Good quality filter media for aquariums

jacobfata · Apr 25, 2019

Rocksor said:
I believe plastic bioballs work best in a trickle filter which maximizes air time. Being submerged, not only do they tend to float, but they aren't porous like ceramic media. The bioballs dont hold enough of the bacterial slime (colonies of bacteria) when submerged where in a trickle filter, you can seem the large amount of bacterial colonies in the thick slime.

Now, I would add these to the empty mid compartment in my sump right? And the purpose is to provide a growing grounds for beneficial bacteria, correct? Can you show me an online example of exactly what it is that I need to order for my aquarium? I added a bag of media that my LFS owner swore by, it looks like a small bag of black powder type media. Is there any other media bag like this that will make my water more discus friendly? I want to provide the best water quality that I can to my animals. If someone could point me in the right direction and show me what I need to order it would be a big help!

duanes · Apr 25, 2019

As said before, bio-media is a surface for beneficial bacteria to live on.
I have used rings, bioballs, lava rock, just about anything works, even old toothbrushes.
The idea that any one is better than another may simply be a marketing ploy, its like comparing an Acura to a Lexus, both are good, its just personal preference.
If there is ammonia buildup in a cycled tank, you don't have enough media, if there is no ammonia or nitrite, whatever you have is working.
I usually put any type, in a mesh bags so it can occasionally be flushed out of detritus.

Rocksor · Apr 25, 2019

jacobfata said:
Now, I would add these to the empty mid compartment in my sump right? And the purpose is to provide a growing grounds for beneficial bacteria, correct? Can you show me an online example of exactly what it is that I need to order for my aquarium? I added a bag of media that my LFS owner swore by, it looks like a small bag of black powder type media. Is there any other media bag like this that will make my water more discus friendly? I want to provide the best water quality that I can to my animals. If someone could point me in the right direction and show me what I need to order it would be a big help!

Will your middle compartment be full of water or will water water only be on the bottom portion of the plastic bio balls? By bottom portion just like in E of the wet dry trickle filter in the link.

Wet Dry Filter - How Wet Dry Filters Work

If it is full of water, you want the water to come from the top and follow out from the bottom portion from the middle section. If the middle section is receiving the water from the bottom and it flows over the top, you can lose plastic bioballs to the next chamber, simply because plastic floats. If that's the case, I would use heavy media like ceramic media or lava rock.

I don't know what black powder is, but I suspect that is carbon. Carbon is for removing inorganic compounds and medication from the tank water. You don't really need that in a discus tank. They benefit from having peat and tannins in the aquarium, which is what the carbon will remove.

jacobfata · Apr 25, 2019

Thank you both for helping me understand. Right now I have a few media bags in the sock and then the one pictures beneath it. I will move these two the empty middle compartment. And if you’re wondering what the black pump is that’s in the middle compartment it is a UV Sterilizer that I originally had on the 55 gallon before I switched to the 90 gallon. The 90 already has a UV running in the pump but I figured an extra sterilizer wouldn’t hurt.... back to subject; all media except for the sock should be in the middle compartment? This is where I would put the bio balls also?

Rocksor · Apr 25, 2019

The media below the sock is fine since the water will be first filtered by the sock.

deeda · Apr 25, 2019

Anthony, can you post the name or mfg. on your sump?

Also post the dimensions of your sump.

Can you also post a full frontal pic of your sump to get a better idea of how best to add more media?

jacobfata · Apr 25, 2019

deeda said:
Anthony, can you post the name or mfg. on your sump?

Also post the dimensions of your sump.

Can you also post a full frontal pic of your sump to get a better idea of how best to add more media?

Are you trying to find out what kind of sump it is? I’m not sure of the name but I’ll take all of the photos that I can get. I just recently moved all of the filter media from inside the sock and the compartment to the middle compartment like you guys said. The mid compartment also has an extra UV I had laying around and I thought it would keep the surface water moving. Without that the surface is always still and produces a nasty odor.