can i put 2 different things into 1 compartment on a external filter?
reason i ask is...
i want to get crystal clear water, but aint there yet, so im going to add a few bits into my tetratec 1200, all i have at the moment is Biological Filter Foam at the bottom, then and Bio Filter Balls in the second tray then Biological Filter Foam in 3rd and forth with Filter Floss Pad at the top.
would putting some carbon in there help get crystal clear water?
and what are the downsides of carbon because i see alot of people saying its crap and not to use it.
so what can i use to get clearer water?
i clean fish crap every day now and do 20% water change twice a week so i know that aint the problem.
any advise?

You don't need anything to clear your water, regular maintenance, not overstocking and sensible feeding will help to keep your tank crystal clear. Some people use carbon and say that it keeps water nice and clear. I would strongly advise you not to use carbon all the time. Carbon removes impurities from the water. However, it can only hold so much and need changing on a regular basis. Failure to change it can result in impurities leaching back into the water which could have a detrimental effect on water quality. The only time you should use carbon is if you are removing old medication. That's my opinion anyway.

You should use as much biological filtration as possible and top it off with mechanical filtration. Obviously if you're just using one filter, you might be better off using a couple of mechanical sponges. However, if you're using more than one filter, you really don't need any more than one sponge, this gives you the chance to use loads of bio filtration.

OK, thanks alot mate

allowing your filtering system to get slimy and dirty
will make your water crystal clear. if you always clean
the filter, it will make your water cloudy.

PAUL wrote:




can you explain the logic behind this statement for me. i clean the mechanical filtration part of my fitler regularly and have crystal clear water in all my tanks. when the foam in my filters get dirty and slimy it reduce the water flow through my system and therefore reduces efficiency of the filter. i am curious as to how a dirty filter keeps your tank looking sparkling clear.

I'm not sure I understand that either. One of the main reasons why water goes cloudy is because you wash your filtration too much. I have got to wash the two filters on my 125 gallon tank, haven't done it for about three months. Surprisingly, they don't get too dirty.

in most cases, hobbyist replace all the media of their
filtering system whenever they do water change,then wonder
"what happen"... the water becomes cloudy.

others, does't understand washing the media in tank water,
they just wash the media in tap or shut-off the pump while
doing the water change for a longer time. they are not aware
of killing good bacteria.

in my case, i always replace the top portion of the media
where all dirt and left-over food stucked in it. those dirts
where after all, used by my plants and get the nutrients needed.
the lower layer remains as well as the bio-balls and/or volcanic
cinders. that slimy materials helps my water to keep clear & clean