i've heard milk jugs can be blended in your blender and work, but never had a blender that i was willing to try it on, but really, pick up a paper shredder and almost any thin plastic laying around, plus i just enjoy shredding things
Alternative to bio balls (other than pot scrubbies)?
- Thread starter jcardona1
- Start date
Koosh balls? I don't know how much surface area a couple dozen koosh balls would be but it would seem like a lot.
Matala Filter Media!!
This stuff is unreal. This IS what I use fro bio-media in all my systems. It is so convinient, easy to clean, and doesnt even get dirty anyways! Its like bioballs in a sheet, except more awesome, and more surface area.
http://www.matalausa.com/
Cheers,
Chris
This stuff is unreal. This IS what I use fro bio-media in all my systems. It is so convinient, easy to clean, and doesnt even get dirty anyways! Its like bioballs in a sheet, except more awesome, and more surface area.
http://www.matalausa.com/
Cheers,
Chris
That Matala looks like good stuff. They should get on here if they want to sell a bunch...
For bio-media, I like the shotgun approach: as many different surface types as possible mixed together. If it were me, I would use all of the items listed above mixed together in one chamber. Plus a few others...Straws, wadding, bio-balls, bio-stars (Rena), that Eheim sintered glass stuff, bio sponge pads, pot-scrubbies, army men, shower puffs, legos, easter grass, fishing line, AC110 sponges (cut up?), etc.
Also, what about adding one of those HOB fluidized-bed filters to your sump? They're pretty cheap & I hear they're the best for bio. I'm sure you have an extra powerhead laying around to run it with...
For bio-media, I like the shotgun approach: as many different surface types as possible mixed together. If it were me, I would use all of the items listed above mixed together in one chamber. Plus a few others...Straws, wadding, bio-balls, bio-stars (Rena), that Eheim sintered glass stuff, bio sponge pads, pot-scrubbies, army men, shower puffs, legos, easter grass, fishing line, AC110 sponges (cut up?), etc.
Also, what about adding one of those HOB fluidized-bed filters to your sump? They're pretty cheap & I hear they're the best for bio. I'm sure you have an extra powerhead laying around to run it with...
I've never seen matala doing any promoting/marketing (surprisingly, cause its great stuff), but here in Edmonton (and some other parts of Canada) it actually is quite popular among some groups of hobbyists. I can even name several stores that use it in their systems as their bio-media. I Hate hate hate bioballs, and any silly media that is 1000 little pieces, hence why I love matala. All in one piece. 1sq ft of matala = about 200 bio-balls. Compact much?
Cheers,
Chris
Cheers,
Chris
yeah matala seems like great stuff but why oh why does this crap have to be soooo EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!!!! its just plastic 
jcardona1;3648142; said:yeah matala seems like great stuff but why oh why does this crap have to be soooo EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!!!! its just plastic
It works out to about 8 dollars for it up here, per square foot. If you figure 8 dollars for about 200 bioballs (which is the equivalent), then I think thats actually not bad?
And yeah, it is more marketed toward pond people, but there is still very little marketing.
jcardona1;3648142; said:yeah matala seems like great stuff but why oh why does this crap have to be soooo EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!!!! its just plastic
A full sheet is 1.6 cubic feet. Half sheets cost ~$30. That's $37.50 per cubic foot/$5 per gallon
scrubbies cost more than that, depending on the source. Bioballs generally cost more too, unless you buy a ton of them at once (ie 50 gallons for $140 on bigalsonline)
Funky_Fish14;3648805; said:It works out to about 8 dollars for it up here, per square foot. If you figure 8 dollars for about 200 bioballs (which is the equivalent), then I think thats actually not bad?
And yeah, it is more marketed toward pond people, but there is still very little marketing.
What density are you using?
