Filter Foam

[Aqua sobriquet]

I’ve ordered a new filter and apart from other media it comes with a couple of coarse filter foams. I took these out of one of my other filters as it didn’t seem to be doing very much. Fine foam acts like floss and traps solid waste. Coarse and Medium foams don’t seem to trap anything so are they just intended as Biological media? I’ll be putting in the Siporax from the old filter but I’m wondering if I should replace the coarse foam with ceramic rings - I have plenty of them unused. Any thoughts?

 

[hypnogogia]

Foam is better as a biological medium than ceramic rings.

 

[Ajm200]

The coarse foam should catch the larger particles allowing the fine foam and floss to act as water polishers. With it in place your filter will be slower to clog up. Water flow is rapidly reduced by clogged fine sponges and floss.

It also provides a home for biological filtration.

With limited ceramic media or bio balls and a combo of coarse, medium and fine sponges I only needed to clean alternate cleaning of my FX4 and FX6 on my 520l heavily planted tank every 3 months and depending on stocking levels sometimes went as long as six months when i broke my shoulder or tore my rotor cuff. My shoulders have taken some serious damage during the lifetime of my tank but decent sponge filtration, low tech, low
ferts and reasonable stoking levels have allowed for periods of neglect/low maintenance.

Despite limited maintenance i have have ottos, corys, angel fish and kribs breed in there