Bio media

[akskirmish]

Others certainly know more about how/why it is more efficient, I just know that as long as it gets oxygen it is ok under water - canister was just an easy way to explain as I figured you knew how they worked I'm interested to know more about the efficiency too though.

well then sit back and see where this goes.........some helps pass the time.......

Hopefully someone will answer

 

[cichlid2006]

Bio media does fine fully submerged. The water going over the overflow, entering the first chamber at X gph will create enough surface agitation to ensure planty of O2 in the water. My first chamber is like river rapids so I am sure there is enough O2.
It has been this way since I set the sump up back in June.

 

[knifegill]

I am under the impression that exposure to actual atmospheric air enhances the nitrification process by a whole lot. I don't know the ratio. But I do believe that a few square inches of wet-dry are worth a whole lot more than those few inches submerged completely, even in well-oxygenated water. I've implemented this concept on my ghetto rainbow filter which has a tray with scouring pads folded in half so they rise out of the water. The amount of bacteria living at the surface is very great, visibly darker than in the rest of the submerged areas.

The ghetto:
This was taken in the first week I had it running. It is now well-colonized.

 

[AOmonsta]

I believe the "dry" area of a sump builds a different kind of bb that cannot happen in a fully submerged bio area.

 

[ar0wan]

I believe the "dry" area of a sump builds a different kind of bb that cannot happen in a fully submerged bio area.

belief can be a strong thing
but it doesn't pay the clock maker

there are two general types of BB in our systems
#1 - Aerobic
#2 - Anaerobic

Both the canisters and Wet/Dry systems are growing #1
and therefore require O2 to process Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate
You can cultivate #2 in oxygen free, slow trickle filters that
will process Nitrates into Nitrogen Gas but
these filters are delicate and not for the faint hearted

 

[jcardona1]

It all has to do with the type of media used, and their relevant surface areas.

Bio balls and pot scrubbies are basically solid pieces of plastic, therefore they don't have tons of surface area. Hence, they are used in wet/dry applications where the water is dripping over the media. The high levels of oxygen allow the bacteria to grow on colonize better than if they were fully submerged (lower levels of oxygen).

This is why you would not want to use pot scrubbies or bio balls in a canister filter. Canister filters rely on highly porous media (like ceramic rings) that have TONS of surface area. The vast amounts of surface area give the bacteria more room to grow in an environment that would have less oxygen than a wet/dry application. Low levels of oxygen and not good surface area = not the most effecient form of bio filtration. 1 liter of Seachem Matrix for example, has the surface area of 170 liters of bio balls!!

Me, I like to have the best of both worlds. The benefits of a sump, and the vast amounts of surface area offered by ceramic media. So my sumps are not your typical wet/dry setup. I have no baffles, no dividers, and no drip trays. Just filter socks and a basket of ceramic media. I'm convinced this is the most effective setup in terms of mechanical and bio filtration. There really is no way to argue against it

 

[jcardona1]

Both the canisters and Wet/Dry systems are growing #1
and therefore require O2 to process Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate
You can cultivate #2 in oxygen free, slow trickle filters that
will process Nitrates into Nitrogen Gas but
these filters are delicate and not for the faint hearted

this. Despite what you may think, you are NOT growing #2 in your sump

 

[nes999]

Im just curious, what if you put a high porous material, for example, matrix in your wet dry would it work well.

I personally am a fan of submerged sumps, so simple.

 

[jcardona1]

Im just curious, what if you put a high porous material, for example, matrix in your wet dry would it work well.

I personally am a fan of submerged sumps, so simple.

I'm sure it would work great. High levels of oxygen + highly porous media = WIN. Although due to the weight of the media you may need to reinforce the eggcrate/floor that supports the media.

 

[kamikaziechameleon]

Oxygen is necessary in the reaction to breack down the harmful waste/chemicals. Wet/Dry filters add more oxygen there for the bacteria flourishes and does its job extra well. Typically though moving water absorbs enough air ambiently. A wet/dry filter is not necessary its sort of a novelty for a Extra Extra clean tank, or to have a smaller filter handling a larger bioload.