Hagen FLUVAL MSF 104 Instructions page 13

Fluval Filtration Area
Section 1 – The Foam Screen Frame
Fluval offers a wide variety of filter materials, some capable of performing more than one job. Fluval 4
provide automatic mechanical particle removal with the Foam Screen Frame. It is extremely important to remove wastes
before they enter the more delicate media in the Media Baskets.
Section 2 – The Stack of Media Baskets
The true power of the Fluval System resides in the versatility of the media choices available for the Stack of Media Baskets.
This section is meant as more of a guide than a definitive manual. Versatility and aquarist choice of media should be the
main criteria. However, it is best to follow some or all of the following guidelines. The choice of media should follow a
number of criteria.
Bottom Media Basket
Media that continues the mechanical capture of waste should be in the lowest media basket, purifying and removing
particles before they can clog delicate pores of biological or chemical substrates. Fluval Media such as "Pre-Filter",
"Carbon" and "Zeo-Carb" can be used to further screen small particles from the water. Pre-Filter is inert, acting solely to
create a screen. Carbon removes dyes, medications and solubilized wastes that a simple screen cannot. "Zeo-Carb"
removes ammonia from the water. This is often used in beginning set-ups to keep initial spikes lower than would
occur naturally.
Middle Media Basket
The middle media basket is useful for chemical modifications of the water. "Peat Fibre" and "Peat Granular" are an
example of this. An important consideration for media placement is the type. Peat Fibre consists of strands which can rise
up and wrap around an impeller. For this reason, any media that is string-like in nature should be kept below other filter
media. The middle chamber can begin the biological reduction process as well. Many media types will serve as both
mechanical and biological, offering an excellent place for beneficial bacteria to populate. Even many chemical compounds
will support colonies of bacteria. With the main mechanical purification of the water stream occurring in the Foam Screen
Frame and below the second media basket, it is normal to load additional biological media into the middle media basket.
"BioMax", extra "Carbon" or "Ammonia Remover" are quite commonly used in the mid-media basket. This is also the
area where more exotic media chosen for a specific application can occur.
Top Media Basket
The highest basket receives the purest water stream, making this the proper place for dedicated biological media.
"BioMax" provides optimal biological power in a very compact ring. With the multitude of pores perforating the surface
and internal matrix, "BioMax" is an ideal substrate for the top media basket. It also provides a trap to capture any loose
strands that might affect the operation of the impeller.
FLUVAL
Foam - FS
Fluval Foam Screen Insert – 2 Pack
The construction of the Foam inserts allows large waste capture in the Foam Screen Frame,
to eliminate most solid wastes before they can clog biological and fine mechanical media.
The numerous pathways that the water is forced to travel through as it flows through the
foam also increase the filtering efficiency. Although not permanent, the foam inserts can be
rinsed and reused a number of times before replacement.
FILTER
MEDIA
A-220, A-222, A-226
generation filters
th
H
FS
M
L