FX5 Tray Setup

Ok, FX5 experts, my hoses are all set up in place and now am getting my trays ready. Andrew, who previously owned my FX5, had it set up like this:

Top tray: Filter sponge on outer ring with biomax bag in center
Middle tray: Filter sponge with two carbon bags in center
Bottom tray: same as middle tray.

What are your suggestions for either keeping it as is or modifying trays?

Also, since the FX5 has not been cycled in another tank prior to my current 120 set up, I was advised to squeeze some of my sponge filters from my other tanks onto the media. Other suggestions for seeding it with beneficial bacteria?

Thanks all!

Pull out carbon and put in bio media. That is all I use in mine with the exception of a sponge or two.

I have the bio media in the middle tray.

I agree with blkmjk. No need for carbon really unless you are trying to remove medication from the water. Biomax and other bio media are better than carbon. Usually to seed, I just take an extra sponge that's in my cycled tank and put it in with the new tank. I also have a bunch of sponge filters in my main tank that I move over to the new tank to help with the bio filtration.

Howie,
The carbon bags were more than a year old. I was only using them to house bacteria. I used cut-right (blue and white) filter pads over the carbon bags to catch particulates. Don't put the pads on the filter block, or it will become clogged.

I also ran a second fx5 on the tank that had biomax on top. The other compartments were filled with sponges.

Sent from my VS985 4G using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

I don't run an fx5 but all my canisters have matrix, polyfil, and chemipure blue.

So I took a page out of the Very Fishe Room Playbook (watched Reed's 125 set up YouTube video) and did pot scrubbers on bottom tray, and loaded the middle and top trays with 4 boxes of biomax. I took a mesh laundry bag and put biomax in, cut it to size and put zip tie on top. To seed the trays with some good bacteria, I squeezed some of my sponge filters onto each tray. Bear in mind that I'm also running a AC 110 for fine filtration, so opted not to do any polishing pads, polyfill, etc.

Fired up the FX5 last night and it's running like a charm.

Bump

Awesome, congrats on the setup, seems like you have a great start