With an FX5 on the way to help with my 55 fish-only, one 5-inch Tiger O, I could use some assistance with which of the Fluval filter medias to place in the cannister for maximum O tank filtration. I want to hit the ground running with this thing, and need to be kinder to my O than by just having an Emperor 400 running. Water quality is ok now, but I want to do the job right, right from the start, and need suggestions regarding the multitude of choices for the baskets. I'm talkin' "crystal clear" and "debris free" here. I plan on keeping the 400 on the tank. Thanks!

i use ceramic tube media (biomax or bio noodles) and polishing pads/foam in the bottom .......it works great but i would also be interested to see some other successfull combos

this is how i have mine setup.
top basket- fluval pre filter media
middle basket-blue fine filter sponge and fluval nitrate remover(running a test to see if the nitrate remover is worth it)
bottom basket-fluval water polishing pads and bio max.

i run this filter along with an aquaclear 110(for mechanical filtration) and the water in my tank is crystal clear.


btw welcome to the site

I fill the top basket with media balls 2nd & 3 basket with bio max tubes & leave the other foam to cope with mechanical. this is on a 150g. water always looks drinkable,clear. I clean half the foam and 1 basket in about 3 months. if baskets look clean i leave and do more foam if needed.

to marcus do u keep your foam in the top or bottom??????or in another filter i cant quite work it out:blush:

on my fx5 the foam is around the sides of the basket. I don't use any other foam but I do have some that fits inside the basket and have tried it in the past. It didn't make any difference so I used just media in the baskets

I have 2 fx5's but after trying the 2 together, i have gone back to just 1 on my 150g cos 2 didnt make it any cleaner. 1 dose the job fine.

in one of my client, i used bags of decalite
as media. it works great and keep the water
crystal clear

the only setback i have, difficult to clean.
i had prepare several bags for future replacement
sectionalized (few compartment at a time)

has any one here used broken up terracota garden flower pots!!!!!!!! i used to use it a long time ago and it has the same properties as ceramic tube media ,,,also i have used corragated hose cut into 1" pieces like the hoze for fluval filters this can be obtained from your local hardware store or plumbing centre for pennies !!!!!and is exacyly the same as bioballs!!!!!!

I run two FX5's and I have polishing wool in the top basket, Alfagrog in the second and bio balls in the third one. This seems to work fine in my 180g.

i know theres no should or shouldnt with media combos but if i use polishing pads in the fx5 i put them in the bottom tray as i thought this is the last point of exit before the water returns to the tank???? or is it the top one ???the water enters the trays at the top ,hitting the toptray first then filters down finaly to the bottom tray then picked up by the output tube to return to the tank???????? isnt it?????

you are correct the water enter the top and is returned from the bottom. fluval recommends that you place your polishing pads just before your bio media so the cleanest water will flow over your bio then into the tank. the only draw back i found to this is the waterpo;lishing pads tend to clog rather easily and have to be replaced weekly. this mean removing all the baskets to get to them near the bottom. if you place them just after the pre filter media it seems top me that it would be easier to replace. just my opinion though.

You are both spot on. When I first got these filters, I too believed that the wool/polishing pad should be in the last basket, But I followed Fluval's advice and being a creature of habit (usually my downfall) I have stuck with doing it that way. But it is easier to replace the wool as Necromancer points out.