Click 'READ MORE' for full video desciption and important links - watch in HD. Biohome filter media and upgrade kits here: www.filterpro.co.uk New version of the filter in this video: geni.us/P7ZC4 Decent external filters: geni.us/2LnO 2.3 litre booster filter for externals: geni.us/2bj1 1.2 litre booster filter for externals: geni.us/1pBh Frozen food: geni.us/LNA8 (select type - loads to choose from) If you want to know anything about what should be happening inside an external filter watch this video. I show you how to set up an external filter and explain every step of the way what is happening inside that part of the filter. There is an explanation on the difference between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, why you need them both and how your filter will support them if set up properly. The media I use in this video is Biohome Ultimate - the best media available for external filters. Biohome filter media supports both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria so is able to process ammonia, nitrite AND nitrate. The gel filter starter balls speed up the development of a bacterial colony on / in filter media by slowly releasing live bacteria as they dissolve over a 1-2 week period. For a full Q&A video on Biohome filter media click here: goo.gl/yMKxDa Thanks for watching and check out my other videos on my channel. Subscribe for more. Bulk order enquiries to sales@filterpro.co.uk **PLEASE NOTE I HAVE CLOSED TYNE VALLEY AQUATICS AND NOW SELL FILTER MEDIA FROM HOME. COLLECTING MEDIA IS NO PROBLEM JUST GIVE ME A RING OR EMAIL. My phone number 07772848730 My email address sales@filterpro.co.uk
The AU supplier is linked on the FilterPro website www.filterpro.co.uk If you click the AU flag at the top of any page you will go straight to their site and they should have all types in stock. Regards, Richard
Pondguru do you have a media kit were I can order it in the Cali? your viedo was very helpful. I'm new to the fish world. And just got my canister I would love to do a upgrade.
just an update have used the set up for a year os so now. have had great results, water very clear, nitrate and nitrite test very low to non existence. the only thing I've had to buy is replacement filter but probably don't need to change as often as I do. water again is very clear and have been asked how I keep it so clean . I would highly recommend this because of the quality of the filtration it provides and secondly the cost saving, in the year I've bought the conversion kits and a set of foams estimated around £80 for the year and still going strong. cheers Richard been great product.
+Richard Gould Rear Richard, That is awesome to hear and thanks for the great feedback on the upgrade kit. Yes the fine pad needs replacing periodically and the coarse and medium foams may need replacing after 12-24 months but the media will last a good 6-10 years at high efficiency in a well set up filter. I have come across two major filter manufacturers lately who advise changing the biological filter media every 6 months which is pure insanity from a filter and water health point of view as it can take a good 6 months to build up a decent population of anaerobic bacteria responsible for reducing nitrate. Regards, Richard
I absolutely love your videos, the way you explain things is just great. I recieved the bio media I ordered from your Ebay shop for my new chiclid tank (Big Thanks). Please can you give your professional advise on uv sterilisers will they harm the good bacteria in the media? also how about using carbon to reduce odours and also using ammonia remover like Fluval Zeo Carbon in an established tank with an external filter
+Prawnchowmein Thanks for the order and I'm glad your initial impressions of the media are good. UV filters are generally not needed unless you have a number of tanks linked to the same filter but as long as you leave it turned off for a couple of weeks when establishing a filter it will not prevent the filter developing properly. Carbon should ideally be the last thing the water hits before returning to the tank and is a good product to use when you need to remove colour from bogwood or residual fish treatments. With regard to ammonia remover you should not need to use that if the filter is a suitable size for the tank and set up with a suitable amount of good media as the filter will process all the ammonia and nitrite. If enough biohome is used (usually a minimum of 1kg per 100 litres for a normal community tank) you should see a reduction in nitrates too (normally after 4-6 months).
Ok mate, thanks for the quick reply, advice taken, I watched your video about utilising the space at the bottom of an external filter. I didn't realise my Fluval filter had a big enough gap for 1kg of extra media so ill be buying more to fill this void and one more compartment instead of using ammonia media, and enough for another bigger tank I'm starting, Ive learnt so much watching your videos. It's surprising how many people keep fish with minimal knowledge, well thats was me before your videos. thanks so much you are definitely going to heaven for sharing your knowledge.
+Prawnchowmein No worries, I love making videos with any sort of educational content. Yes there should be no need for any ammonia remover if the filter is of suitable size and set up properly with good media as the filter media (bacteria in and on media) should process all the ammonia and nitrite and in many cases reduce the nitrite too.
+Richard Gould I can't reply to your comment for some reason but those are might impressive results. There are quite a few people reporting a reduction in the nitrate very quickly and for the life of me I can't think why that happens so quickly as I always thought anaerobic bacteria took a good 4-6 months to establish well - even on biohome. I think the combination of foams in correct place, best media and the gel balls all combine to do an outstanding job. It really irks me when I see people on youtube showing how to set up externals and they are just following manufacturer instructions, generally finishing with 'you need to do regular water changes to keep nitrate down, or add this stuff (usually nitrazorb, purigen etc.) regularly to keep on top of pollutants'. Load of balls. I'm sure that your filter will continue to perform well for many years to come.
Enjoyed your video. My biofilter input swirls and there is a 6 inch void below. I have been vacuuming out this 2-3 inches of sludge that collects there twice a year. After watching your video I wonder if this is where the anaerobic activity takes place to complete the nitrogen cycle? Is cleaning this counterproductive to the cycle or just good maintenance? FB koi groups think there should be no place in the pond for anaerobic bacteria. They think water changes are the solution to high nitrates. I learned from you today that anaerobic bacteria has an important function.
Herberth Chavarria Carbon really should be the last thing used and it does draw in colour from bogwood and treatments but in a normal tank it will not be needed - should be the last thing water hits if it is used in a filter as it clogs up extremely fast.
+Venice Mackay Not up here as the tap water is fairly good. With properly set up filtration and the resulting minimal water changes there is no need to go the RO route. May be different in areas where the water isn't so good (South East, Midlands, Nottinghamshire are places where many people seem to struggle with the quality of tap water)
+jamie forrest I honestly don't know but there is definitely a trend among manufacturers to get plenty of follow on sales and by having inefficient filters they are sure to get good sales on treatments and remedies to things which should never have been a problem. I don't think any of them put the fish or fish keeper first.
+Ben Morgan Yes it is all about biohome but when you want to make a video about the best possible way to set up a filter there really aren't any other options. I wouldn't feel right recommending anything else knowing that biohome exists.
***** Yes you can do that no worries but I would personally go for sponges in the bottom tray and get the rest of the trays filled up with media as that's what sorts the water out and keeps it healthy.
Hendro Kusumo Leave the coarse filter foam in top of filter and set trays up the same as the filter in this video as the water flows from bottom tray to top tray.
I ordered this exact upgrade here in the U.S from the supplier you suggested. I do have one question. I have a brand new tank with no fish. After I have the filter setup how long should I wait before adding a couple hardy fish? Does the cycle move along faster with a few fish? Is it too hard on the fish? I plan to get a couple of Danios to start off and get the tank cycled. Thanks for the great video!
GPVlog Leave it a week or so then trickle fish in weekly. The gel balls will iron out any ammonia spikes so fish shouldn't even know there is ammonia or nitrite there as media establishes very quickly to process it once gel balls have seeded media. Cycle won't necessarily be faster with fish against fishless cycle but certainly safe to do when you are using good media and proper live bacteria. Thanks for watching and appreciating the video.
My fish are the proof that this setup and midia do really work wonders.Biohome user for 3 years now and very very very pleased with the results.Thank you Mr Richard .
Biohome doesn't claim to reduce Nitrate. As Anaerobic bacteria settles in the core of the media, it prevents it from being created as the end-product of Nitrobacter. The water should settle out somewhere between "undetectable" and 5ppm of nitrate.
clearly states it reduces nitrate on ebay. like i said did not effect my nitrate level after 8 months use, even swopped it out and went with good old fluval rings. (less clogging up now)
kanda kumar It depends how much you used for the aquarium. If you are only using 500g in a 200 litre tank it is on a hiding to nothing and if you were having problems with the filter media clogging there must have been issues with the mechanical filtration. Just searched my records against your name and I can't find an order under your name. How much did you buy and what size is the tank? Feel free to send me pictures and details of your set up to pondguru@btinternet.com as there shouldn't have been noticeable clogging and if an appropriate amount of media was used there should have been some change in nitrate levels if the filter was running correctly.
The anaerobic bacteria that this media supports will reduce the nitrate as proven by the nation of people who are now using it for that very purpose. When did you order the media, how much did you order and what size is your tank? As I mentioned before I can't find record of getting an order from you.
I just got my order of media and I can't wait to set up my tank. My question is, I've seen many reviews about not adding dechlorinators during the cycle phase due to not killing the good bacteria. But if you don't the chlorine will kill it. Which product can I use that will not kill my bacteria balls. Thanks!Nicole
thanks for the video. I've set my canister the same way. One question I have is do you replace the white pad and just wash out the rest of the pads in tank water when it's gunked up. Thanks
Yes and yes, just make sure that you wash out the filter parts in tank water you have drained off into a bucket, not in the tank. I had one guy complain that his water was always cloudy for days after filter maintenance and he was actually washing out foams and media in his tank, lol
I kind of did what you are saying, let's say I didn't have any money, just different foams and normal ceramic media I have bought before and not used it, until now. Thanks for this video, you help a lot. I just have a question, when you clean the filter, do you clean all the disgusting mug from the very bottom of the filter or do you just rinse the foams?
Best to remove the heavy muck too or it may just get disturbed and clog up your freshly cleaned foams. Glad you enjoyed the video as I like making the educational videos.
Just a simple - Thank you for all your good work and for this "Pimp your external canister filter". In January I did two Eheim (2075 and 2080) "your way". I got the Biohome Ultra from the danish dealer. After 2 month there isn't noticeable drop in presure, but today i just had to look inside the 2075 - and the water around the Biohome Ultra media was crystal clear - awesome. :-)
Hi PG.. How can I pimp my HOB filter? I will be cleaning my canister in the next week or so.. I'm excited to do it this way. I have all your points in my Cichlid journal.
Really the order of foams and media will not change with any filter but upgrading a HOB can be more problematic since they are often developed to rely on a cartridge system. I'd say just go with decent foams followed by as much good media as you can fit in there and you won't go far wrong.
Hi, great video very impressed with the biological filter system. I am setting up my first large tank and I have an Eden 521 external filter. Do you know it?. If so am I able to do something Similar with it?.
zel boake Doesn't look like that filter will be a good one to get working properly as the water travels through it in a really strange way but replacing the ceramic rings with biohome would make it more efficient. It would need a fine foam or pad over the media to keep it clean though.
