how much liters of the stuff I need. This is my bro's canister and i'm helping him set it up.

 

[importracer]

$9.99 worth of crushed coral and snails easily fills the two top levels perfectly....

Here's a close-up...

Sponges are placed on bottom level...

Just a reminder to clean everything you can....

 

[JESTERX626]

Hm sounds like a good option, i'll ask my bro about it since its his xp3.

Besides that, what other types of biomedia can I use? Should I use their "bio-stars?"

How is my filter pads and media suppose to be stocked? It came with 4 black foam pads, and 1 white pad. Can someone explain from each basket in ascending or descending order? And then figure out how many liters of biomedia I need to stock the whole thing full?

 

[importracer]

Besides that, what other types of biomedia can I use? Should I use their "bio-stars?"

How is my filter pads and media suppose to be stocked? It came with 4 black foam pads, and 1 white pad. Can someone explain from each basket in ascending or descending order? And then figure out how many liters of biomedia I need to stock the whole thing full?

Ascending order
The 4 black sponges go in the bottom basket...The second basket(or middle) contains your biological media....This layer is for Bio-Stars($9) and/or Cermaic Rings($17)....The third(top layer) is for the carbon($4), ammonia remover($4), or fine filter(the white pad) stuff.....Depending on where you shop, you will easily spend $30-50 on this stuff....

The crushed coral idea only costs $10, plus $5 for snails....Normally snails appear in the canister filters, so really do not need to buy any...

 

[JESTERX626]

On the top basket, where does the white pad go?

 

[MilitantPotato]

I do the 4 sponges on the bottom and as much Seachem Matrix I could cram in the top two baskets.

That white pad is a nightmare, clogs way to fast and brings the filter to crawl, toss it. it goes ontop of everything just under the "lid" that sits ontop the very top basket, it's a polishing media, but the canister does great without it.

Bio stars by rena are crud IMO, dont spend the $, the rings are over priced too.
Don't need the carbon either, unless ya have some specific use for it, use the room it would of taken up for bio media.

 

[mostlycichlids]

I thought the XP3 came with media, but it didnt. Questions.

1. What are the main stuff I need in the xp3? Only biomedia right? None of that nitrazorb biochemzorb or any zorb bs? Please tell me what exactly I mandatorily need and how much liters of the stuff I need. This is my bro's canister and i'm helping him set it up.

if it didnt come with the media I would ask the folks where you got it from it is supposed to come with the sponges and the filter floss and the bio chem zorb. Although that is it.

 

[vanilla__gorilla__]

in one of mine I use the black filter pads (should have come with it)and the floss pad (should also come with) and then I packed it with pot scrubers and it works great.

 

[Potts050]

The way you build your media depends on what you want to acheive.

I use that particular type of filter to acheive biofiltration in large tanks (over 125 gal). In this role I dont want to disturb it by cleaning very often. I use broken staghorn coral pieces a little larger than the ones you show in your pix. I stack all three baskets this way leaving enough voids for snails to move through grazing on the bacteria colonies that grow on the surface of the coral pieces. The coral provides carbon and an environmnet for the nitrifying bugs to thrive. They quickly form thick slime mats in the presence of high nutrient load. The snails grazing keep the slime mats under control and provide pressure on the bacteria population making it grow faster in much the same way mowing your lawn makes the grass grow. Small snails are then sent through the filter return lines to the aquarium where the waiting fish enjoy them.

I dont use the filter pads or sponges and as a result enjoy the maximum flow rate through the filter, getting the most turns on the tank possible, keeping the nutrient levels as flat as possible.

You may choose a differant method using the pads and perhaps a a carbon sachet in the top basket to polish and provide mechanical filtration. This works well but you will see a gradual reduction in flow rate over time depending on how many fish and how much food your putting into the system.

I prefer to rely on HOB filters for mechanical filtration and use the XP#3 as a powerfull biofilter. Your choice. Either way a good piece of equipment that I find versatile and highly reliable.

 

[shoefreak03]

i have 2 running my 100g. bottom tray with sponges, top 2 are filled with ceramic rings.