Best filter media

[AdamG280]

Sorry for all the questions, but what do you use for filter media. So far I just have the sponge on the filter and ceramic media. Any recommendations on whether I should add something?

 

[mjgonereefing]

Tough question not knowing your setup. How many gallons? How much rock? Is it a HOB filter? Send a pic

 

[Matt Bravo]

following as I’m about to set up a new system as well. All I have in mind right now is
1) filter socks
2) filter floss
3) some sort of sponge filter
4) activated carbon

Anyone have any other ideas?

 

[Kasrift]

As was already asked, size of the tank matters. I'm running a 32 gallon AIO and do filter floss, chemipure blue, and Maxspect Biospheres and a skimmer in the return chamber.

 

[AdamG280]

Tough question not knowing your setup. How many gallons? How much rock? Is it a HOB filter? Send a pic

Filter is external canister, 20 gallons. I’ve got a good amount of rock in there so that I have different height levels for soft, sps, and lps coral lighting requirements. I have a protein skimmer. I have some bio cubes and activated carbon, but I haven’t put them in yet. I heard to wait until it’s cycled to add carbon.

 

[AdamG280]

following as I’m about to set up a new system as well. All I have in mind right now is
1) filter socks
2) filter floss
3) some sort of sponge filter
4) activated carbon

Anyone have any other ideas?

I’ve heard you have to change the carbon weekly. Is that how you do it!

 

[Kasrift]

I’ve heard you have to change the carbon weekly. Is that how you do it!

Depends on what you are trying to remove. If you have leather corals and they are large then maybe. I swap out my chemipure blue every two months and that has carbon in it. I only add carbon otherwise if there is a specific reason.

 

[Matt Bravo]

I’ve heard you have to change the carbon weekly. Is that how you do it!

Yeah I heard it’s supposed to be a bi weekly thing but I haven’t changed it in a month….

Yeah I gotta get on that haha

 

[Matt Bravo]

The thing about carbon is that it also sucks out the good elements that corals would appreciate so I usually use less then recommended

 

[Superd513]

As was already asked, size of the tank matters. I'm running a 32 gallon AIO and do filter floss, chemipure blue, and Maxspect Biospheres and a skimmer in the return chamber.

Exactly what I have. I hate the mechanic part of it. It doesn’t work very good and I have to change out the floss every day

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The thing about carbon is that it also sucks out the good elements that corals would appreciate so I usually use less then recommended

I know a lot of folks claim that to be true, but I've never seen any data to demonstrate it. Have you?

IMO, many of these sorts of ideas stem from misunderstandings of known facts (such as GAC having an "Iodine number") or from potentially inappropriate extrapolation from fresh water where there are fewer ions to compete for binding sites on GAC and other media.

GAC will bind organics, and organics will bind some trace metals (such as copper), but if that is the mechanism, it makes the effect similar to any other form of organic export, such as skimming.