# Tetratec EX1200 Media question



## aaronnorth (11 May 2009)

Hi,

I have bought a 2nd hand EX1200 but it comes with no media or handbook, i have downloaded the PDF version off the website and it shows 2 foam sponges being able to fit into 1 tray, although they dont look that deep IMO  :?: 
So how many sponges can 1 basket hold?

Thanks.


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## Nick16 (11 May 2009)

mine holds two. so does my ex 700. i think with mine i got three sponges. one is a coarse, one a medium and one more fine. 

i have the coarse and then medium in the bottom tray to remove large particles. then the fine sponge, with some bio media. then some more bio media andm finally some floss.


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## aaronnorth (11 May 2009)

Nick16 said:
			
		

> mine holds two. so does my ex 700. i think with mine i got three sponges. one is a coarse, one a medium and one more fine.
> 
> i have the coarse and then medium in the bottom tray to remove large particles. then the fine sponge, with some bio media. then some more bio media andm finally some floss.



thanks.


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (11 May 2009)

Arron 

The bottom tray has the noodles + thick sponge, the next tray has the bio balls - no sponge, third tray has two sponges, top tray 1 x sponge + white disposable filter.
Should have bought mine my old one it has been listed and its set up ready to run.

Regards

paul.


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## aaronnorth (11 May 2009)

Flyfisherman said:
			
		

> Arron
> 
> The bottom tray has the noodles + thick sponge, the next tray has the bio balls - no sponge, third tray has two sponges, top tray 1 x sponge + white disposable filter.
> Should have bought mine my old one it has been listed and its set up ready to run.
> ...



thanks, i bought it a few months ago and just realised i bet of get some media ordered!!


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## JamesM (11 May 2009)

I filled mine with sintered glass media, using just two sponges in the top tray. The sintered glass is much better than the bio balls and ceramic hoops that are usually supplied.


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## aaronnorth (12 May 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> I filled mine with sintered glass media, using just two sponges in the top tray. The sintered glass is much better than the bio balls and ceramic hoops that are usually supplied.



i cant see the point in the plastic balls, do you use this one?

http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.p ... cts_id=925


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## JamesM (12 May 2009)

Nah, I got mine from the lighting guys on eBay... EQJ is it? EJQ? Anywho, they messed me about a bit with my luminaire, so they offered me some free media. I took it and bought more at the same time, avoiding the silly postage fees


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## aaronnorth (13 May 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> Nah, I got mine from the lighting guys on eBay... EQJ is it? EJQ? Anywho, they messed me about a bit with my luminaire, so they offered me some free media. I took it and bought more at the same time, avoiding the silly postage fees



i shall take a look. 

EDIT: Â£22.50 for P+P  i dont think so....


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## JamesM (13 May 2009)

aaronnorth said:
			
		

> JamesM said:
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Yeah, exactly. 

Worth getting some if you buy a light though


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## aaronnorth (13 May 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> aaronnorth said:
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to late  i think my LFS have some of the JBL stuff in.


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## Simon D (13 May 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> I filled mine with sintered glass media, using just two sponges in the top tray. The sintered glass is much better than the bio balls and ceramic hoops that are usually supplied.


What grade of sponge are you using? I assume not the fine, so must be course. Is there an intermediate ? 

Is the filter full of media? or do you have empty trays? 

I also have some purigen to go in, am I right in thinking this goes in on the top filter tray?

Reason I ask is I have a brand new one sitting in a cupboard awaiting a new tank and don't know the best set-up when it all goes together. I understand that each tank will have different demands on the filter but just want to get a feel for what others use/


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## aaronnorth (14 May 2009)

the water is taken to the bottom, the pulled up though the media, back to the top, so ideally you want purigen last (at the top), where the water will be the cleanest (of waste) so it doesnt get clogged up.


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## Simon D (14 May 2009)

aaronnorth said:
			
		

> the water is taken to the bottom, the pulled up though the media, back to the top, so ideally you want purigen last (at the top), where the water will be the cleanest (of waste) so it doesnt get clogged up.


Thanks Arron, 

kinda knew that one anyway, main question was 



			
				Simon D said:
			
		

> JamesM said:
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## JamesM (14 May 2009)

Sorry Simon, I missed this...

I didn't have different grades of sponge with either of my 1200's or 700's :? 

One 1200 has 3 trays full of sintered glass, 1 tray of sponge (top tray). The other 1200 has two trays of sintered glass (bottom tray empty) and top tray is sponge.


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## Simon D (14 May 2009)

Thanks James, that's useful to know. 

Edit: when I said sponges I was including the fine white (disposable?) filter pad that should top the cannister. In my eye that's the same as the other sponges but finer! I have read about blue (or was it black?) and green sponges and obviously am confusing myself and anyone else reading this!


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## JamesM (15 May 2009)

Oh right... err, I used the ones supplied with each filter for about 2 months each and didn't bother replacing them.


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## chris1004 (16 May 2009)

I run two ex's on my 250L 4ft tank (a 700 connected inline with a vectron V2 300 uv filter (giving an estimated 350-400L/hr flow through the uv filter) and a 1200 connected inline with an aqua medic 1000 external co2 diffuser). 

This is how I have configured the filter media in them from the top down.

The top tray consists of a Filter floss pad above some jbl blue fine filter foam which is cut to fit into the top tray with enough room left for one filter floss pad to sit on top of it. I replace the FF pads in both of my ex's every time I clean the filters out (about once a month or so). 

The cheapest filter floss pad replacements that I have found on the net are from here.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/fish/filt ... edia/36841

And the jbl blue fine filter foam bought from the same place (zooplus).

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/fish/filt ... edia/36851


The next tray down in both filters is the original foam pads supplied with the filter.

The next tray down is filled completly with seachem's matrix bio filter media.

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product ... atrix.html

And the bottom trays are completly filled with ceramic rings.

Hope this helps.


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