ok as the title states, im thinking of filling my overflows with bio media. i will be getting a big tank soon and was thinking that there is easily 5-10g of space left unused in large overflows. what could i put in it? i was thinking seachem matrix, but then figured it will get way too nasty since it will be before any mech. what about filling it with kaldnes K1 and putting a screen on the downpipe? i was thinking this may be the best option, but let me know what you think. or what about a deep sand bed? it wont really be disturbed too much if my pipe is tall enough.
biomedia in overflow boxes
- Thread starter brich999
- Start date
Wow,how big is the tank if you are talking about an overflow box of 5-10 gallons?..Although it is not their primary use,the sponges that are usually used in the overflows can contain a good bit of bacteria colony so you could just add more sponges or scrubbies.brich999;4924771; said:
K1 will also collect a lot of debris quickly, and will act more as a mechanical filter than biomedia in that situation.
Something like bioballs would work. The sand bed idea is interesting, though if you are looking for a way to remove nitrates you could throw some fast-growing plants in there.
Something like bioballs would work. The sand bed idea is interesting, though if you are looking for a way to remove nitrates you could throw some fast-growing plants in there.
In my expeirence, a screen on the bottom and the chamber full of boiballs works great. The bioballs dont clog like sponges and they offer a ton of surface area.
Media like Matrix or Ehiem Pro are generally used in a fully submerged situation(canister) and would cost you a fortune to fill that space. Plus, I think water flow would be adversly affected.
Media like Matrix or Ehiem Pro are generally used in a fully submerged situation(canister) and would cost you a fortune to fill that space. Plus, I think water flow would be adversly affected.
Now that would really look nice.
Cornor overflows full of media.
I gotta wonder, with the overflows feeding a sump, what would you need even more bio media for.
I know MFK has the notion that bio media rules, but hey...
You would take away from the look of the tank for media that might hold bacteria.
I would put the media in the sump, where it can`t be seen.
$0.02
Cornor overflows full of media.
I gotta wonder, with the overflows feeding a sump, what would you need even more bio media for.
I know MFK has the notion that bio media rules, but hey...
You would take away from the look of the tank for media that might hold bacteria.
I would put the media in the sump, where it can`t be seen.
$0.02
yes im planning on a 500g setup, and the overflows are huge, i dont know exact size but they are massive. i was thinking submerged media since i could easily do a tall pipe and keep it quieter. and yes i am doing a 100g sump, with 2 filter socks on each side and the middle loaded with either K1 or ceramic and a reeflo hammerhead gold running it. i was just thinking a deep sand bed would be a cool idea, obviously i dont want anything i will have to do regular maintence to.
