Has anyone tried this as filter media???

[sterling_mcdaniel]

Has anyone tried or at least thought about using airsoft BB's as filter media???
I am building filters out of some free HOB protein skimmers and was wondering if loading up a filter with one of these would work at all. any suggestions are welcome.

EDIT: and yes I realize that they are not porus at all. But it would look pretty cool.

 

[hangner]

maybe if you could scratch them all, but even then they wouldnt offer much surface area(=not much filtration) + they are quite expensive
i suggest pot scrubbies for the low price and big surface area

 

[sterling_mcdaniel]

maybe if you could scratch them all, but even then they wouldnt offer much surface area(=not much filtration) + they are quite expensive
i suggest pot scrubbies for the low price and big surface area

Thanks for the quick reply. Pot scrubbies work great for W/D but in a fully submersed application they are the best performers. but you do have to admit a clear 3in tube that is a foot and a half long would look pretty cool if it was filled with these. I am also wondering if you could get some sort of half assed FBF using one of these.
but once again dreaming.

 

[Liam]

well there is a thread earlier where Dr. Joe referred to putting pvc rings in a cement mixer with sand to scratch them up. you could try a ball mill aswell, if you have one.

and yes, they look like they would work as media.

 

[I<3fish]

well there is a thread earlier where Dr. Joe referred to putting pvc rings in a cement mixer with sand to scratch them up. you could try a ball mill aswell, if you have one.

and yes, they look like they would work as media.

That suggestion would work fairly well. Or shoot a bunch into a thick wood box : ) hoping a few would break and then toss em in a mixer with sand.

 

[hangner]

Thanks for the quick reply. Pot scrubbies work great for W/D but in a fully submersed application they are the best performers. but you do have to admit a clear 3in tube that is a foot and a half long would look pretty cool if it was filled with these. I am also wondering if you could get some sort of half assed FBF using one of these.
but once again dreaming.

ohh i didnt know you were refering to a closed filter, in that case your right it would look pretty sick, if your going for the WOW effect then there is no reason to not try it but i wouldnt expect much biological filtration with these, since the only surfaced area even when scratched, is the outside of the bb. maybe if you put a smaller tube inside the bigger tube and put the bbs in the gap betwwen th two tubes, and fbf media in the center tube and you somehow got water to flow to both, it would look cool and be a useful biological filter

 

[hybridtheoryd16]

cool yes ---good no --worth it no

 

[yipp-e]

poor surface area, poor airation of bacteria, poor bacteria uptake. in my opinion. Small bio balls are cheap anyway so why goto all that hassle.?

 

[Pharaoh]

Thanks for the quick reply. Pot scrubbies work great for W/D but in a fully submersed application they are the best performers. but you do have to admit a clear 3in tube that is a foot and a half long would look pretty cool if it was filled with these. I am also wondering if you could get some sort of half assed FBF using one of these.
but once again dreaming.

I have seen pot scrubbers used in almost every design of a filter and they perform well in every case, submerged or not. Its all about surface area. I doubt the BB would provide enough to actually be really usefull.

 

[wow_it_esploded]

poor surface area, poor airation of bacteria, poor bacteria uptake. in my opinion. Small bio balls are cheap anyway so why goto all that hassle.?

I am sorry but one the first thing you listed, poor surface area, made any sense. What do you mean by the rest?

Bioballs are expensive in large amounts and they are lacking in surface area. They have 160 square feet/cubic foot, while scrubbies have 370 square feet/cubic foot. Also, scrubbies are cheap and can be obtained in large quantities from zennzzo (I think that is how his username is spelled).

Having MORE than twice as much surface area, and being exponentially cheaper, pot scrubbies are superior to bioballs.