Earlier this year you posted a video about how to set up a canister filter, with coarse and fine filter mats before the biological filter media. I set up my Eheim filter according to your advice, and my overstocked, overfed 100 litre tank has since then worked perfectly. No problems with any of the N's (nitrite/nitrate/ammonia), shining bright water, healthy fish and healthy plants. And best of all - no need to do water changes every week or month. Just a quick rinsing of the filter media every second month or so. Christmas Greetings from a happy aquarist :-)
Yes, water should always hit media foams first then pad then media (then chemical media if you use it). Some filter trays work a different way (top to bottom e.g. FX4,5,6 from fluval) but as long as they are set up properly they will work hard on water quality.
Hi Pond guru great videos...I have a question or need your feedback, would putting Bio-Home media under the substrate in an under gravel filter setup, help in the bacteria creation...thanks for your advise
Glad you enjoyed the video. With regard to the gel balls I sell them on my website: www.filterpro.co.uk or just search for 'gel filter starter balls' on ebay or amazon.
I know this video is quite old but I have just ordered some pond foam and also some bio home ultimate from you your great at explaining stuff keep doing what your doing!
Thanks for getting back to me, made a mistake it’s a 303 but I think I’ll go for three trays bio media as it’s pretty well stocked with plants and tropical fish. Can you have too much media? 🤷♀️
Unbelievably great video. I have an Eheim pro 4 250 canister. Can that filter be pimped? Its internal structure looks a big more complex than the one in your video. Makes me kinda wish I had the same one you do.
Yes, only difference is that the Pro 4 has a 'pre-filter' tray in the top which water hits before going to bottom of filter and rising up through trays. Therefore just leave the pre-filter tray as it is, set up bottom tray with coarse, medium and fine foams then have good filter media in remaining tray. I do not have the tray sizes recorded for the 250 but the 350 takes approx. 1.5kg of biohome ultimate per tray. Looks like the 250 is just a 2 tray (not including 'pre-filter' tray) version of the 350 and if that is the case 1.5kg would see you good for a normal community tank up to 150 litres (full cycle filtration, reduction in nitrate).
Thanks for a very informative video. One question,what if I want to do this to my filter, which incidentally is the same as the one in the vid, While I have fish in my tank is it possible by using mature media e.g. the ceramic rings already in the filter? I don't want to completely recycle my system.
gcujimmy Yes if you are upgrading the filter with proper media and foams in correct place you can swap foams to correct place right away and swap out old media for new over the course of a month (25% each week). That way you shouldn't notice a drop in filter performance and once you get it set up properly the new media will last for years as it will b properly protected from becoming clogged.
Great info. I have a planted tank. I understand that live plants utilize nitrates. If I use biohome ultimate and remove the nitrates, will my plants miss the nitrates?
Great., and how long does the media last in a fluval 206 canister filter before they need to be replaced? I'm thinking of using 1.5kg of biohome ultimate. Does the extra added red stuff eventually go away? My tank is already cycled. Should I go with the non red type?
+Faenum The postage depends on which country you are in. If it is UK then postage for 1kg is £3.99. If you're not in UK simply add to basket and check delivery to your country in checkout. You don't have to check out and can just empty out the basket.
Very informative video. I have already set up my filter how you recomend but only useing standard ceramic media with the plastic ball at the bottom then foams then media could i just swap out the media. Would this cause it have a mini cycle? Thank you.
Russ Giles If you swapped out around 25% of your old media each week after 1 month you would have 100% new media and you wouldn't notice a change since the biohome matures extremely quickly.Glad you enjoyed the video, man.
Thanks for such an informative video. New to canisters, how would I set up the four trays for the Aqua One Nautilus 2700UV? I'm lost with how the water flows. Is it in the same order in the video or opposite?
+Icealote I can't find any stripped down images on google search but as the pump is in top and pipe goes through trays I would say 99% that it works just like the one in this video. If the pump was on bottom it would work opposite way (like FX5 /6). The 2700 looks huge. Bottom tray would be for foams then remaining 3 trays would be for media so feel free to send tray dimensions to pondguru@btinternet.com and I ill work out how much media will fit in there no worries.
Thanks for the reply, I've ordered the unit so it won't arrive till next week or so to find out. All I know is that the dimensions of the unit is 32L x 32W x 49H I think. I've ordered your foams and have gotten the 3kg biohomes ultimate from the Australian supplier. Hope it's okay to contact you again when it arrives.
+Icealote Sorry just seen this now - my comments are still kooky on youtube. Yes n worries feel free to ask me anything and my email address is pondguru@btinternet.com
Could you help me set up my Aqueon 300 canister filter? Upgraded from over the tank filter to a canister. Never had a problem with clear aquarium water until now. Pretty convinced I am not doing something correctly;-(.
How would you do this setup with a Penn plax Cascade 1000 it doesn't have the gap under the first tray should I put the rings under the foam in the first tray?
Richard Mallicoat You would generally use 1kg of biohome media per 100 litres to see a good reduction in nitrates but more is better. I would always go with one tray foams and 3 media but you could go 2 and 2 if the extra bio media was not required. That would cut maintenance time way down as long as foams were in correct order.
I'm not sure how effective it would be in an aquaponics system given the nitrate reducing properties and I don't have any reports regarding that unfortunately. The filter in this video set up the way it is would be fine or up to 400 litres, maybe more - depends on stocking and feeding.
BioHome may inadvertantly remove nitrates from an aquaponics setup. Nitrate removal is the Holy Grail in an aquarium setting, but is counterproductive for aquaponics. You don't want your bio media to remove/breakdown nitrates in aquaponics. Nitrates are plant nutrition. Leave the nitrates in so the plants you grow will flourish. Pondguru does sell a version of BioHome that is less porous and does not promote de-nitrifying bacteria growth. Perhaps Pondguru can elaborate on that version.
Jaime Craig Best forms of biohome for nitrate reduction are the ultimate and ultra (small and large varieties of each) although all biohome will reduce nitrate to varying degrees. Best media for hydroponics would be plastic (e.g K1 or Hel-x) in a moving bed filter as it only converts ammonia and nitrite and produces masses of nitrate.
Hi pond guru! can you please recommend a air pump for a 100ltr tropical aquarium, I have a interpet AV3 air pump airvolution at the moment but it keeps on rattleing , are the tetra aps 200 or 300 any good
awesome video my friend, i have a question i have the penn plax cascade 1500 it comes with 5 stage i do mechanical filtration on the bottom like you did and then carbon and then the biological filtration on top is that correct? or should i stop using carbon? i heard its make the water clear
Hello from Buffalo New York USA. I can’t believe watch your videos to gain knowledge on how to set up canister filters. I have sub and almost are you going to go to this unit that you were walking along just now. I have a product made by Topfin CF100. I had the same problem with the bottom of the canister..
Love the videos very helpful all the filters i have ever bought were set up the wrong way. Was wondering if you have ever used the poret foam with the biohome seems like those two together would be perfect
Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos, man. Looks like good foam and I like the ripple effect on the red version. I see that's made in NZ which would kill any chance of getting it cheaply in Europe unfortunately. The pond foams I used in this video are quite cheap and do a great job.
I set up my canister filter exactly this way but I mistakenly but those live bacteria balls in the very bottom. Do I need to tear it all down and put them right next to the bio home?
Hi Richard. I've been using the biohome ultimate for a while. When does it need replacing; every six months, part or all. My biohome is now 10 months old and has been working beautifully. Thanks
Kim Duffy It should last a good 6-10 years at high efficiency so don't worry about replacing it for a few years yet. Glad you're impressed with it as it is awesome stuff.
+Pondguru Outdoors Hi Richard. Thanks. I've just set up a tank for my mum, who is 81, and she's as mad about fish as I am. I've used this media in her tank and she's very pleased.
Always enjoy watching your videos. Any chance you might consider pimping a HOB filter? I'm setting up a 75 gal with an Aquaclear 110 and a 70 and would enjoy any tips on maxing out their filtering ability.
Just bought the All pond solutions EF1400 UV Filter, I have taken all your advise on ceramic rings in the bottom. 3 Different sponges, course, medium and fine, bought some of your Biohome media, for second basket, I have some ceramic rings and Activated carbon left, do I need carbon on my top layer in my African Chiclid tank, or should I just add purigen.Your help in this matter would be appreciated
The ideal scenario would be to have the foams and fine pad in the bottom tray with biological media in 2 trays above. If you have the 1400 filter it should take 1.5kg of either bohom mini ultra or biohome ultimate per tray (2 best types for external filters) so you can get a maximum of 3kg in there. I think you ordered 500g of the biohome standard which will still work as a filter media but is more dense, and smaller than the 2 types mentioned above. You'd probably still have room for 3kg of the more porous types as the biohome standard will fill in gaps between the larger media. There are notes about filtration and how much media is required to deliver full cycle filtration (reduction in nitrate) for different types of stocking densities here: filterpro.co.uk/qa-24-w.asp and a properly sized filter will easily hold enough to make that happen without the need for chemical filtration unless it is required to draw in residual fish treatments or colour from bogwood (which won't be an issue with African cichlids as the water needs to be hard and high pH) Feel free to ring any time 9-5 weekdays on 07772848730 Regards, Richard
Very good video... but if the media isn't in that order is it ok to change it round. I've got a Tetratec 1200 and my bottom tray has the ceramic rings (noobles) then I've got my useless plastic balls then my final tray with a coarse sponge and the fine sponge..?
The Tetra filters are easily the worst offenders when it comes to setting the filters up all wrong, lol Yes change it to the correct order but leave the biological media in the re for 2-3 weeks if you are adding new media (e.g. biohome) to one or more of the trays to make sure there is still some biological activity happening and to reduce chance of filter 'lag' in a mature system.
Thanks for that speedy reply, i'll change over the sponges leave the fine one as it's recently been changed... And put new bio in one tray and leave one with noodles in... for a couple of months then change that over too. Thanks for your help... actually I'm gonna be getting a new tank and filter it's gonna be around 600 litres.... I was thinking of a FX5/6 I was gonna run both filters. Will that be ok fish wise, Oscars, Tinfoils, Panagasguis, Redtail Catfish, Fully grown Redtail Black Shark.
Fab video. I've been running a fluval 406 for about three months and set it up along these lines. Would love to see some thoughts on maintenance schedules, how often do you clean/replace media and your thoughts on the likes of purigen? Also any thoughts on preserving the bacteria in the case of a powercut, had one the other night and I think it's done a big chunk of damage to my filters efficiency. Water quality has been all over the place since, I think it's basically cycling again?
The great thing about the biohome is that it is so porous it takes days to dry out so if there is a power cut just drain water from filter and the media will hold the bacteria for a few days without problems. Purigen should not be needed and as far as maintenance goes it is just a case of as and when necessary The media should last 6-10 years in a well set up filter and the only thing that needs replacing regularly is the fine white pad when clogged as it can't be cleaned.
it is well known that biohome is the best bio media. being on a budget however (across the pond), I have been thinking about gradually replacing the bio-balls in my canister with pumice. is this safe? if so; do you think it would be beneficial, or a waste of time? thanks
I'm not sure what pumice would do but as it is volcanic I wouldn't expect it to raise pH. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who has used pumice so I'm not much help there.
