What do u think is volume for volume the best bio media for use in a filter. From scrubbies, foam, Ehiems professional stuff, ceramic rings, black stars. What have u found to clean the most water with the same volumes?
Best Bio Media?
- Thread starter Gobrian44
- Start date
You might want to specify a little bit more. Also no matter how you work it you are going to get a few options.
A lot of people here like scrubies, which i guess volume per price is a good way to go.
Most people look at bio media as surface to volume ratio which means you want a very porouse material with lots of tiny holes. Ceramics or sintered glass are good for this.
I like Eheim substrate pro, it cost more then most but has high surface to volume ratio and it's shape doesn't trap debri much. Seachem matrix seams good but havn't tried it.
Interesting artical here http://www.seachem.com/support/SpecificSurface.pdf
A lot of people here like scrubies, which i guess volume per price is a good way to go.
Most people look at bio media as surface to volume ratio which means you want a very porouse material with lots of tiny holes. Ceramics or sintered glass are good for this.
I like Eheim substrate pro, it cost more then most but has high surface to volume ratio and it's shape doesn't trap debri much. Seachem matrix seams good but havn't tried it.
Interesting artical here http://www.seachem.com/support/SpecificSurface.pdf
Scrubbies/pot scrubbers will give you hands down the most surface area AND are one of the cheapest options out there. Best used in a sump, although ceramic rings may work better if you talkin completely submerged.
the only noticeable differences are price and ease of cleaning. when i went from lava rock to ceramic noodles it was for cleaning reasons. for the price of one box of eheims stuff i can get unbranded bio valls, unbranded ceramics and unbranded sponges for way cheaper.
the only time, that i can think of right now, that branded bio may be noticeable is in scientific tests but for the regular fishkeeper the impact of paying £8 per litre or £2 per 2 litres of ceramic noodles is only in price.
one guy, that i know of, uses cut up straws. doesnt get much cheaper than that and he hasnt spoke of any problems with bio that i am aware of.
remember that everything in your tank is biological media. substrate, rocks, ornaments, pipes, powerheads, tank walls, filter sponges, filter baskets. the chances that you need bio specific media (ceramics/lava rock/bio balls/etc) are slim.
items like bio balls and scribbies apparently work more efficiently in wet/dry filters than fully submerged but they still work submerged, chances most keepers will notice the efficiency anyway are practically nil.
the only time, that i can think of right now, that branded bio may be noticeable is in scientific tests but for the regular fishkeeper the impact of paying £8 per litre or £2 per 2 litres of ceramic noodles is only in price.
one guy, that i know of, uses cut up straws. doesnt get much cheaper than that and he hasnt spoke of any problems with bio that i am aware of.
remember that everything in your tank is biological media. substrate, rocks, ornaments, pipes, powerheads, tank walls, filter sponges, filter baskets. the chances that you need bio specific media (ceramics/lava rock/bio balls/etc) are slim.
items like bio balls and scribbies apparently work more efficiently in wet/dry filters than fully submerged but they still work submerged, chances most keepers will notice the efficiency anyway are practically nil.
scorp;4307096; said:
Times two, Scorp!!!
Whatever way you go, just remember, it is like anything else in this world. You get what you pay for.
My research has led me to consider "eheim substrat pro" or "seachem matrix". I decided to give matrix a try and am currently in the process of cycling it into my filtration "infrastructure". Prior to this, I have used eheim substrat (the original, not the pro) for the last 11 years. The original eheim substrat proved to be an awesome biological filtration media. I am moving to matrix, however, because I need to (at least attempt) address "nitrates". I am also using purigen, along with the matrix.
cichlid2006;4307093; said:
^this is very good! but you also left out filter socks and filter pads..reason i mention this is i went without it in one of my tanks, and the mechanical filtering went downhill quick. seems my tank would be better if i replaced that stuff, but then again, it's extra maintenance which i sacrificed for easier maintaining...also the tank mostly, or always i feed them pellet type food, which is a little dirtier than say live or prepared foods.