# FX4 Media Setup



## Demigod (Mar 22, 2013)

Picked up a Fluval FX4. I had questions about the media it came with and if there were other options for media and what might work best for it. I did some research, and this is what I ended up doing. Hope this helps someone else in my position.

The top tray comes with a small inner red tray containing a course sponge filter. Underneath it is a small bag of Fluval BioMax Bio Rings. The bottom tray comes with another inner red tray that contains another bag of Fluval BioMax Bio Rings, and a thin fine sponge filter underneath it. The special deal I got on the FX4 came with 3 extra bags of Bio Balls, 3 more bags of Bio Rings, and 3lbs of filter carbon. What to do with it all????










This is what I did with it all.

On the top tray, I removed the inner red tray, filled the entire main tray wtih the bio rings, and placed the coarse filter directly on top of the rings. Leave enough room for the sponge.










On the bottom tray, I ordered a 1 liter bottle of Seachem Matrix Bio Media:










Again, I removed the inner red tray from the lower main tray, and filled 2 bags with the entire 1 liter of media and crammed it in. The fit was perfect for 1 liter.










The FX4 fits back together just as it did before, but I have much more media in there than originally came with the FX4, and the "bonus" media that came with the deal now sits on a shelf if I need it.

This seemed like a good way to go and increased the bio media in the FX4 by 2x to 3x.


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## janusz072598 (Apr 8, 2017)

Your picture only shows one sponge, in the top tray do you have bio sponge only?


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## gillmanjr (Jan 27, 2017)

Hey can you tell me what the diameter of the FX4 is? I've been wondering because I want to know if one will fit in my corner tank stand and I haven't found that dimension anywhere on the internet. Thanks


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## Demigod (Mar 22, 2013)

janusz072598 said:


> Your picture only shows one sponge, in the top tray do you have bio sponge only?


I have the 3 kinds of sponge that came with it. The white outer sponges, the thick top black sponge, and the more compact thin black sponge on the bottom of the bottom basket underneath the Matrix, the kind that resembles a pot scrubber.


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## Demigod (Mar 22, 2013)

gillmanjr said:


> Hey can you tell me what the diameter of the FX4 is? I've been wondering because I want to know if one will fit in my corner tank stand and I haven't found that dimension anywhere on the internet. Thanks


My tape measure seems to have walked off.

Amazon shows the dimensions as 15.6" x 15.6" x 17.7", 18lbs


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## gillmanjr (Jan 27, 2017)

Demigod said:


> gillmanjr said:
> 
> 
> > Hey can you tell me what the diameter of the FX4 is? I've been wondering because I want to know if one will fit in my corner tank stand and I haven't found that dimension anywhere on the internet. Thanks
> ...


i think the dimension shown on Amazon is the box it comes in, not the actual thing.


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## Demigod (Mar 22, 2013)

Nah. The box was more like 20x20x24.

I can confirm the dimensions. I found a 24" leveling stick. They are correct dimensions.

I know what you mean about the Amazon dimensions though. The 306 hose adapter dimensions are shown as 1x3x5. That's the dimensions of the plastic bag they come in. SMH.


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