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Managed to get a couple of cool snails recently. I believe they are a Melanoide sp but that's all I know? Any snail experts out there?

+1 to what @neo-2FX said. API Bio Chem Zorb ... isn't that just a carbon & purigen combo? Also not needed until it is really needed. Like the carbon pad. Leave it out. The proposed media setup seems to have too much mechanical media, not enough biological media. The sponges are there to trap solids. But you need more surface area for the beneficial bacteria to go to work on the dissolved solids ie. Ammonia NH3, Nitrites NO2 and Nitrates NO3. Things like ceramic rings and marine pure will serve this purpose. It lets the solids pass by while the dissolved solids traverses through the media to the bacteria where nitrogenous wastes are processed. So your canister needs to order the media as neo-2fx said. In order of water flow. Usually from the bottom of the canister to the top. Course sponge first (at the bottom of the canister) to filter out the big solids which might clog the biological media.Medium sponge as an option if you have space to remove more solids.Then Biological media, which needs to be the bulk of the overall media. Fit as much as you can into a canister. This goes for HOBs too. Fit as much bio media into HOBs where you can. I like marine pure for the sheer amount of surface area it offers. Each MP ball has a huge surface area, and at it's centre, there is enough density to create an anaerobic environment for Nitrate reducing bacteria. But you can use things like ceramic noodles/rings, bakki balls, eheim substrat, etc. It's your choice. But pack biological media in ! I have 70% bio media (marine pure) to 30% mechanical filter in my canister as a guide. The last media is a fine sponge to polish the water and remove the finest of solids before the water returns into the tank. But why waste this layer to just any old fine sponge. The best media for this last layer is Poly filter. http://www.thetechden.com.au/Poly_Filter_20cm_X_10cm_8_in_X_4_in_p/pf4080.htm

Hey GC, this API Nitra Zorb sounds just like a pH Down or Up product (waste of time). It removes ammonia, nitrites and nitrates...if you're having issues with those parameters this thing would cover that up? When I setup my 2213, the guys here gave me some great advice. Mine goes (bottom to top): One layer of mechanical > Blue sponge > Marine Pure > Eheim substrat pro (this can go in between the marine pure too) > White sponge It has made one hell of a biological environment! Forget the carbon pad.

That's weird. I'll try pm you now.

I send you some cuttings Pm'd you!

I think live stock from Dave needs a 3kg esky. Any chance I could tag along and share freight? I am after some DAS and DRN if you still have some space to spare.

Looks good..... You looking for something with red in it? I think a rotala would look good.. Bit hard to see in my overgrown tank but I think mines rotala pink.... Not much pink atm as I trimmed it 2 weeks ago.

Nice concept drawing ! I use an airlab pump.... So far very happy with it. The resun and airlab are much of a muchness. If drilling holes is an issue then I think the 4x2 is the way to go.You might want to run a horizontal as well because trying to run poly along a wire is going to be very difficult due to the memory poly has. Otherwise you could use pvc with a few saddles and do away the timber altogether. Or even easier do away with a ring main altogether and run a single 25mm pvc line along the top rail of the rack. You could then stick a check valve on it in case of power outage. My 2 cent ;) Saul

O wow, did not checked this topic yet. But for a drawing this is an excellent way to show the difference in quality. Of course in real life a cull can have almost no white, but good red, but for the sake of information, this is very good approach.