Need help with my Aqua Clear power filter set up?

Question

I have a aqua clear power filter 30 gallon for my 28 gallon tank.

The instructions are not clear as to where the ammonia bag filter goes b/c I am trying to remove high levels of ammonia from my tank.

What is the order for the filters?

bio sponge (bottom of basket)
ammonia bag filter (on top of sponge)
then carbon bag filter (on top of ammonia bag filter)
then bio max bag?

I called 3 different PetSmarts and got 3 different answers.

If you know the order, I'd be truly grateful. Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi,

I have 2 aqua 20's 1 aqua 50 and 1 aqau 110. The sponge goes in the basket first, then activated carbon, thats the black baggie, and then the bio max on top. You need to take the baggie for the bio max out and really open that up wide, then put all those white cubes in. Until your tank is cycled out, don't use the ammonia bag. That's not going to help you if you're starting out on the cycle. It will hurt you because it will deprive your bacteria of ammonia and it needs that to grow with. The ammonia bag is for established tanks to absorb any excess ammonia in the water.

Answer 2

It just doesn't matter. However technically the sponge goes on the bottom,then the bio-bag,then the ammonia bag,and last the carbon.
If you are cycling the tank and you remove all of the ammonia the cycle will stop,because there will be nothing for the bacteria to feed on. Ideally you should keep the ammonia at about 0.5 to 0.8 so the bacteria can grow.
Never call a Petsmart for advice,you see what you get. They are sales people not pet experts.
Sorry I got off the track,the correct way to control ammonia while cycling a tank is with water changes. When doing water changes don't add tap water and then de-chlorinate, treat the water before you add it to the tank,because chlorine kills bacteria. Also the water should be very close to the same temperature as the tank,because rapid temperature changes kill bacteria.
After you get the ammonia eating bacteria going you should monitor Nitrites,they are just as toxic as ammonia,and they have their own set of bacteria to grow. Same procedure,control with water changes. Same precautions. Good luck,and next time try fish-less cycling.

Answer 3

At the bottom should be the sponge. You want to remove as much physical waste from the water as you can before it reaches the other media's, which can get clogged and become less affective. I go as far as putting a fine 'batting' filter material on top of the normal aquaclear sponge, which helps even further to clean out the finer waste in the water.

After that, it doesn't matter, and that's why you get different answers. The water will reach all of them regardless. Instead of overcomplicated, just put them in on top of the sponge. The ammonia bag and carbon should be on top for the simple reason that they need to be replaced most often and it makes it easier for you (you only get about two effective weeks out of carbon, not sure about the ammonia bag). Unless you have issues with your tap water quality, you don't really need carbon at all and can save yourself some money and replace it with more foam.

The ammonia bag is fine if you have immediate ammonia trouble, but don't use it when your tank is healthy - all it does is interfere with the cycle.

In truth, you don't need any of these fancy and expensive medias. All I use is the sponges - they hold a ton of bacteria and so work very well for both biological and physical waste. They can also be rinsed and re-used, making the aquarium very cheap to run.

Answer 4

I would recommend Aqua Clear filters, they are a little more expensive upfront, but they really pay for themselves in the long run since you don't have to buy replacement cartridges. Just rinse the sponge, leave the bio-media alone and don't bother putting the carbon in unless you are removing medications from the tank. You can also use 100% polyester pillow stuffing or quilt batting on top of the sponge to remove very fine particles from the water. I run an AC 50 on my 29gal and it keeps the water really clear, but if i was to do it again I would have bought an AC70 since they are only $5 more at my LFS and use the same amount of power as the 50 (only 6 watts). For the 40gal I would get a AC 70. My experiences with the tetra whispers is that they are rather loud, the aqua clears ar very quiet as long as you have the water filled to the proper level in the tank. I would also ditch the undergravel filters, they are more of a hassle than they are worth and with the AC70's you will have 300GPH of filtering in each tank.