Great video just ordered the 3kg upgrade pack. My FX6 comes with two media bags I should use these in middle and bottom baskets to prevent ultimate from damaging impeller or surge valve?? Is that correct??? Chip
+Paul Chippington I sent a n email or reply to ebay message regarding the FX filters, no worries. Foams in top, media in trays below for that one as it works top top bottom.
Hi Pondguru Outdoors.. if I want to put activated carbon on the canister which tray should I put it? or is it okay to make the last tray as activated carbon then coarse foam then biohome media Thank you so much for all the information..Your videos are very informative and helpful..
You would set up the filter as per this video but any chemical filtration (e.g. carbon /charcoal) would go on top of top tray as that is the cleanest point of the filter. That would allow it to go longer before it clogs up and becomes ineffective but you may still only get 4-5 weeks of useful life from it. In a properly set up filter you should not need carbon or charcoal unless you need to draw in colour from bogwood or residual fish treatments as the media will be controlling ammonia, nitrite (and in the case of biohome at around 1kg per 100 litres, nitrate too).
I follow your exact setup, but I like to keep the white fine pad on the top thicker, I wouldn't cut it before placing it on top because otherwise I get some bypass problems. I think it's better to go thicker on the fine pad on the top of the tray.
Yes a thick pad will catch more muck and the size it is cut to or thickness of pad relates to how dense it is. A more dense pad can be thinner but a less dense pad needs to be thicker. Good quality pads will have minimal shrinkage but you're right its always best to go thick and cut bigger than you need to allow for that. Thanks for watching and appreciating the video.
As long as the mesh bag was quite coarse then that would work fine. You still need to wash out the bottom of the canister so it really doesn't make much difference.
great video im having problems now with my fluvial 406 which for past few days has been spitting out micro bubbles.ive checked it and everything seems fine im looking at getting new filter but dont want to spend lot on money on 1.which 1 would you recommend for a 240 ltr?i use your biohome media which i bought from you on eBay which i must say he the best out there.
Thanks for appreciating the filter media. If you've got a 240 litre tank then you should be looking for a filter 'for up to 500 litres' as a minimum if you have a general community tank and one 'for up to 600 litres' or more if you have a heavier stock. You'd always halve the 'up to' figure on a filter as the 'up to' figure is a fully planted tank with a few small fish. Most will promise way more than they deliver. The All Pond Solutions filters are as good as any and really cheap geni.us/2LnO The stuff in them is crap but that's where they save manufacturing costs - once it is set up properly they will hold a lot of media and do a great job. Depending on your stock you'd need either a 1400 or a 2000. Assuming the bottom tray is used for foams the 1400 will hold 3kg of biohome (ultimate or mini ultra) and the 2000 will hold 5kg. Hope that helps.
+C Homer The trays flow from top to bottom and you have good foams around the trays so really all you need is a fine mat on top of top tray then media below that and in remaining two trays. Each tray should hold approx. 1.5kg of biohome mini ultra or biohome ultimate.
Hi, spoke to you years ago! Great advice! Looking for small ext filter and what hose? Hate when this green stiff stuff. Wan easy now. Any advice.????? Thanks.
Carn Snowden The 106 will take approx. 0.5kg of mini ultra or ultimate per tray and as it only has 2 trays use the bottom one for extra coarse, medium and fine foams.
Brilliant info Richard... can u tell me please , what would be the correct set up for the eheim pro 4 600 ? As usual the white fine sponge came in the top part of the filter, should they be in the bottom tray as with most cannister filters ? And also, do u think the media that comes with the filter is sufficient? Many thanks, I'm off to watch one of ure pond building videos... 🐟🐠
Apart from the 'pre-filter' tray which should be left as it is just set it up the same as this video with the coarse, medium and fine pads in bottom tray then media in trays above that. Often the eheim filters will come with a plastic mechanical media in bottom tray which wastes a lot of space so its best to use foams and fine pad there. Some of the eheim media is decent, some is not so good and as far as full cycle filtration goes I can only advise on the biohome ultimate in a canister since we know it could take anywhere from 1kg per 100 litres (normally stocked tropical tank) to 1.5kg-2kg per 100 litres for a heavily stocked tank (e.g. cichlids, predatory fish, goldfish etc.) to achieve a full cycle (reduction in nitrate).
i have seen lots of videos where the intake line hose of the external filter is placed in a corner but on top of it the build a Mountain of rocks is it still efficient?thank you so much
They work exactly the same way as the filter in this video so just set up the same with foams in bottom and media in trays above it and it will run efficiently. You'll only need to use about 1/5 of the balls so store the rest in a sealed container or bag until you need them (maybe after filter maintenance)
Hi, I use both biomedias in my cannister filter, bio home and biosphere. My question is I just purchased your peat balls to help soften my water, where do you recommend in a top fill 4 tray system ? Glad also that you have made your products easier to obtain here in the U.S from Great wave. Thanks, Bruce
Bruce Krolikowski If you are using the peat balls in the filter they will go in last tray. The external filters generally have both inlet and outlet at top but 99% have water travelling through tube to bottom and rising up through trays like the one in this video. The one in this video would have peat balls in top tray if they were used in filter.
Can the beneficial bacteria balls be set into the substrate of a deep sand substrate planted tank? Or would that be a waste? It's a ten gallon with only a sponge filter... and plants. But no place for me to set up the bacteria securely...
Hi Richard, been using your canister filter setup for quite a while now and very happy with it, In my first tray (bottom) I'm using Jap (koi) matting, medium foam then fine foam instead of the floss and have had no problems. I clean my filter every fortnight and do a 20% water change on my 300L tank every week mostly to vacuum the floor etc. Does this look OK? my wife thinks I shouldn't be cleaning so often but I do like a clean tank! just a shame I can't have plants as my Bristlenose Plecs shreds everything I put in lol
If you've got the other trays filled with biohome the tank should only need 10% water change every couple of weeks as after 4-6 months the anaerobic bacteria should kick in and reduce nitrate (which is the main reason we do water changes). In a 300 litre tank you would need around 3kg to process the nitrate from a normal community tank and around 5kg for a heavily stocked malawi tank or predator tank.
Yes if a filter like the one in this video is set up properly then all the muck will be in the bottom of it so that will need tipping out. This video shows a really dirty filter being emptied out. Unfortunately it is in German but the video shows just how clean the media stays compared to the bottom part of the filter: th-cam.com/video/pnFhNerUoaM/w-d-xo.html The trays would just be shaken in a bucket of water you have drained from the tank if you need to shake off any fine muck in there.
Tyne valley may be down but will never be out with Richard making the difference cheers pond guru for your info effort and time you gave to everyone else one top dude that iv never met
I don't mind not having a shop as now I'm not throwing tens of thousands of pounds at something just to keep it going, lol There will be a new filtration video coming this weekend so look out for that one - really enjoyed doing it. Glad you enjoy the videos, man.
Hi Richard. I've just bought an external filter, I've also purchased your kit on eBay. I'm now just wondering can I put peat or Almond leaves into a spare tray in the filter? If i use peat is it necessary to use carbon as well??
+Jonathan N Love I just answered this via the ebay messaging system as you asked the same question there. Feel free to phone me any time - not sure if you are in UK as I couldn't find an order with your username.
Hi pondguru, I just received my filter upgrade kit, thanks a lot. I have a question. Obviously I want to get this media matured and running well as soon as possible. Can I put my already mature ceramic media and bio balls in the very bottom of my canister and fill my two biomedia canisters up with the new stuff? Will the mature media still be viable and do its job in the bottom of the canister, below the sponge layer and the two biohome trays?
Exactly the same way as this video does - I mention FX filters toward the end. Foams need to go in top tray as the water travels from top to bottom since the pump is under the filter. The FX5 takes 5kg of media if you fill all trays.
Awesome video as asual...... but I'm a little confused on the order of the trays and foam filter. .. ..... I have two eheim 2075 canister filters, I'm using the biohome ultimate in both filters, but according to the manufacturers instructions they say to keep the foam filters on top......can you please look up one of these particular eheim filters and let me know if I can change the configuration of my foam to your suggestion, im just not sure if doing it your way would work on this particular filter, but also after looking and maybe studying this particular filter, can you maybe give me some suggestions on bettering what im doing now...... your awesome and I totally enjoy all your videos. ...thank you so much I really appreciate it. ... cheers!!
Arrrgh, I forgot to mention the Professional 3 range in the video and I meant to do that. Leave the 'pre-filter' sponge in the top and then set the trays up as in this video with layered foams in bottom tray and media above. I have never seen the point of the pre-filter sponge as although it is meant to save time for maintenance it's always the fine pad which gets blocked first and either way the filter needs to be turned off and the top needs taking off - strange one that as its hardly a major effort to lift out a couple of trays, lol
thank you for all the work you put in making these videos. I've used a canister filter for about 10 years, and after seeing your vids, reconfigured the contents. the effect is amazing, its like the filter became supercharged. first off the force of the water coming through increased perhaps doubled? i had no idea about the differences in the filter media either, i thought it was al just mechanical to catch the tank debris. 5 star detail in your content. thanks a million.
+stephen shillitoe That's no worries, man. It really shouldn't make a huge difference to the flow but having the foams and pad set up in the correct order does help the muck to settle in a sensible manner so there will be no one foam taking all the dirt and clogging quickly. Glad you enjoy the videos - for the last couple of months I have been compiling notes on lots of aquatic questions to include in a mega knowledge dump video which I hope will provide plenty of information of a whole range of subjects as there is so much regurgitated nonsense on TH-cam. I just want people to think about their filter as it really is the heart and lungs of the aquarium system and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to develop a media which really boosts the biological action in any filter.
dear Richard, here is how I put media in my canister filter from bottom to top: ceramic rings, activated carbon, sponge, biohome, biohome...is the order good?
+Aboud Bakkour If the water flows from bottom to top as it does in most externals that is just about right but the carbon should really be the very last thing the water hits before leaving the tank as it clogs super quick and needs to operate in very clean water to be effective.
Got my biohome ultimate media the other day and just added it to my filter. After watching your video, I adjusted my XP Rena Xl to mimic your setup here! Funny thing is I went to a mom n pop fish store the other week and the lady liked me so much she gave me a free old fluval. the fluval wasn't of much use but it came with ceramic rings I was able to rinse and use at the base of my filter! Top Tray: Biohome Ultimate Media and Starter Balls 2nd Tray: Filstar Media Stars already established in my tank 3rd Tray - 3 types of pads as instructed Bottom Tray: Ceramic Rings I have a 40g breeder tank housing a single 3.5 inch Stripeneck Musk Turtle who I've had for 3 years, I really only have to do massive cleanings once every six months and it's awesome. Ive heard turtles are extremely tolerant of nitrates, is this true? What would you suggest for partial water changes once the Ultimate has established itself? Thanks for all the knowledge you bring to the community!
+MyMiniMovieMagic Sounds good to me - yes the turtles are very tolerant to poor water quality but obviously much happier in good quality water which can take 2x or 3x the filtration of a fish tank as they are very messy.
