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I just got a used 55 gallon tank with a Fluval 304 filter. There is no filter media in it so i'm wondering what i should use. I will be keeping Rams, Cories, Tetras and Platies. Do i need carbon or peat? My ph is at 7.6. Do you know of a good, inexpensive online company that carries the media for the 304? Thanks.

In most cannisters you can use any brand of media you want. You don't need to use fluval media unless your using specifically sized pads to fit certain media baskets. Generally you want a range of mechanical media from coarse to fine. I use ceramic cylinders for the first section and then buy rolls of medium and fine pads (ehfisynth:http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4136+4150+4318&pcatid=4318) and cut them to fit the media baskets. You can go all the way to micron pads if you want just make sure you increase the mechanical filtration in stages or you will clog the finer media too quickly. You may also need to clean the cannister more frequently with finer media. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4136+4150+4353&pcatid=4353

Most everything else is quite optional and depends on your situation. Many run biological media for extra bacteria but I never saw the need since I keep lightly stocked tanks. If anything you can just make sure to keep some of your mechanical media when you clean the cannister and rinse it in tank or dechlorinated water to keep the bacteria. The ceramic cylinders can work well for that.

Chemical media is pretty much neccessary for my tapwater but carbon is worthless. It needs changed constantly and most don't change their cannisters frequently enough for that. Instead I use purigen which lasts up to 4months and can be recharged numerous times using bleach. http://seachem.com/products/product_pages/Purigen.html
Chemical media should be the last thing the water runs through in your cannister along with any peat moss. You can add peat if you like the look and want to do the extra work but the fish don't need it. They will be fine at that ph. If you add peat you will need chemical filtration to remove some of the tannin stain or your tank will get very brown after awhile and you will have to test the ph more frequently to tell both how much peat you need and when to change it so the ph does not go too low or bounce back up when the peat runs out.

sham - Just to make it easy i think i'll stick with Fluval media intended for the 304. Which should i get out of the following media and at what levels should i put it?

Bio Max
Pre-Filter
Foam
Polywool

Is it a waste to use Bio Max and Pre-Filter since their both ceramic rings?

Hi,
This should help:
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/rev-f304.htm

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Coarse media on the bottom up to the finer media on the top but Hagen suggests not putting chemical media or polywool in the last chamber. Instead they always have a sponge, fine filter pad, or biomax at the top. Probably to keep smaller particles from getting forced into the tank. Most of the descriptions of the media give an idea of where to put it http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pet_supplies.cfm?c=3578+4136&s=ts&r=156

There is more listed onhttp://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/filters_fluval_filter_media.htm but the site is for marine setups and the article at the top is heavy on chemical filtration which is often completely avoided in freshwater tanks.

I'm not sure the exact difference but bio-max is supposed to be for biological filtration so would go in the top where it wouldn't get easily clogged or require as frequent of rinsing. Prefilter is designed as a coarse media so would go in the bottom.