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Filter Media

There are several different types of filter media all serving a specific purpose. We have direct replacement cartridges for several different brands of aquarium filter. We also have specialized media that you can add to your filter with a separate media bag.

Regular replacement of your filter media is important to the health of your aquarium. Be sure to alternate the replacement of your media and never replace all the media in your filter at one time. Biological media should never be replaced unless absolutely necessary. If you do need to replace you biological media only replace a small portion at a time over the course of 4-6 weeks until you have finally replaced all the media.

Here is our quick-start guide on selecting filter media for your style aquarium. This chart is a general guideline for choosing filter media. For specific recommendations please refer to our tank setup guides in the articles section.

Filter Media Recommendations
	Freshwater	Freshwater Planted	Saltwater Fish Only	Saltwater Reef
Mechanical	Y	Y	Optional, must be cleaned every 3-5 days	Optional, must be cleaned every 3 days and changed weekly
Chemical	Y	Optional	Y	Optional, can be used for occasional water polishing
Biological	Y	Optional with well planted tanks	Optional when live rock is used	Not recommended when live rock is used