There are so many factors which affect how quick the filter blocks up so just clean out when the outflow slows down - that will tell you it is clogged or clogging.
Really a suitable sized canister filter would only need checking once a month at most and if the media looks dirty just give the tray a quick shake in water you've drained off from the tank. Really the only thing which needs regular maintenance is the foams and fine pad. The fine pad would need replacing when it gets clogged and if foams and fine pad is doing its job the media should stay very clean.
that helps a bit chap will i need to reuse my old biological ceramic rings. i have 4 trays one with biological and other 3 with polishing pads and carbon. im due to filter maintenance soon do i replace everything with 1 off your kits cheers neil
+Neil Smith From an efficiency point of view it would be best to replace the ceramics with the biohome but if is a mature system do it one tray at a time so the change over takes 3-4 weeks.
Hi, first of all, thanks for your fast shipment. I received the BioHome Mini Ultra Media fast & well packed, together with the free starter balls. If you can help me please, I have got an Haqos Expro 1500 external filter. As soon as I saw your video, I thought of swapping the trays, opened the filter and found out the coarse foam (on top of filter) was dirty and the medium foam just beneath cleaner! I thought water is flowing from top tray to bottom tray??? I consulted with the shop I bought if from too and he also said that in this filter model, dirty water flows downwards and clean water comes back up through the pipe/hose. Could you confirm for me please before I re-arrange my filter using the filter media I just bought from you? Thanks
The foams down the side are decent so you really only need the bottom tray for the medium and fine foams / pads then fill the 2 trays above that with media. Each tray will take up to 1kg of biohome mini ultra or biohome ultimate. The water flows from bottom up through trays.
Out of the first 6 deliveries I sent there (through standard mail) only 3 arrived so I had to refund the cost of shipping and product which left me badly out of pocket and that is unsustainable. However I still do send to UAE but only using registered international courier. Just sent an order last week which was 10kg media, foams and peat balls so if there is something you are looking to buy just let me know and I will get you a price, no worries. My email address is pondguru@btinternet.com
Great video - I'm looking in to purchasing some of this from your online shop. I had great results with the Pete balls I bought from you last year! With regards to the biohome media, if it reduces nitrates that effectively what effect will this have on planted aquariums? Obviously plants do use nitrate as a source of food. Would the use of biohome media affect plant growth/health? Cheers!
It doesn't seem to affect plant growth as nitrate is just one of the requirements plants have as loads of people use it in heavily planted tanks and I haven't seen a negative report yet.
+John Doe It should last at high efficiency for about 6-10 years and really only needs rinsing occasionally in a well set up filter as it will be operating in very clean conditions.
I ship worldwide (link in video description) but there is a supplier in US and link for them is also in video description. Not sure if he has a kit put together yet but he was expecting foam in a week or so ago. If you check their website first they may have the kit listed there which will save you on shipping.
Hi pondguru, have you come across cfs 500 and 700 filters. If so I was wondering the best way to change them to include biohome media. Top vids btw thanks.
Chris Marchant I haven't heard of them and google search doesn't give me many clues. If they are external filters with a pump in the top like this one then the set up will be exactly the same. If the pump is at the bottom (like FX5 and FX6 from Fluval then the trays would be reversed so foams on top and media underneath. Feel free to send tray sizes and pictures of filters to pondguru@btinternet.com and I can work out how much media you will need no problem.
One should say inlet and the other should say outlet. The 'inlet' just means water is coming 'in' to the canister, and the outlet is just pumping water back out of the canister and back to your tank again.
Thanks very much.I am ready to put the plastic stuff out, for a fluvial fx 6, in 125 gallons cichlids tank, what kind or size of Biohome do you recommend , is a new tank and having problems with nitrites, where is the best place to find it , in US.
Yes just exactly the same and even though the biohome brings down the nitrate if used properly it seems to have no impact on plants as there is always some available.
I have a macro 75 for my turtle aquarium. What do you suggest I replace. i.e. filters for fine filters .I'm very interested in your media verse the kind it comes with and lastly I want to replenish the activated carbon by making my own reusable bag. Any help would be appreciated. Keep tank'n.
Sean Morgan I'm not familiar with that filter but if you let me know what available space you have for media I can work out how much you need no problem. As long as you have foams in correct place and good media in suitable size filter it will work fine.
Great video..I have a canester filter (Fluval 305) that came with a complimentary bag of carbon and biological media...is it safe to get rid of the carbon and replace it with more biological media?..Because i thought Carbon was used to help get crystal clear water
+ciscothelight Carbon does draw in colour from bogwood or treatments but if you're not treating the tank and don't have bogwood staining you want rid of the space in the filter is much better used for good filter media. Almost all external filters will come with carbon as it is cheap and used to mask the fact that the supplied media is not controlling ammonia and nitrite. The carbon has a useful life of 4-8 weeks and does draw in ammonia and nitrite but needs regularly replacing before it releases the chemicals it has drawn in back into tank. It lasts longest in last stage of filter where water is cleanest. The biohome should last 6-10 years in a well set up filter.
Hello mister Guru, I using 1 kg of ogaki Crystal bio ( its like pumice but with alot holes), 20 pc bioball and 1 litre of K1 Micro for my goldfish bio filter. Its already running about 7 or 8 weeks and the result makes me confusing. The water is clear, not cloudy at all but a little bit green, but clear. Even 13 watts UV light isnt help. Oh yeah, my tank are in outdoor. I change 30% water every week but it turning green in 3 days but not cloudy, the water still clear. Is my bio filter isnt strong enough to eat all nitrites and nitrates so algae blooming ? Thanks
1. Any updates on the Production of your Peat Pellets? 2. If carbon is to be used in this setup, would it go before the Biohome or after? 3. Any thoughts about having Biohome made into small balls or other shapes?
The peat pellets were too costly to produce and although they worked great they were no more effective than peat balls which are much easier to make. If you use carbon then it needs to be the very last thing water hits before leaving a filter so it would sit on top of the top tray in an external filter like this one. It can be made into small balls but Eheim already do a very similar product. There is the possibility of making up some moulds to produce ornamental pieces of biohome but that is just planning at present and none have been made yet.
Simple answer: Don't use Carbon. It bonds with the muck. It's effectively a one shot filter medium and once it's full, it's full. It doesn't work over extended periods. Junk it and get something that gives proper biological function.
Hi Pondguru, I'm getting ready to pimp my filter, but I was told by the Greatwave person not to do it all at once. My canister filter is an established Marineland one, so could you please tell me how to go about doing this ? thanks in advance.
Don from Greatwave may have already explained this but in the case of an established filter it is definitely best to upgrade it slowly since doing it all at once will set the filter back to day 1 due to all the established bacteria being removed and new bacteria needing to build up to a sufficient level to cope with the bio-load. Therefore I'd suggest the following: Week 1 replace the foams Week 2 or 3 replace 1 tray of media Week 3 or 4 replace another tray of media Week 4 or 5 replace another tray of media and so on until the filter has been upgraded. It is always best to leave at east a week (or ideally 2 weeks) between the tray upgrades to give the new media time to mature enough to cope with the pollutants. The gel balls will help during the process as they dissolve slowly releasing the good bacteria which will not only seed the media but will act against the ammonia and nitrite, helping to level out any spikes associated with changing media in a filter. Not sure how many balls Don gives away with the media but I send out at least 10-15 per kilo which is more than enough to prevent spikes.
Click 'READ MORE' for full video desciption and important links - watch in HD.
Biohome filter media and upgrade kits here: www.filterpro.co.uk
New version of the filter in this video: geni.us/P7ZC4
Decent external filters: geni.us/2LnO
2.3 litre booster filter for externals: geni.us/2bj1
1.2 litre booster filter for externals: geni.us/1pBh
Frozen food: geni.us/LNA8 (select type - loads to choose from)
If you want to know anything about what should be happening inside an external filter watch this video.
I show you how to set up an external filter and explain every step of the way what is happening inside that part of the filter.
There is an explanation on the difference between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, why you need them both and how your filter will support them if set up properly.
The media I use in this video is Biohome Ultimate - the best media available for external filters.
Biohome filter media supports both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria so is able to process ammonia, nitrite AND nitrate.
The gel filter starter balls speed up the development of a bacterial colony on / in filter media by slowly releasing live bacteria as they dissolve over a 1-2 week period.
For a full Q&A video on Biohome filter media click here: goo.gl/yMKxDa
Thanks for watching and check out my other videos on my channel.
Subscribe for more.
Bulk order enquiries to sales@filterpro.co.uk
**PLEASE NOTE I HAVE CLOSED TYNE VALLEY AQUATICS AND NOW SELL FILTER MEDIA FROM HOME. COLLECTING MEDIA IS NO PROBLEM JUST GIVE ME A RING OR EMAIL.
My phone number 07772848730
My email address sales@filterpro.co.uk
Pondguru Outdoors just wanted to know how to buy media little sticks ty :)
iam in Australia forgot to say ...lol
The AU supplier is linked on the FilterPro website www.filterpro.co.uk
If you click the AU flag at the top of any page you will go straight to their site and they should have all types in stock.
Regards,
Richard
Pondguru do you have a media kit were I can order it in the Cali? your viedo was very helpful. I'm new to the fish world. And just got my canister I would love to do a upgrade.
U.S. supplier details please and what's the name of the large media for pond trickle tower ? Thank you and love your videos.
Best Filter advice I have seen, Top class.
just an update have used the set up for a year os so now. have had great results, water very clear, nitrate and nitrite test very low to non existence. the only thing I've had to buy is replacement filter but probably don't need to change as often as I do. water again is very clear and have been asked how I keep it so clean . I would highly recommend this because of the quality of the filtration it provides and secondly the cost saving, in the year I've bought the conversion kits and a set of foams estimated around £80 for the year and still going strong. cheers Richard been great product.
+Richard Gould Rear Richard,
That is awesome to hear and thanks for the great feedback on the upgrade kit.
Yes the fine pad needs replacing periodically and the coarse and medium foams may need replacing after 12-24 months but the media will last a good 6-10 years at high efficiency in a well set up filter.
I have come across two major filter manufacturers lately who advise changing the biological filter media every 6 months which is pure insanity from a filter and water health point of view as it can take a good 6 months to build up a decent population of anaerobic bacteria responsible for reducing nitrate.
Regards,
Richard
I absolutely love your videos, the way you explain things is just great. I recieved the bio media I ordered from your Ebay shop for my new chiclid tank (Big Thanks). Please can you give your professional advise on uv sterilisers will they harm the good bacteria in the media? also how about using carbon to reduce odours and also using ammonia remover like Fluval Zeo Carbon in an established tank with an external filter
+Prawnchowmein Thanks for the order and I'm glad your initial impressions of the media are good.
UV filters are generally not needed unless you have a number of tanks linked to the same filter but as long as you leave it turned off for a couple of weeks when establishing a filter it will not prevent the filter developing properly.
Carbon should ideally be the last thing the water hits before returning to the tank and is a good product to use when you need to remove colour from bogwood or residual fish treatments.
