Filter media

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vulcan

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Hey everyone,

just a question about canister filters and IPF - internal power filters... i am running IPF, and was wondering what the best filter medias are to get... like the extra sponges and active carbon, and all that sort of thing.... cause i am looking to either get a canister filter, or a second IPF so i can have more filter medias.

so any help or suggestions would be great

ps. i apologize for the bad wording just got home from work and my brain is fried.
 
First, a quick note. Media is the plural form of medium. There are three different types of filter media. Each medium performs a certain task.

Sponges are your mechanical filtration. They separate the visible particles out of the water column and also lengthen the life of your impeller by keeping gunk out of it. Sponges also provide a substrate for nitrifying bacteria to grow. There are also media that are nearly exclusively used to provide a substrate for bacteria. These include bioballs and porous ceramic pellets.

The final set of media are the chemical filters. Activated carbon is the most common one but there are other resins that can remove specific compounds from the water.

I think the most important types of filtration are the ones that provide a substrate for bacteria and mechanical filtration. Activated carbon would be my third as it does help scrub out quite a bit of molecular gunk from the water column. Most filters should be able to provide you with all three media.
 
Advice from a cheapskate: Regardless of the type/brand of filter, I would recommend getting a filter that does not lock you into buying their own brand of media replacements. Things like floss and activated carbon are cheaper to buy in bulk, so try to find a filter that accepts bulk media rather than some kind of prepackaged cartridges. Over the years, the cost of those cartridges really adds up. Sponges, bioball, and ceramic media are good because you can rinse and reuse them for a long time.
 
cheers thanks the advice, im a bit of the cheapskate myself atm due to the lack of work avaliable
 
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