Advice with setting up Fluval FX5

Egrant

Hey everyone just got my new FX5. The three levels:

Bottom: ceramic bio material
Middle: Sponge?
Top: fill with carbon?

What have you guys done? How do you all have your FX5??
Also I will use the ceramic out of my existing Aquaclear 110 to help establish the tank quicker. I will have to add some new. Same goes for the carbon, should I just go with all new or half new and half used??

Tazman

Both my FX5's have the baskets filled with biomax and then filter floss on top of that. Last basket I added a mesh bag with Seachem Purigen in it.

Remember the flow of an FX5 is top to bottom.

Egrant

well i feel like i am being a pain in the rear end!!!

so no carbon at all???????

what in the workd is Filter floss and Seachem Purigen???????????

Tazman

Dont use carbon at all in any of my tanks.

Filter floss

Purigen

Egrant

just read about the Seachem stuff. sound like good stuff and sounds like it also would take the place of carbon. do the pet stores sell special mesh bags for it?

Tazman

Most will sell media bags such as these.

1077

Just a word of caution.
Be careful trying to buy media bags for Purigen.
This stuff will pass right through the majority of the bags unless the material is very,very,fine.
Would purchase the smaller packets were it me, as opposed to bottle of this stuff even if I needed to Purchase two or three of the smaller packet's which come with the product already in the bag.
Can run one or two in the filter,and keep a couple spares for use while re-charging the old ones (or not)
Trust me,,this stuff is very ,very fine and media bag would need to be even finer material to prevent it from escaping.

Egrant

I have used nylons before for carbon.......