With regard to ammonia remover you should not need to use that if the filter is a suitable size for the tank and set up with a suitable amount of good media as the filter will process all the ammonia and nitrite. If enough biohome is used (usually a minimum of 1kg per 100 litres for a normal community tank) you should see a reduction in nitrates too (normally after 4-6 months).
Ok mate, thanks for the quick reply, advice taken, I watched your video about utilising the space at the bottom of an external filter. I didn't realise my Fluval filter had a big enough gap for 1kg of extra media so ill be buying more to fill this void and one more compartment instead of using ammonia media, and enough for another bigger tank I'm starting, Ive learnt so much watching your videos. It's surprising how many people keep fish with minimal knowledge, well thats was me before your videos. thanks so much you are definitely going to heaven for sharing your knowledge.
+Prawnchowmein No worries, I love making videos with any sort of educational content.
Yes there should be no need for any ammonia remover if the filter is of suitable size and set up properly with good media as the filter media (bacteria in and on media) should process all the ammonia and nitrite and in many cases reduce the nitrite too.
Top man, Thanks, my Chiclids said thank you too.
+Richard Gould
I can't reply to your comment for some reason but those are might impressive results. There are quite a few people reporting a reduction in the nitrate very quickly and for the life of me I can't think why that happens so quickly as I always thought anaerobic bacteria took a good 4-6 months to establish well - even on biohome. I think the combination of foams in correct place, best media and the gel balls all combine to do an outstanding job. It really irks me when I see people on youtube showing how to set up externals and they are just following manufacturer instructions, generally finishing with 'you need to do regular water changes to keep nitrate down, or add this stuff (usually nitrazorb, purigen etc.) regularly to keep on top of pollutants'.
Load of balls.
I'm sure that your filter will continue to perform well for many years to come.
I use Tetra Balance Balls, they reduce nitrate. It really works well with Bio Home Ultra.
Enjoyed your video. My biofilter input swirls and there is a 6 inch void below. I have been vacuuming out this 2-3 inches of sludge that collects there twice a year. After watching your video I wonder if this is where the anaerobic activity takes place to complete the nitrogen cycle? Is cleaning this counterproductive to the cycle or just good maintenance? FB koi groups think there should be no place in the pond for anaerobic bacteria. They think water changes are the solution to high nitrates. I learned from you today that anaerobic bacteria has an important function.
were do i get them foams from
blitz amazon
Herberth Chavarria Carbon really should be the last thing used and it does draw in colour from bogwood and treatments but in a normal tank it will not be needed - should be the last thing water hits if it is used in a filter as it clogs up extremely fast.
+Pondguru Outdoors do you use ro water
+Pondguru Outdoors do you use ro water
+Venice Mackay Not up here as the tap water is fairly good. With properly set up filtration and the resulting minimal water changes there is no need to go the RO route. May be different in areas where the water isn't so good (South East, Midlands, Nottinghamshire are places where many people seem to struggle with the quality of tap water)
i use ro it is best for my set up which is south american set up.
Why dont the filter manufactures do the same as you no your stuff save the hassell.
+jamie forrest I honestly don't know but there is definitely a trend among manufacturers to get plenty of follow on sales and by having inefficient filters they are sure to get good sales on treatments and remedies to things which should never have been a problem. I don't think any of them put the fish or fish keeper first.
because they there to take your money.
I like it all good explained really simple for beginners, but would you not put any carbon any where in your canister?
+Ben Morgan
Yes it is all about biohome but when you want to make a video about the best possible way to set up a filter there really aren't any other options. I wouldn't feel right recommending anything else knowing that biohome exists.
***** Yes you can do that no worries but I would personally go for sponges in the bottom tray and get the rest of the trays filled up with media as that's what sorts the water out and keeps it healthy.
Pondguru hello guru, can you tell me how to setup the media in a jbl crystalprofi e 1501...thx
Hendro Kusumo Leave the coarse filter foam in top of filter and set trays up the same as the filter in this video as the water flows from bottom tray to top tray.
I ordered this exact upgrade here in the U.S from the supplier you suggested. I do have one question. I have a brand new tank with no fish. After I have the filter setup how long should I wait before adding a couple hardy fish? Does the cycle move along faster with a few fish? Is it too hard on the fish? I plan to get a couple of Danios to start off and get the tank cycled.
Thanks for the great video!
GPVlog Leave it a week or so then trickle fish in weekly. The gel balls will iron out any ammonia spikes so fish shouldn't even know there is ammonia or nitrite there as media establishes very quickly to process it once gel balls have seeded media. Cycle won't necessarily be faster with fish against fishless cycle but certainly safe to do when you are using good media and proper live bacteria. Thanks for watching and appreciating the video.
Thank you very much for the info. You are very helpful in this area.
GPVlog No worries.
very good this is really helpfull
My fish are the proof that this setup and midia do really work wonders.Biohome user for 3 years now and very very very pleased with the results.Thank you Mr Richard .
Great to hear that they're doing well. Biohome is amazing stuff and its a great feeling to be helping fish and fish keepers all over the world.
does not reduce nitrate , tested for 6 months sorry.
Biohome doesn't claim to reduce Nitrate. As Anaerobic bacteria settles in the core of the media, it prevents it from being created as the end-product of Nitrobacter. The water should settle out somewhere between "undetectable" and 5ppm of nitrate.
clearly states it reduces nitrate on ebay. like i said did not effect my nitrate level after 8 months use, even swopped it out and went with good old fluval rings. (less clogging up now)
kanda kumar It depends how much you used for the aquarium. If you are only using 500g in a 200 litre tank it is on a hiding to nothing and if you were having problems with the filter media clogging there must have been issues with the mechanical filtration. Just searched my records against your name and I can't find an order under your name. How much did you buy and what size is the tank? Feel free to send me pictures and details of your set up to pondguru@btinternet.com as there shouldn't have been noticeable clogging and if an appropriate amount of media was used there should have been some change in nitrate levels if the filter was running correctly.
Pondguru
no bio media eats or reduces nitrates, (advertised well) kept fish for 20 years i know how to set filter.
The anaerobic bacteria that this media supports will reduce the nitrate as proven by the nation of people who are now using it for that very purpose. When did you order the media, how much did you order and what size is your tank? As I mentioned before I can't find record of getting an order from you.
I just got my order of media and I can't wait to set up my tank. My question is, I've seen many reviews about not adding dechlorinators during the cycle phase due to not killing the good bacteria. But if you don't the chlorine will kill it. Which product can I use that will not kill my bacteria balls.
Thanks!Nicole
thanks for the video. I've set my canister the same way. One question I have is do you replace the white pad and just wash out the rest of the pads in tank water when it's gunked up. Thanks
Yes and yes, just make sure that you wash out the filter parts in tank water you have drained off into a bucket, not in the tank.
I had one guy complain that his water was always cloudy for days after filter maintenance and he was actually washing out foams and media in his tank, lol
I kind of did what you are saying, let's say I didn't have any money, just different foams and normal ceramic media I have bought before and not used it, until now. Thanks for this video, you help a lot. I just have a question, when you clean the filter, do you clean all the disgusting mug from the very bottom of the filter or do you just rinse the foams?
Best to remove the heavy muck too or it may just get disturbed and clog up your freshly cleaned foams.
Glad you enjoyed the video as I like making the educational videos.
Just a simple - Thank you for all your good work and for this "Pimp your external canister filter".
In January I did two Eheim (2075 and 2080) "your way". I got the Biohome Ultra from the danish dealer. After 2 month there isn't noticeable drop in presure, but today i just had to look inside the 2075 - and the water around the Biohome Ultra media was crystal clear - awesome. :-)
+Bjarke Søgaard Very good and I'm glad you're please with the performance - happy fishkeeping.
Hi just got a fluval fx6 canister it has three trays would this same method work?
Hi PG.. How can I pimp my HOB filter? I will be cleaning my canister in the next week or so.. I'm excited to do it this way. I have all your points in my Cichlid journal.
Really the order of foams and media will not change with any filter but upgrading a HOB can be more problematic since they are often developed to rely on a cartridge system. I'd say just go with decent foams followed by as much good media as you can fit in there and you won't go far wrong.
Good That's what I've done. Thanks
Hi, great video very impressed with the biological filter system. I am setting up my first large tank and I have an Eden 521 external filter. Do you know it?. If so am I able to do something Similar with it?.
zel boake Doesn't look like that filter will be a good one to get working properly as the water travels through it in a really strange way but replacing the ceramic rings with biohome would make it more efficient. It would need a fine foam or pad over the media to keep it clean though.
Earlier this year you posted a video about how to set up a canister filter, with coarse and fine filter mats before the biological filter media. I set up my Eheim filter according to your advice, and my overstocked, overfed 100 litre tank has since then worked perfectly. No problems with any of the N's (nitrite/nitrate/ammonia), shining bright water, healthy fish and healthy plants. And best of all - no need to do water changes every week or month. Just a quick rinsing of the filter media every second month or so.
Christmas Greetings from a happy aquarist :-)
No worries, man. That's how it should be as far as water quality goes so I'm glad it's all going well.
Best wishes for 2015
Amazing video, but will this work for any brand canister filter
Yes, water should always hit media foams first then pad then media (then chemical media if you use it). Some filter trays work a different way (top to bottom e.g. FX4,5,6 from fluval) but as long as they are set up properly they will work hard on water quality.
A Question... does pressure filters do a cycle like the oase filtoclear ? Or do you need more to get the ammonia, nitrate, nitrite cycle.
Hi Pond guru great videos...I have a question or need your feedback, would putting Bio-Home media under the substrate in an under gravel filter setup, help in the bacteria creation...thanks for your advise
Thank you for sharing. Where can I get the jell media (little black balls that release beneficial bacterial) you mentioned in your video?
Glad you enjoyed the video.
With regard to the gel balls I sell them on my website: www.filterpro.co.uk or just search for 'gel filter starter balls' on ebay or amazon.
I know this video is quite old but I have just ordered some pond foam and also some bio home ultimate from you your great at explaining stuff keep doing what your doing!
Thanks for getting back to me, made a mistake it’s a 303 but I think I’ll go for three trays bio media as it’s pretty well stocked with plants and tropical fish. Can you have too much media? 🤷♀️
You can never have too much media and the 303 is the 1400 lph filter which will hold 1.5kg of biohome ultimate per tray.
Unbelievably great video. I have an Eheim pro 4 250 canister. Can that filter be pimped? Its internal structure looks a big more complex than the one in your video. Makes me kinda wish I had the same one you do.
Yes, only difference is that the Pro 4 has a 'pre-filter' tray in the top which water hits before going to bottom of filter and rising up through trays. Therefore just leave the pre-filter tray as it is, set up bottom tray with coarse, medium and fine foams then have good filter media in remaining tray. I do not have the tray sizes recorded for the 250 but the 350 takes approx. 1.5kg of biohome ultimate per tray. Looks like the 250 is just a 2 tray (not including 'pre-filter' tray) version of the 350 and if that is the case 1.5kg would see you good for a normal community tank up to 150 litres (full cycle filtration, reduction in nitrate).
