This may be a stupid question, but I was wondering if anyone could explain to me if/why Matrix is more effective as canister bio media than small pieces of lava rock. They both seem to be porous rocks that would hold about the same amount of BB, only lava rock is much cheaper.
Matrix vs. Lava rock
- Thread starter LeMAy
- Start date
It's simple Matrix has a lot more surface area than lava rock. Lava rock is down the bottom of the list of media
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matrix is more air than glass, lava rock is more rock than air. more air means more aerobic bacteria. the fact that matrix is basically a dense framework as opposed to a solid object means more surface area for the bacteria to attach and grow on too. while lava rock is riddled with holes, it's much more solid and more of a pock marked surface than a network of passages.
with matrix you also have inner areas where the water movement is extremely low. the oxygen in the water has been depleted by the outer bacteria and you have an anaerobic area for further biological filtering.
with matrix you also have inner areas where the water movement is extremely low. the oxygen in the water has been depleted by the outer bacteria and you have an anaerobic area for further biological filtering.