Should I remove the lower grate piece?
YES! This piece easily “pops” off, it is only attached with pressure tabs. The Media Basket will block this intake. If you need further intake protection break off the tabs and glue over the intake. Or cut a piece of plastic mesh or solid plastic and glue over the intake. Lower intakes prevent full flow into the top of a Media Basket, completely blocking off will improve the Media Basket performance and keep rear chambers more clean.
What do you suggest for filtration media?
This depends on your livestock but the most common and all-around choice in freshwater:
- Top Shelf: inTank Filter Floss
- Middle: Seachem Purigen 100mL
- Bottom: Boyd Chemi Pure 5oz
How do I use the Water Director?
Remove the Water Director from the middle shelf. Rinse and install filtration media into the dedicated shelves of the Media Basket. Insert the Media Basket into the intake chamber, chamber one. Install the Water Director. The ears of the director fit through the intake teeth and lock over the false wall and Media Basket door.
How do I adjust the water levels?
You can adjust them by adding new water or subtracting existing water from a specific area of the aquarium while the filtration pump is ON. If you would like the display higher, add new water to the display section. If you would like the level higher in a rear chamber, add new water to that chamber while the pump is ON. Because of Fluval's connected chambers this aquarium may have water levels similar in all chambers. It may take some "playing around" to dial them in. Once water levels are set, and evaporation top off is filled in chamber two or three, those levels will hold even after the filtration pump is restarted.