Thanks for a very informative video. One question,what if I want to do this to my filter, which incidentally is the same as the one in the vid, While I have fish in my tank is it possible by using mature media e.g. the ceramic rings already in the filter?
I don't want to completely recycle my system.
gcujimmy Yes if you are upgrading the filter with proper media and foams in correct place you can swap foams to correct place right away and swap out old media for new over the course of a month (25% each week). That way you shouldn't notice a drop in filter performance and once you get it set up properly the new media will last for years as it will b properly protected from becoming clogged.
Great info. I have a planted tank. I understand that live plants utilize nitrates. If I use biohome ultimate and remove the nitrates, will my plants miss the nitrates?
+T Pir The growth is not affected since the nitrate is converted to soluble nitrogen which is easily assimilated by the plants.
Great., and how long does the media last in a fluval 206 canister filter before they need to be replaced? I'm thinking of using 1.5kg of biohome ultimate. Does the extra added red stuff eventually go away? My tank is already cycled. Should I go with the non red type?
this stuff looks amazing, how much do you charge for postage for a 1k bag though? website doesn't say
+Faenum The postage depends on which country you are in. If it is UK then postage for 1kg is £3.99.
If you're not in UK simply add to basket and check delivery to your country in checkout. You don't have to check out and can just empty out the basket.
Very informative video. I have already set up my filter how you recomend but only useing standard ceramic media with the plastic ball at the bottom then foams then media could i just swap out the media. Would this cause it have a mini cycle? Thank you.
Russ Giles If you swapped out around 25% of your old media each week after 1 month you would have 100% new media and you wouldn't notice a change since the biohome matures extremely quickly.Glad you enjoyed the video, man.
+Pondguru. Thanks for the reply. Will place a order soon.
Thanks for such an informative video. New to canisters, how would I set up the four trays for the Aqua One Nautilus 2700UV? I'm lost with how the water flows. Is it in the same order in the video or opposite?
+Icealote I can't find any stripped down images on google search but as the pump is in top and pipe goes through trays I would say 99% that it works just like the one in this video. If the pump was on bottom it would work opposite way (like FX5 /6). The 2700 looks huge. Bottom tray would be for foams then remaining 3 trays would be for media so feel free to send tray dimensions to pondguru@btinternet.com and I ill work out how much media will fit in there no worries.
Thanks for the reply, I've ordered the unit so it won't arrive till next week or so to find out. All I know is that the dimensions of the unit is 32L x 32W x 49H I think. I've ordered your foams and have gotten the 3kg biohomes ultimate from the Australian supplier. Hope it's okay to contact you again when it arrives.
+Icealote Sorry just seen this now - my comments are still kooky on youtube. Yes n worries feel free to ask me anything and my email address is pondguru@btinternet.com
Could you help me set up my Aqueon 300 canister filter? Upgraded from over the tank filter to a canister. Never had a problem with clear aquarium water until now. Pretty convinced I am not doing something correctly;-(.
How would you do this setup with a Penn plax Cascade 1000 it doesn't have the gap under the first tray should I put the rings under the foam in the first tray?
Thanks I will certainly do that. Can I put the bacteria gels in the water?.
zel boake Yes they can go anywhere. Best in direct contact with media or foams though.
Just wondering what you do if you have 4 trays instead of 3 in your canister,
thanks for your time.
Richard Mallicoat You would generally use 1kg of biohome media per 100 litres to see a good reduction in nitrates but more is better. I would always go with one tray foams and 3 media but you could go 2 and 2 if the extra bio media was not required. That would cut maintenance time way down as long as foams were in correct order.
Great video! I think I may even add the Biohome to my aquaponics setup. About what size tank would this filter support? Thanks!
I'm not sure how effective it would be in an aquaponics system given the nitrate reducing properties and I don't have any reports regarding that unfortunately. The filter in this video set up the way it is would be fine or up to 400 litres, maybe more - depends on stocking and feeding.
BioHome may inadvertantly remove nitrates from an aquaponics setup. Nitrate removal is the Holy Grail in an aquarium setting, but is counterproductive for aquaponics. You don't want your bio media to remove/breakdown nitrates in aquaponics. Nitrates are plant nutrition. Leave the nitrates in so the plants you grow will flourish. Pondguru does sell a version of BioHome that is less porous and does not promote de-nitrifying bacteria growth. Perhaps Pondguru can elaborate on that version.
Jaime Craig Best forms of biohome for nitrate reduction are the ultimate and ultra (small and large varieties of each) although all biohome will reduce nitrate to varying degrees. Best media for hydroponics would be plastic (e.g K1 or Hel-x) in a moving bed filter as it only converts ammonia and nitrite and produces masses of nitrate.
Hi pond guru! can you please recommend a air pump for a 100ltr tropical aquarium, I have a interpet AV3 air pump airvolution at the moment but it keeps on rattleing , are the tetra aps 200 or 300 any good
awesome video my friend, i have a question i have the penn plax cascade 1500 it comes with 5 stage i do mechanical filtration on the bottom like you did and then carbon and then the biological filtration on top is that correct? or should i stop using carbon? i heard its make the water clear
Hello from Buffalo New York USA. I can’t believe watch your videos to gain knowledge on how to set up canister filters. I have sub and almost are you going to go to this unit that you were walking along just now. I have a product made by Topfin CF100. I had the same problem with the bottom of the canister..
Love the videos very helpful all the filters i have ever bought were set up the wrong way. Was wondering if you have ever used the poret foam with the biohome seems like those two together would be perfect
Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos, man. Looks like good foam and I like the ripple effect on the red version. I see that's made in NZ which would kill any chance of getting it cheaply in Europe unfortunately. The pond foams I used in this video are quite cheap and do a great job.
Can I use this set-up for my eheim experience 150? But with less filter media.
I set up my canister filter exactly this way but I mistakenly but those live bacteria balls in the very bottom. Do I need to tear it all down and put them right next to the bio home?
Hi Richard. I've been using the biohome ultimate for a while. When does it need replacing; every six months, part or all. My biohome is now 10 months old and has been working beautifully. Thanks
Kim Duffy It should last a good 6-10 years at high efficiency so don't worry about replacing it for a few years yet. Glad you're impressed with it as it is awesome stuff.
+Pondguru Outdoors Hi Richard. Thanks. I've just set up a tank for my mum, who is 81, and she's as mad about fish as I am. I've used this media in her tank and she's very pleased.
+Kim Duffy I'm sure the fish are pleased too, lol
Always enjoy watching your videos. Any chance you might consider pimping a HOB filter? I'm setting up a 75 gal with an Aquaclear 110 and a 70 and would enjoy any tips on maxing out their filtering ability.
Just bought the All pond solutions EF1400 UV Filter, I have taken all your advise on ceramic rings in the bottom. 3 Different sponges, course, medium and fine, bought some of your Biohome media, for second basket, I have some ceramic rings and Activated carbon left, do I need carbon on my top layer in my African Chiclid tank, or should I just add purigen.Your help in this matter would be appreciated
The ideal scenario would be to have the foams and fine pad in the bottom tray with biological media in 2 trays above. If you have the 1400 filter it should take 1.5kg of either bohom mini ultra or biohome ultimate per tray (2 best types for external filters) so you can get a maximum of 3kg in there.
I think you ordered 500g of the biohome standard which will still work as a filter media but is more dense, and smaller than the 2 types mentioned above. You'd probably still have room for 3kg of the more porous types as the biohome standard will fill in gaps between the larger media.
There are notes about filtration and how much media is required to deliver full cycle filtration (reduction in nitrate) for different types of stocking densities here: filterpro.co.uk/qa-24-w.asp and a properly sized filter will easily hold enough to make that happen without the need for chemical filtration unless it is required to draw in residual fish treatments or colour from bogwood (which won't be an issue with African cichlids as the water needs to be hard and high pH)
Feel free to ring any time 9-5 weekdays on 07772848730
Regards,
Richard
Very good video... but if the media isn't in that order is it ok to change it round. I've got a Tetratec 1200 and my bottom tray has the ceramic rings (noobles) then I've got my useless plastic balls then my final tray with a coarse sponge and the fine sponge..?
The Tetra filters are easily the worst offenders when it comes to setting the filters up all wrong, lol
Yes change it to the correct order but leave the biological media in the re for 2-3 weeks if you are adding new media (e.g. biohome) to one or more of the trays to make sure there is still some biological activity happening and to reduce chance of filter 'lag' in a mature system.
Thanks for your help... I've just emailed you back.
Thanks for that speedy reply, i'll change over the sponges leave the fine one as it's recently been changed... And put new bio in one tray and leave one with noodles in... for a couple of months then change that over too.
Thanks for your help... actually I'm gonna be getting a new tank and filter it's gonna be around 600 litres.... I was thinking of a FX5/6 I was gonna run both filters. Will that be ok fish wise, Oscars, Tinfoils, Panagasguis, Redtail Catfish, Fully grown Redtail Black Shark.
Mohammed Shafi Yes I would run both filters for that tank given the size of the fish you will have in the big tank.
Fab video. I've been running a fluval 406 for about three months and set it up along these lines. Would love to see some thoughts on maintenance schedules, how often do you clean/replace media and your thoughts on the likes of purigen? Also any thoughts on preserving the bacteria in the case of a powercut, had one the other night and I think it's done a big chunk of damage to my filters efficiency. Water quality has been all over the place since, I think it's basically cycling again?
The great thing about the biohome is that it is so porous it takes days to dry out so if there is a power cut just drain water from filter and the media will hold the bacteria for a few days without problems. Purigen should not be needed and as far as maintenance goes it is just a case of as and when necessary The media should last 6-10 years in a well set up filter and the only thing that needs replacing regularly is the fine white pad when clogged as it can't be cleaned.
it is well known that biohome is the best bio media. being on a budget however (across the pond), I have been thinking about gradually replacing the bio-balls in my canister with pumice. is this safe? if so; do you think it would be beneficial, or a waste of time?
thanks
I'm not sure what pumice would do but as it is volcanic I wouldn't expect it to raise pH. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who has used pumice so I'm not much help there.
Great video just ordered the 3kg upgrade pack. My FX6 comes with two media bags I should use these in middle and bottom baskets to prevent ultimate from damaging impeller or surge valve?? Is that correct??? Chip
+Paul Chippington I sent a n email or reply to ebay message regarding the FX filters, no worries. Foams in top, media in trays below for that one as it works top top bottom.
Hi Pondguru Outdoors.. if I want to put activated carbon on the canister which tray should I put it? or is it okay to make the last tray as activated carbon then coarse foam then biohome media Thank you so much for all the information..Your videos are very informative and helpful..
You would set up the filter as per this video but any chemical filtration (e.g. carbon /charcoal) would go on top of top tray as that is the cleanest point of the filter. That would allow it to go longer before it clogs up and becomes ineffective but you may still only get 4-5 weeks of useful life from it.
