lava rock vs bio balls
- Thread starter OTp1144
- Start date
so far they seem to be fine. and I like that they're already prepackaged, of sorts. I'm planning to toss them all in to a laundry bag and just drop it in. The only downside is having to pull off all those tags... but all in all, the price can't be beat!
Looks like you got one case 72x8. I've just ordered 10 cases 72x8x10 = 5760 pads for $500 with $88 FedEx standard shipping to SW FL and 10% discount (thanks much for the code, you saved me $50!). So far everything sounds great. Will see what we get.
You're welcome! and definitely post some pictures! I want to see what 5760 pot scrubbies looks likes! haha
I would appreciate your long term test report on the scrubbers.
I use them to a degree. They make good strainers, but I mostly depend on lava and gravel beds, with air agitation plus open pore foam, for my germ farm.
I do use them in a wet/dry tower, but it is only part of a hybrid system.
My prejudice is that they likely take years of air, light & h2o, to 'open up' the slick surface texture of the plastic, before they are effective.
I use them to a degree. They make good strainers, but I mostly depend on lava and gravel beds, with air agitation plus open pore foam, for my germ farm.
I do use them in a wet/dry tower, but it is only part of a hybrid system.
My prejudice is that they likely take years of air, light & h2o, to 'open up' the slick surface texture of the plastic, before they are effective.
So I found that they worked significantly better than lava rock. Not only could they compress and therefore capture smaller particles but they captured pretty much all the waste in the pond. I even found that I could significantly overstock the pond, though it was done temporarily, and the scrubbies had enough surface area for the bacteria to catch up. It also did not take long for them to get to this point. Just your typical media cycling time frame.
I'd say the only problem I had with them was they float so I needed heavy rocks to hold them down and keep them submerged.
I was also disappointed with how much space it took up in the filter, specifically that it didn't take up a lot. So I did eventually supplement these with circular matala mats that I put on top. Those combined filled the 55g barrel were absolutely perfect. They cleaned extremely easily just by running water back through them and captured 100% of the waste.
I'd say the only problem I had with them was they float so I needed heavy rocks to hold them down and keep them submerged.
I was also disappointed with how much space it took up in the filter, specifically that it didn't take up a lot. So I did eventually supplement these with circular matala mats that I put on top. Those combined filled the 55g barrel were absolutely perfect. They cleaned extremely easily just by running water back through them and captured 100% of the waste.
I personally, would use two of those drums, the first being a settling and partical filter, you can have it wash up through the pads etc, then place a bottom valve for a back wash. then overflow that to a bin of scrubbies.
the scrubbies are your main bio filter, you want them catching the little bits. and try to keep the bigger bits out as much as possible.
the scrubbies are your main bio filter, you want them catching the little bits. and try to keep the bigger bits out as much as possible.
That's interesting, and very uncomplicated compared to what I'm trying to do.
In my latest incarnation of a sump filter,
I actually use some scrubbies as my pre-filter and diverter, down thru a floss filter, and thendown thru a scrubbie trickle filter, a layer of lava, then up thru a gravel bed followed by heater then past 2 big air powered Bacto-surge sponge filters.
When I change the floss, I fold it up and squeeze some of the juice into the trickle tower, then I toss it.
Finally I set up a flower box full of ivy and some return water trickles through the roots of this before it goes into the tank.
This is all very new and I don't have a clue how it's going to work. The only part of that system that is aged right now is the sponge filters.
In my latest incarnation of a sump filter,
I actually use some scrubbies as my pre-filter and diverter, down thru a floss filter, and thendown thru a scrubbie trickle filter, a layer of lava, then up thru a gravel bed followed by heater then past 2 big air powered Bacto-surge sponge filters.
When I change the floss, I fold it up and squeeze some of the juice into the trickle tower, then I toss it.
Finally I set up a flower box full of ivy and some return water trickles through the roots of this before it goes into the tank.
This is all very new and I don't have a clue how it's going to work. The only part of that system that is aged right now is the sponge filters.
