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Any suggestions on what types of sponges,bio-filters , or carbon packets I can use when?

I have an 80 gallon bowed aquarium measurements are 48″L x 18″W x 22″H with a CASCADE 1500 by PENN-PLAX canister filter.

Dan’s pretty well spot on about the use of no carbon & the biological filtration being more important.

Carbon should only be used if you had a dead, rotting fish & the tank stinks, or if you recently completed a treatment cycle of medication and need to remove the meds. It works quickly and is typically expended in less than 3 days for that purpose.

I would just like to add that you can use 100% polyester non-flame retardant pillow stuffing from the craft store as your first layer. Small organic particles rich in nitrates will adhere to it in 1-2 days and its way cheaper than anything pre-manufactured for your filter.

If you use it on the top layer it will extend the life of your store-bought coarse filter considerably. I only need to replace my coarse pads every 2-3 months with a rinse every month.

It will fill up way quicker than pre-made media & restrict water flow though, requiring more frequent changes. Its really useful if you kick up tons of garbage or have lots of crap floating around that you want to remove in a short period of time.

I use Matrix from seachem, red pumice, and crushed florida coral as my bio layer in my filter. the matrix & pumice rocks allow bacteria to colonize in their pores, and the coral raises the PH of my acidic tap water.

I generally don’t use any sponge media in a canister filter & instead I use sponge filters hooked up to the air pump for supplimental biological filtration.

75 gal malawi tank setup

Cascade Pro-Carb Filt-a-Pack Carbon – 8 oz. – 2 pk $5.75 Carbon Cartridges are designed specifically for Cascade Canister Filters. Laboratory-grade carbon takes care of odors and harmful chemicals in your aquarium’s water. Pad fits exactly into your Cascade Filter’s media tray….

Penn-Plex Cascade 500 Aquarium Canister Filter – 115gph-CCF1UL $67.89 Combining all the Features of the Most Popular Canisters in a Sturdy, Simple-to-Use Filter… The 500 offers 115 gph operation for aquariums up to 30 gallons. With easy lift alignment clamps to release vacuum suction, a floss pad to remove fine particulate matter, a coarse sponge provides abundant surface for bacterial growth to remove ammonia and nitrites, pool style hose clamps and tip-proof bas…

Bio Floss for Cascade 1200 and 1500 Canister Filters – 6 pk $9.99 Bio Floss helps filter particulate matter from your aquarium’s water. Designed for use with the Cascade 1200 and 1500 Canister Filters….

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