Budget Sump Media

jandb

Piranha
MFK Member
Jan 18, 2009
937
168
76
Lewis Center, OH
Hello, overspent to get the tank I wanted and am now looking for an affordable media for my sump. It's a 100 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank. I was thinking of getting laundry bags and filling them with the media. I have a bunch of bioballs and was thinking of adding lava rock. Any ideas?
 

asteele.19

Gambusia
MFK Member
Aug 11, 2014
107
13
18
Michigan, United States
Skip the lava rocks and go with pot scrubbies or shower loofas. You can get the loofas from the dollar store, same with the pot scrubbies. You can also get the pot scrubbies pretty cheap from ace hardware.
 

stempy

Dovii
MFK Member
Sep 8, 2011
901
302
102
Galloway, OH
I personally use lava rock and packing peanuts in my 800 gallon system and it works very well. The lava rocks make a terrific substrate for my pothos plant to take root in as well. A large bag of packing peanuts cost me $5 off ebay and the lava rock cost $1.99 a bag from my local landscape supply, all in all I probably have $20 in media for my large system :) I use 5 drawer sterilite towers to put it all in fed by a 50 gallon rubbermaid tub that is half full of laval rock and being overrun by Pothos, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 5-10 nitrate in a system with over 150 messy african cichlids.
 

DIDYSIS

Mantilla Stingray
MFK Member
Feb 9, 2012
5,542
307
1,946
West Jordan Utah
Watertech WB2 bio media.

Sent from the Monster Fish Keeping App
 

noside

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 6, 2014
164
1
16
NJ
I have a bunch of new in box Eheim Substrat I'm looking to unload cheap if you're looking. PM me how many liters you need and I'll see what I can do.
 

jandb

Piranha
MFK Member
Jan 18, 2009
937
168
76
Lewis Center, OH
I personally use lava rock and packing peanuts in my 800 gallon system and it works very well. The lava rocks make a terrific substrate for my pothos plant to take root in as well. A large bag of packing peanuts cost me $5 off ebay and the lava rock cost $1.99 a bag from my local landscape supply, all in all I probably have $20 in media for my large system :) I use 5 drawer sterilite towers to put it all in fed by a 50 gallon rubbermaid tub that is half full of laval rock and being overrun by Pothos, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 5-10 nitrate in a system with over 150 messy african cichlids.
Thanks Scott. You're setup's great. Where did you get the pothos and do you have to uproot them to clean the lava rock or do they take care of the waste? How much lighting do you need for them to do well?

What pump are you using? When I checked it out last year I thought it was a Reef flo? Sorry for all the questions Scott.
 

jandb

Piranha
MFK Member
Jan 18, 2009
937
168
76
Lewis Center, OH
Pond matrix
http://www.amazon.com/Water-Garden-Oasis-2119-Matrix/dp/B000R31KH2
You can also use Laguna bio media it may be more for the money.
http://www.amazon.com/Laguna-PowerFlo-Biological-Filter-6-6-Pound/dp/B0002AQWX2
Shop around you may find better prices then Amazon. Buy some now and add more later when you have more cash.
I'm a big Matrix fan. I have it in the sump for my 340 and am happy with it. I like the how they say most of the bacteria is internal so it can be rinsed without losing it. Not sure if that's the case but it's a nice feature if it works. A 5 gallon bucket of it is almost $100 though.
 

Hobocat

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 25, 2012
38
1
6
hawaii
Buy growstones from a hydroponic store, its like 35 bucks for 34L, its recycled foam glass, it will raise PH for a few weeks but once your cycle is going ph will drop back down, I have been using it in my sumps for 2 years now and its the best for the money IMO.
 
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