# Media choices for my 406



## smith10210 (Jan 19, 2012)

Should i put extra bio foam or biomax to replace charcoal in my fluval 406. It comes with 4 bags of charcoal and the top basket has a small white foam pad under the charcoal.. The order is top to bottom:

Charcoal/small white sponge
charcoal
Biomax
BioFoam

I was thinking this:
BioMax/Small white sponge
Biomax
Bio Foam
Bio Foam


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## Steveboos (Dec 23, 2011)

I like your thinking. Go with the order you just listed at the bottom of your post that would be best. I just toss out the Charcoal they give me, or give it to friends with turtle tanks.


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## E82M6 (Feb 20, 2012)

I did foam pads then in the baskets from bottom to top:
Prefilter media
biomax media
biomax media
crushed coral in nylon bags
I have read from multiple sources that charcoal is a waste unless using it after medicating your tank to get rid of all the medicine. Charcoal gets rid of chlorine but you should be pre treating your water before putting it in the tank anyway.


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## dwl0222 (Mar 6, 2011)

Have not started runnin my 406 yet but I'm planning on, from bottom to top....bio foam-biomax with some bio chem stars, filter floss with polishing pad over top-and last will be seachem purigen. Sound ok to you guys? Any tips?


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## smith10210 (Jan 19, 2012)

I just bought some bio-mass and ordered some bio-foam. Has any one used this it looks like bio-max but its supposed act as a prefilter? Looks like bio-max to me.


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## E82M6 (Feb 20, 2012)

smith10210 said:


> I just bought some bio-mass and ordered some bio-foam. Has any one used this it looks like bio-max but its supposed act as a prefilter? Looks like bio-max to me.


I have the same stuff in my first stage of my fluval 404. I don't have any real experience yet as I've been in the hobby with a running tank for a week lol. But my friend who has multiple fluvals on multiple tanks for years recommended it for the canister.


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## cgmark (Aug 18, 2010)

Purigen on the last stage and forget about the charcoal. Purigen is the greatest stuff to come to the hobby in a long time. Buy it once, when it turns dark brown it has absorbed everything it can. Take it out, place in bleach for a few hours, rinse thoroughly in de-chlorinator and use again. Can do that hundreds of times and it gets stuff charcoal cant.

Fun experiment with purigen is put a bag of it in water, add just a drop of food coloring , shake it around in the water and the water will become colorless again. That is how good this stuff is.
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product ... rigen.html


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## smith10210 (Jan 19, 2012)

I think the Fluval pre-filter which looks like porous biomass has been replaced with the BioFoam which is included in the 6 series.

http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-Pre-Filter ... B001CZXZEU


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