Rena/Api Filstar XP Filters- what do you have in your baskets?

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lilpendragon

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jun 4, 2012
526
7
18
South Florida
Recently purchased an Api Filstar XP L, and I noticed it comes with very little media and the media is crazy expensive. Anyone rocking some diy media baskets? I have some filter floss at home and plan on ditching the stars for some pot scrubbies. First canister filter so I'm pretty excited.


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I have 3 xp3's (aka L) and one xp4 (aka XL) they are great filters and tge way they are designed. You can have a tone of options. And it will run forever... as long as you do not cause too much strain on the motor.

Great buy. Congrats!

As for bio media. Anything that wont break down. And anything they will not back up or clog or block water flow too much. G.I.Joe toy figures, the scrub pads you already mentioned. Or what im planning is to sand and mar up a PVC pipe real good. Then rub it down to remove any real loose pieces of plastic. Then get a good knife and shave one layer at a time off and repeat. Then trim all my shavings. Place them in a media bag. Kind of like pealing a apple with a knife.

Take care of your filter and it will take care of your fish. dont stuff it. Good luck

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Kribensis4me said:
I have 3 xp3's (aka L) and one xp4 (aka XL) they are great filters and tge way they are designed. You can have a tone of options. And it will run forever... as long as you do not cause too much strain on the motor.

Great buy. Congrats!

As for bio media. Anything that wont break down. And anything they will not back up or clog or block water flow too much. G.I.Joe toy figures, the scrub pads you already mentioned. Or what im planning is to sand and mar up a PVC pipe real good. Then rub it down to remove any real loose pieces of plastic. Then get a good knife and shave one layer at a time off and repeat. Then trim all my shavings. Place them in a media bag. Kind of like pealing a apple with a knife.

Take care of your filter and it will take care of your fish. dont stuff it. Good luck

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Click to expand...

I've left some empty space in the filter so I won't jam pack it with stuff. Thanks for the info!


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I use the supplied foam in the bottom tray. No need to replace that often. I swap mine out maybe once a year at the most. 2nd basket has seachem matrix. 3rd basket has matrix and is topped with filter floss. Those biochem stars suck. They're extremely expensive and clog really easily if packed in there
 
Awesome! I put the two foam pads in the bottom, filled the middle section with scrubbies, and the top sections with carbon bags and filter floss. I've never had a filter this quite, I wasn't even sure that it was running this morning.


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lilpendragon said:
Awesome! I put the two foam pads in the bottom, filled the middle section with scrubbies, and the top sections with carbon bags and filter floss. I've never had a filter this quite, I wasn't even sure that it was running this morning.


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Click to expand...

Great news. Some ppl think they need to spend $400 on a good filter. But I call your filter a Glock Filter. Low price, lasts for years, gets the job done, and you can change the name. But the build will always be the same. Great buy bud.

And with each basket having 2 layers there aint nothing you cant do for your fish. But if you ever use them Micro Polishing Pads. Just remember that you cant leave them in as long. As they will and can clog up pretty fast. Also. Keep natural sunlight off the hoses. LOL mine are all black (need cleaning) and every filter cleaning I do. I get crud blowing out of it. But has never hurt any of my baby convicts, kribensis, angle fish, or fry festae. But I would like new tubing.

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Id love to have a Fluval fx5. But at the same time. My 3 Rena xp filters make for great current, and 3 suction inputs. And pumping 1150/gph for a 125g tank.

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