Remember this is a biomedia so it is permanent, you are not going to be replacing it monthly like other medias. And that is a five gallon bucket full of it, I have seen Eheim stuff in stores selling for $30-40 for half a gallon or so.
Seachem Matrix?
- Thread starter jcannonb
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I bought 2 Liters of SeaChem Matrix to add to the rest of the bio media in my sump once the new tank/sump is up and running.
Thanks for your help peeps!
Thanks for your help peeps!
Update, have let the same tank as tested before go for 3 weeks without water change. I only topped up water in the sump due to evaporation.
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrate 0-5ppm
My current tap water as of today registers 0-5ppm
Filtered tap water registers 0-5ppm
RO water registers 0-5ppm
3 week old water from arowana tank 0-5ppm
I tested this using a new api test kit and my current seachem test kit.
These results are much better than I expected.
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrate 0-5ppm
My current tap water as of today registers 0-5ppm
Filtered tap water registers 0-5ppm
RO water registers 0-5ppm
3 week old water from arowana tank 0-5ppm
I tested this using a new api test kit and my current seachem test kit.
These results are much better than I expected.
reptileguy2727;4456304; said:Remember this is a biomedia so it is permanent, you are not going to be replacing it monthly like other medias. And that is a five gallon bucket full of it, I have seen Eheim stuff in stores selling for $30-40 for half a gallon or so.
Nevermind the answer was right there.. BIOMEDIA
Nice stats rhodes_96.
When the tank is finished, I will definitely let you know what the end results are.
When the tank is finished, I will definitely let you know what the end results are.
IsdaFish;4511593; said:hmm, interesting might have to grab a bucket and top off one of the fx5 on my 180 overstocked tanks.
The FX5 has on around 6 litres of media capaicty. This is enough on a 180 for ammonia/nitrite removal, but for nitrates I think you will need more.
What I should have done in my testing is start out with a small amount of matrix and work it up from there. This could take many months and I don't have the spare time to experiment like this.
rhodes_96;4429146; said:This is what I have experienced changing from using plastic bio balls in my wet dry sumps, to using seachem pond matrix on a 1000 litre tank with no plants and thin sand with 2 large fish that ate MP twice a day. Starting nitrate levels were 0-5ppm.
I have noticed the nitrate levels stay between 0-5ppm even after 2 weeks without water change. Doing the same test with using the plastic bio balls, the nitrate level would be around 10-15ppm.
Sump contains 50 litre capacity of bio media which 1/4 in the water, 3/4 exposed to the air that recieves a constant shower of water from spinning spray bars. The sump pump used was rated at 1100 gallons an hour
After 1 week both medias had the same nitrate level 0-5ppm. It was only after I measured on the second week before I did a water change that the differenence was shown. Ph changes were not effected by the change of media.
I have three comments:
1 - Nitrate reducing bacteria (anaerobic) requires an extremely low oxygen environment. The 75% of your Matrix that is above the water line in you sump, is very unlikely to be cultivating anaerobic bacteria.
2 - Anaerobic bacteria takes weeks (more like months) to develop into a robust and healthy culture. Your observation of lower nitrate after one to two weeks must be due to some other factor.
3 - Matrix fine pores will clog with silt over time, rendering it less effective.