In a properly set up filter you should not need carbon or charcoal unless you need to draw in colour from bogwood or residual fish treatments as the media will be controlling ammonia, nitrite (and in the case of biohome at around 1kg per 100 litres, nitrate too).
Thank you so much Pondguru Outdoors..
Is it possible to do a video on how to set up a canister filter without trays such as eheims?
Just set it up the same as in this video but use filter bags to contain the filter media to make it easy to maintain.
Great video. Any ones reviews on the Jbl e901 external filters please and could this b done to that as it has a pre filter set up on it.
+Matthew Dj Yes just set up the same and leave pre-filter in as extra mechanical filtration.
I follow your exact setup, but I like to keep the white fine pad on the top thicker, I wouldn't cut it before placing it on top because otherwise I get some bypass problems. I think it's better to go thicker on the fine pad on the top of the tray.
Yes a thick pad will catch more muck and the size it is cut to or thickness of pad relates to how dense it is. A more dense pad can be thinner but a less dense pad needs to be thicker.
Good quality pads will have minimal shrinkage but you're right its always best to go thick and cut bigger than you need to allow for that.
Thanks for watching and appreciating the video.
Thanks for the tips, I also use biohome ultra after watching your videos. I ordered it on ebay for all 6 of my canisters for my tanks!
Sounds good to me, thanks for the order and you will not be disappointed with it.
With the bottom void area where you put the ceramic noodles would it be better to put it in a mesh bag to make for easier cleaning
As long as the mesh bag was quite coarse then that would work fine. You still need to wash out the bottom of the canister so it really doesn't make much difference.
Pondguru yeah the media would be in the bag to make for easy cleaning
great video im having problems now with my fluvial 406 which for past few days has been spitting out micro bubbles.ive checked it and everything seems fine im looking at getting new filter but dont want to spend lot on money on 1.which 1 would you recommend for a 240 ltr?i use your biohome media which i bought from you on eBay which i must say he the best out there.
Thanks for appreciating the filter media.
If you've got a 240 litre tank then you should be looking for a filter 'for up to 500 litres' as a minimum if you have a general community tank and one 'for up to 600 litres' or more if you have a heavier stock.
You'd always halve the 'up to' figure on a filter as the 'up to' figure is a fully planted tank with a few small fish.
Most will promise way more than they deliver.
The All Pond Solutions filters are as good as any and really cheap geni.us/2LnO
The stuff in them is crap but that's where they save manufacturing costs - once it is set up properly they will hold a lot of media and do a great job. Depending on your stock you'd need either a 1400 or a 2000. Assuming the bottom tray is used for foams the 1400 will hold 3kg of biohome (ultimate or mini ultra) and the 2000 will hold 5kg.
Hope that helps.
Could you please tell me how to set up a Fluval FX6 External Filter. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.
+C Homer The trays flow from top to bottom and you have good foams around the trays so really all you need is a fine mat on top of top tray then media below that and in remaining two trays. Each tray should hold approx. 1.5kg of biohome mini ultra or biohome ultimate.
Hi, spoke to you years ago! Great advice! Looking for small ext filter and what hose? Hate when this green stiff stuff. Wan easy now. Any advice.????? Thanks.
It's been so long since I had my shop that I don't know what's available in the way of hose now unfortunately.
@@pondguru thanks anyway. Found something!
Carn Snowden The 106 will take approx. 0.5kg of mini ultra or ultimate per tray and as it only has 2 trays use the bottom one for extra coarse, medium and fine foams.
Pondguru Thanks Richard ...much appreciated
Brilliant info Richard... can u tell me please , what would be the correct set up for the eheim pro 4 600 ? As usual the white fine sponge came in the top part of the filter, should they be in the bottom tray as with most cannister filters ? And also, do u think the media that comes with the filter is sufficient? Many thanks, I'm off to watch one of ure pond building videos... 🐟🐠
Apart from the 'pre-filter' tray which should be left as it is just set it up the same as this video with the coarse, medium and fine pads in bottom tray then media in trays above that. Often the eheim filters will come with a plastic mechanical media in bottom tray which wastes a lot of space so its best to use foams and fine pad there. Some of the eheim media is decent, some is not so good and as far as full cycle filtration goes I can only advise on the biohome ultimate in a canister since we know it could take anywhere from 1kg per 100 litres (normally stocked tropical tank) to 1.5kg-2kg per 100 litres for a heavily stocked tank (e.g. cichlids, predatory fish, goldfish etc.) to achieve a full cycle (reduction in nitrate).
Pondguru.. thanks for that Richard..appreciate the swift reply ... I'm sure there's 4 trays in the cannister, so 3 available for the media ?
Yes that is correct.
Pondguru. Thanks Richard, will be in touch imminently to get an order to u... do u sell/ deliver the foams that you use on ure videos ? Cheers...
Yes I do them on my website www.filterpro.co.uk (links in video description and pinned comment on most of my filter videos).
i have seen lots of videos where the intake line hose of the external filter is placed in a corner but on top of it the build a Mountain of rocks is it still efficient?thank you so much
+Razvan Paslaru As long as the water can get through gaps in the rocks to the intake pipe it will work fine.
Just ordered this stuff, quick delivery! I have an APS external filter and an aquamanta filter - which way should I place the media ?
- thanks
They work exactly the same way as the filter in this video so just set up the same with foams in bottom and media in trays above it and it will run efficiently. You'll only need to use about 1/5 of the balls so store the rest in a sealed container or bag until you need them (maybe after filter maintenance)
Thank you
Hi, I use both biomedias in my cannister filter, bio home and biosphere. My question is I just purchased your peat balls to help soften my water, where do you recommend in a top fill 4 tray system ? Glad also that you have made your products easier to obtain here in the U.S from Great wave.
Thanks, Bruce
Bruce Krolikowski I don't know what a top fill 4 tray system is so don't really know how to answer that one - is it a trickle filter?
Yes sorry,its the same type that you show in your video but it has 4 trays instead of 3 inside of the cannister. Thanks Bruce
Bruce Krolikowski If you are using the peat balls in the filter they will go in last tray. The external filters generally have both inlet and outlet at top but 99% have water travelling through tube to bottom and rising up through trays like the one in this video. The one in this video would have peat balls in top tray if they were used in filter.
I placed an order with Pondguru. Brilliant quick service and correspondence. Will definitely use again.
+Lee Leyland Great to hear - glad you're pleased, man.
hello have you done a video for people that may wanan run a sump on there tank instead of a external filter ? thought this might help people out ?
I haven't done that yet but it is planned. I've got a video uploading now which shows a couple of sumps in a local fish store.
Can the beneficial bacteria balls be set into the substrate of a deep sand substrate planted tank? Or would that be a waste? It's a ten gallon with only a sponge filter... and plants. But no place for me to set up the bacteria securely...
Hi Richard, been using your canister filter setup for quite a while now and very happy with it, In my first tray (bottom) I'm using Jap (koi) matting, medium foam then fine foam instead of the floss and have had no problems. I clean my filter every fortnight and do a 20% water change on my 300L tank every week mostly to vacuum the floor etc. Does this look OK? my wife thinks I shouldn't be cleaning so often but I do like a clean tank! just a shame I can't have plants as my Bristlenose Plecs shreds everything I put in lol
If you've got the other trays filled with biohome the tank should only need 10% water change every couple of weeks as after 4-6 months the anaerobic bacteria should kick in and reduce nitrate (which is the main reason we do water changes). In a 300 litre tank you would need around 3kg to process the nitrate from a normal community tank and around 5kg for a heavily stocked malawi tank or predator tank.
Hello how do you clean your filter please I’m taking right down the bottom of the filter do you tip all the water out when cleaning the canister?
Yes if a filter like the one in this video is set up properly then all the muck will be in the bottom of it so that will need tipping out. This video shows a really dirty filter being emptied out. Unfortunately it is in German but the video shows just how clean the media stays compared to the bottom part of the filter: th-cam.com/video/pnFhNerUoaM/w-d-xo.html
The trays would just be shaken in a bucket of water you have drained from the tank if you need to shake off any fine muck in there.
Tyne valley may be down but will never be out with Richard making the difference cheers pond guru for your info effort and time you gave to everyone else one top dude that iv never met
I don't mind not having a shop as now I'm not throwing tens of thousands of pounds at something just to keep it going, lol
There will be a new filtration video coming this weekend so look out for that one - really enjoyed doing it.
Glad you enjoy the videos, man.
Hi Richard. I've just bought an external filter, I've also purchased your kit on eBay. I'm now just wondering can I put peat or Almond leaves into a spare tray in the filter? If i use peat is it necessary to use carbon as well??
+Jonathan N Love I just answered this via the ebay messaging system as you asked the same question there. Feel free to phone me any time - not sure if you are in UK as I couldn't find an order with your username.
Hi pondguru, I just received my filter upgrade kit, thanks a lot.
I have a question.
Obviously I want to get this media matured and running well as soon as possible.
Can I put my already mature ceramic media and bio balls in the very bottom of my canister and fill my two biomedia canisters up with the new stuff? Will the mature media still be viable and do its job in the bottom of the canister, below the sponge layer and the two biohome trays?
Julian Reeve I think I answered this in a message you sent through ebay or via email?
Yes mate, you did. Thanks
I have just acquired a Fluval FX5, unfortunately without its filter media, Any thoughts on the best way to set it up ?
Exactly the same way as this video does - I mention FX filters toward the end. Foams need to go in top tray as the water travels from top to bottom since the pump is under the filter. The FX5 takes 5kg of media if you fill all trays.
Awesome video as asual...... but I'm a little confused on the order of the trays and foam filter. .. ..... I have two eheim 2075 canister filters, I'm using the biohome ultimate in both filters, but according to the manufacturers instructions they say to keep the foam filters on top......can you please look up one of these particular eheim filters and let me know if I can change the configuration of my foam to your suggestion, im just not sure if doing it your way would work on this particular filter, but also after looking and maybe studying this particular filter, can you maybe give me some suggestions on bettering what im doing now...... your awesome and I totally enjoy all your videos. ...thank you so much I really appreciate it. ... cheers!!
Arrrgh, I forgot to mention the Professional 3 range in the video and I meant to do that. Leave the 'pre-filter' sponge in the top and then set the trays up as in this video with layered foams in bottom tray and media above. I have never seen the point of the pre-filter sponge as although it is meant to save time for maintenance it's always the fine pad which gets blocked first and either way the filter needs to be turned off and the top needs taking off - strange one that as its hardly a major effort to lift out a couple of trays, lol
Pondguru thank you so much your awesome, excited to see your next video. ...... cheers my friend. ....
John Swan No worries glad you enjoy the videos, man.
Can you suggest a HOB set up, (Marinelnad 350), using the the filters, media and Biohome? Thanks.
thank you for all the work you put in making these videos. I've used a canister filter for about 10 years, and after seeing your vids, reconfigured the contents. the effect is amazing, its like the filter became supercharged. first off the force of the water coming through increased perhaps doubled? i had no idea about the differences in the filter media either, i thought it was al just mechanical to catch the tank debris. 5 star detail in your content. thanks a million.
