Where does the predicted media go on the bottom or top and also the ammonia remover
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
I don't know why it works but, the way I have my setup though the prefilter does work in the top tray. I get just as much buildup in the entire top basket as the other two combined and quite often more.Pre-filter media is useless in the FX5 or FX6. The water passes through the sponges first. To put pre-filter media after sponges is not going to do anything beneficial.
The point of pre-filter media is to slow the water velocity and spread it out so that large particles fall out of suspension and don't clog finer media such as sponge and floss. In the FX5, after the water has passed through the foam it is cleaner than what would ultimately hit pre-filter media. Since the FX5/FX6 uses a downward flow through the trays the pre-filter media is increasingly useless since the particles can't settle out like in an upward flow system. In other words, the pre-filter media just passes the majority of particulate since it's constantly flushing itself out into the second tray.I don't know why it works but, the way I have my setup though the prefilter does work in the top tray. I get just as much buildup in the entire top basket as the other two combined and quite often more.
Makes sense, never had it explained to me like that and thank you. I think the key lies within what you and I have said. Evidence of particulate in the media is evidence of it being removed. How much is allowed back in with bypassing the media is what's in question. While it does have a huge bypass potential, because your right and the sponges don't collect much, it takes a large piece of waste to get caught. However, if it has regular cleanings and properly setup with correct media to prevent the waste from flowing through all of the trays equips it for just as good of a filter as any other. Assuming there is roughly 40% that bypasses the first tray of prefilter media. Maybe more, maybe less. More media in front of your bio media is still better none the less. And more media period is more room for your bacteria to work.The point of pre-filter media is to slow the water velocity and spread it out so that large particles fall out of suspension and don't clog finer media such as sponge and floss. In the FX5, after the water has passed through the foam it is cleaner than what would ultimately hit pre-filter media. Since the FX5/FX6 uses a downward flow through the trays the pre-filter media is increasingly useless since the particles can't settle out like in an upward flow system. In other words, the pre-filter media just passes the majority of particulate since it's constantly flushing itself out into the second tray.
I think that the reason you see buildup at all in the upper tray with prefilter is because the sponges of an FX5 have lots of bypass potential and limited holding capacity. Once the sponges are full of particulate they start to release into water and carry these solids into the following trays. I don't think the evidence of particulate in the trays is evidence of them effectively cleaning the water but rather of the system bypassing water.