Equipment Review and Discussion :: xp3

[lizzie]

What kinds of things do I need to have for my xp3>? Like what media?

[octpusgirl8]

Ceramic rings (bio media) and carbon.

[Vtolds]

It comes with everything you need, unless you want to put ceramic rings or something like that in it. It comes with the 20 and the 30 filters an the carbon and the white filter not sure what they call that. So if you just replace those I would think you would be fine, that is what I am going to be doing.

[octpusgirl8]

You really should get the rings, biological filtration is important when you're dealing with messy turtles.

[emma]

Do you have to get the carbon? What is that for? I only got the ceramic rings, but am thinking about the carbon

[SpotsMama]

The carbon that comes with the XP3 is called Bio Chem Zorb. It's got some other things in it besides just carbon. It comes in a pouch that needs to be replaced monthly. I always replace the pouch with another pouch of Bio Chem Zorb but I think other people get pouches of plain activated carbon, which is cheaper.

Carbon is the chemical filter in the trio of filter types that an XP3 provides - mechanical, biological and chemical. Activated carbon removes oders and toxins from water.

[marisa]

The most important media is the mechanical media (the filtration pads at the bottom) and the biomedia (Rena's rings or stars or biomedia for other filters if it fits).

Carbon is nice (especially in smaller tanks), but you don't absolutely have to use it. Some people just load up on the biomedia and place extra where the carbon would go.