+stephen shillitoe That's no worries, man. It really shouldn't make a huge difference to the flow but having the foams and pad set up in the correct order does help the muck to settle in a sensible manner so there will be no one foam taking all the dirt and clogging quickly.
Glad you enjoy the videos - for the last couple of months I have been compiling notes on lots of aquatic questions to include in a mega knowledge dump video which I hope will provide plenty of information of a whole range of subjects as there is so much regurgitated nonsense on TH-cam.
I just want people to think about their filter as it really is the heart and lungs of the aquarium system and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to develop a media which really boosts the biological action in any filter.
dear Richard, here is how I put media in my canister filter from bottom to top: ceramic rings, activated carbon, sponge, biohome, biohome...is the order good?
+Aboud Bakkour If the water flows from bottom to top as it does in most externals that is just about right but the carbon should really be the very last thing the water hits before leaving the tank as it clogs super quick and needs to operate in very clean water to be effective.
Got my biohome ultimate media the other day and just added it to my filter.
After watching your video, I adjusted my XP Rena Xl to mimic your setup here! Funny thing is I went to a mom n pop fish store the other week and the lady liked me so much she gave me a free old fluval. the fluval wasn't of much use but it came with ceramic rings I was able to rinse and use at the base of my filter!
Top Tray: Biohome Ultimate Media and Starter Balls
2nd Tray: Filstar Media Stars already established in my tank
3rd Tray - 3 types of pads as instructed
Bottom Tray: Ceramic Rings
I have a 40g breeder tank housing a single 3.5 inch Stripeneck Musk Turtle who I've had for 3 years, I really only have to do massive cleanings once every six months and it's awesome. Ive heard turtles are extremely tolerant of nitrates, is this true? What would you suggest for partial water changes once the Ultimate has established itself?
Thanks for all the knowledge you bring to the community!
+MyMiniMovieMagic Sounds good to me - yes the turtles are very tolerant to poor water quality but obviously much happier in good quality water which can take 2x or 3x the filtration of a fish tank as they are very messy.
Hi Richard!! I'm sure someone has already asked but how often would you suggest cleaning out the filter on a 90gal with your adjustments??
There are so many factors which affect how quick the filter blocks up so just clean out when the outflow slows down - that will tell you it is clogged or clogging.
how often should you open up the filter to rinse off the media, is it every week when you do a water change or once or twice a month or less. thanks
Really a suitable sized canister filter would only need checking once a month at most and if the media looks dirty just give the tray a quick shake in water you've drained off from the tank. Really the only thing which needs regular maintenance is the foams and fine pad. The fine pad would need replacing when it gets clogged and if foams and fine pad is doing its job the media should stay very clean.
that helps a bit chap will i need to reuse my old biological ceramic rings. i have 4 trays one with biological and other 3 with polishing pads and carbon. im due to filter maintenance soon do i replace everything with 1 off your kits cheers neil
+Neil Smith Sounds good and your fish will thank you for that.
+Pondguru Outdoors do i reuse old biological or get rid
+Neil Smith From an efficiency point of view it would be best to replace the ceramics with the biohome but if is a mature system do it one tray at a time so the change over takes 3-4 weeks.
+Pondguru Outdoors ok thanx. yes it is a mature system
Hi, first of all, thanks for your fast shipment. I received the BioHome Mini Ultra Media fast & well packed, together with the free starter balls. If you can help me please, I have got an Haqos Expro 1500 external filter. As soon as I saw your video, I thought of swapping the trays, opened the filter and found out the coarse foam (on top of filter) was dirty and the medium foam just beneath cleaner! I thought water is flowing from top tray to bottom tray??? I consulted with the shop I bought if from too and he also said that in this filter model, dirty water flows downwards and clean water comes back up through the pipe/hose. Could you confirm for me please before I re-arrange my filter using the filter media I just bought from you? Thanks
I sent a reply to the email you sent shortly after you posted this comment.
hi just wanted to know if you could tell me or do a video on how to set up a fluval 306 canister filter as not sure which way to set it up
The foams down the side are decent so you really only need the bottom tray for the medium and fine foams / pads then fill the 2 trays above that with media. Each tray will take up to 1kg of biohome mini ultra or biohome ultimate. The water flows from bottom up through trays.
Many thanks for this great video, I have one question, in your Ebay store you don't ship to United Arab Emirates, I wonder why?
Out of the first 6 deliveries I sent there (through standard mail) only 3 arrived so I had to refund the cost of shipping and product which left me badly out of pocket and that is unsustainable. However I still do send to UAE but only using registered international courier. Just sent an order last week which was 10kg media, foams and peat balls so if there is something you are looking to buy just let me know and I will get you a price, no worries. My email address is pondguru@btinternet.com
Great video - I'm looking in to purchasing some of this from your online shop. I had great results with the Pete balls I bought from you last year! With regards to the biohome media, if it reduces nitrates that effectively what effect will this have on planted aquariums? Obviously plants do use nitrate as a source of food. Would the use of biohome media affect plant growth/health? Cheers!
It doesn't seem to affect plant growth as nitrate is just one of the requirements plants have as loads of people use it in heavily planted tanks and I haven't seen a negative report yet.
How long does the Biohome last? In other words about how many times can it be rinsed?
+John Doe It should last at high efficiency for about 6-10 years and really only needs rinsing occasionally in a well set up filter as it will be operating in very clean conditions.
jericho2877 The APS seem like decent pumps and either one would do a decent job. They are nice and quiet.
Do you ship to the US? I want to buy your full package that includes the filter foams. Bio media and the tiny balls?
I ship worldwide (link in video description) but there is a supplier in US and link for them is also in video description. Not sure if he has a kit put together yet but he was expecting foam in a week or so ago. If you check their website first they may have the kit listed there which will save you on shipping.
Hi pondguru, have you come across cfs 500 and 700 filters. If so I was wondering the best way to change them to include biohome media. Top vids btw thanks.
Chris Marchant I haven't heard of them and google search doesn't give me many clues. If they are external filters with a pump in the top like this one then the set up will be exactly the same. If the pump is at the bottom (like FX5 and FX6 from Fluval then the trays would be reversed so foams on top and media underneath. Feel free to send tray sizes and pictures of filters to pondguru@btinternet.com and I can work out how much media you will need no problem.
Cheers will send a pic. The 500 is more like an fx5 the 700 is a bit different. It pulls water through the centre past a uv light.
Chris Marchant No worries.
IV been trying to find out for ages which hose goes to which side . IV given up trying to find out and just hope for the best now ...
One should say inlet and the other should say outlet. The 'inlet' just means water is coming 'in' to the canister, and the outlet is just pumping water back out of the canister and back to your tank again.
Thanks very much.I am ready to put the plastic stuff out, for a fluvial fx 6, in 125 gallons cichlids tank, what kind or size of Biohome do you recommend , is a new tank and having problems with nitrites, where is the best place to find it , in US.
+Orlando Felix The best media would be either mini ultra or ultimate. US supplier is www.greatwaveeng.com
thanks
Would you set the filter the same for a planted tank. How would you set it for a planted tank
Yes just exactly the same and even though the biohome brings down the nitrate if used properly it seems to have no impact on plants as there is always some available.
I have a macro 75 for my turtle aquarium. What do you suggest I replace. i.e. filters for fine filters .I'm very interested in your media verse the kind it comes with and lastly I want to replenish the activated carbon by making my own reusable bag. Any help would be appreciated. Keep tank'n.
Sean Morgan I'm not familiar with that filter but if you let me know what available space you have for media I can work out how much you need no problem. As long as you have foams in correct place and good media in suitable size filter it will work fine.
I have bought the biohome media (it came very quickly) and I'm wondering if I can set up an Aquamanta EFX 400 the same as in your video.
Sandra Surtees Yes it works exactly the same no problem there.
Great video..I have a canester filter (Fluval 305) that came with a complimentary bag of carbon and biological media...is it safe to get rid of the carbon and replace it with more biological media?..Because i thought Carbon was used to help get crystal clear water
+ciscothelight Carbon does draw in colour from bogwood or treatments but if you're not treating the tank and don't have bogwood staining you want rid of the space in the filter is much better used for good filter media. Almost all external filters will come with carbon as it is cheap and used to mask the fact that the supplied media is not controlling ammonia and nitrite. The carbon has a useful life of 4-8 weeks and does draw in ammonia and nitrite but needs regularly replacing before it releases the chemicals it has drawn in back into tank. It lasts longest in last stage of filter where water is cleanest. The biohome should last 6-10 years in a well set up filter.
Hello mister Guru, I using 1 kg of ogaki Crystal bio ( its like pumice but with alot holes), 20 pc bioball and 1 litre of K1 Micro for my goldfish bio filter. Its already running about 7 or 8 weeks and the result makes me confusing. The water is clear, not cloudy at all but a little bit green, but clear. Even 13 watts UV light isnt help. Oh yeah, my tank are in outdoor. I change 30% water every week but it turning green in 3 days but not cloudy, the water still clear. Is my bio filter isnt strong enough to eat all nitrites and nitrates so algae blooming ? Thanks
1. Any updates on the Production of your Peat Pellets?
2. If carbon is to be used in this setup, would it go before the Biohome or after?
3. Any thoughts about having Biohome made into small balls or other shapes?
The peat pellets were too costly to produce and although they worked great they were no more effective than peat balls which are much easier to make.
If you use carbon then it needs to be the very last thing water hits before leaving a filter so it would sit on top of the top tray in an external filter like this one. It can be made into small balls but Eheim already do a very similar product. There is the possibility of making up some moulds to produce ornamental pieces of biohome but that is just planning at present and none have been made yet.
Simple answer: Don't use Carbon. It bonds with the muck. It's effectively a one shot filter medium and once it's full, it's full. It doesn't work over extended periods. Junk it and get something that gives proper biological function.
Hi Pondguru, I'm getting ready to pimp my filter, but I was told by the Greatwave person not to do it all at once. My canister filter is an established Marineland one, so could you please tell me how to go about doing this ? thanks in advance.
Don from Greatwave may have already explained this but in the case of an established filter it is definitely best to upgrade it slowly since doing it all at once will set the filter back to day 1 due to all the established bacteria being removed and new bacteria needing to build up to a sufficient level to cope with the bio-load.
Therefore I'd suggest the following:
Week 1 replace the foams
Week 2 or 3 replace 1 tray of media
Week 3 or 4 replace another tray of media
Week 4 or 5 replace another tray of media and so on until the filter has been upgraded.
It is always best to leave at east a week (or ideally 2 weeks) between the tray upgrades to give the new media time to mature enough to cope with the pollutants. The gel balls will help during the process as they dissolve slowly releasing the good bacteria which will not only seed the media but will act against the ammonia and nitrite, helping to level out any spikes associated with changing media in a filter.
Not sure how many balls Don gives away with the media but I send out at least 10-15 per kilo which is more than enough to prevent spikes.