fluval 404 & 305

[firefox]

just starting out i want to know what to put in the baskets on my fluval 404 and 305 please. do i leave the sponges in or take them out i have a 260L tank and i'm running a protein skimmer with three powerheads

[crvz]

Welcome to TRT! Why do you want to run the canister filters in the first place? Usually I don't find they add a lot of value unless you're trying to run some sort of media.

[jenglish]

Welcome to TRT! you can run carbon, phosban, or a number of chemical media. If you have live rock, there is really no reason to leave the sponges in for biological filtration and they can become nitrate factories. Filter maintenance is very touchy on reef tanks and a build up of detritus in there can quickly make them do more harm than good. This is why most people use a protein skimmer and weekly water changes to maintain their water quality and only use a canister filter for specific media when the need arises. just my two cents, good luck

[solarnailspa2007]

Dude, i recommend u to do a SUMP... sump is the best filter for an aquarium tank ... I used to have 4 canister filters Rena 1 of xP2, 2 of xP3 and 1 of xP4 for my 75 gallons tank.... dude, my NO2 always HIGH. Then one day i build a sump myself which is cost me about 120 bucks or less. Everything going great, ammonia good, NO2 good... Fishes healthy , tank looks clean... Its my idea and its up to u. Good luck man....