# what media for my filter?



## Aels105 (20 Jun 2020)

So i have just updated to a superfish QubiQ 30 LED i really like the tank and cant get any bigger due to where its located. This is my first planted tank. My question is what should i use in the filter media. The filter is built into the corner and currently has foam sponge, then a carbon zeolite mix and then some fine floss. I was thinking of removing the carbon zeolite and replacing with some form of bio media, althought the space isint that big, any suggestions appreciated.


----------



## FishKeeper55 (20 Jun 2020)

You have the same tank that my daughter have in her bedroom, that cartridge is very narrow, flow is bottom to top, that foam is very coarse, lot of people on here saying you don't need bio media in filters when you have plants, if you wanted you could get small mesh bag and have some small bio media balls with another medium foam on top or just medium/fine foam, that filter cartridge is very small so you fairly limited what you can do with this, you could have floss on top just to remove any  fine dirt but again due to size you will need to keep replacing this often,  I wasn't happy with the whole filtration and went down with external filter.


----------



## Simon Cole (20 Jun 2020)

Vaxer pumice from Ikea is quite cheap at £3 per bag. I am a big fan of coarse perlite too - but it will crush up a bit if you squash it. But yes, generally pumice is the media of choice for most growers. Perhaps just buy a pumice stone and crush it up would be cheapest (£1).


----------



## Aels105 (20 Jun 2020)

Thanks for the replies guys..ive heard of people just using foam and nothing else in their filters ....i dont think i need the carbon zeolite mix...i might get rid of that in a few weeks time


----------



## Aels105 (20 Jun 2020)

i have some biorb ceramic media that i was thinking i could crush up and use instead of the carbon etc.. and yes the filter is an odd set up almost upside down in the sense water passes through the filter floss 1st then the carbon then the sponge


----------



## FishKeeper55 (20 Jun 2020)

I would remove asap if you planing on removing later anyway, reason been once you remove you will remove some good bacteria, cut the black sponge in half place in bottom of the cartridge this will act as prefilter then  biorb ceramics and place medium or fine foam on top or even floss, don't leave the floss pad on bottom because every time you want to replace this you have to remove everything from that cartridge.


----------



## Aels105 (20 Jun 2020)

Cheers fishkeeper i like that plan properly do it tomorrow thanks


----------



## Aels105 (21 Jun 2020)

Just changed the filter over il see how it goes


----------

