What media do you use in your filtration system

[flukeone]

After going to school for environmental science, with a focus on water technology, and treatment, then working at a water treatment (filtration) plant for almost 20 years, and keeping fish over double that time, I am convinced no one media or style of filtration is any better than another, the important part is maintenance, and water changes.
My current tank uses the media that came with the tank (bio-balls, rings, lava rock for bio, a bio rocker, and floss and porrett foam for mechanical) although I have added shells from the beach as buffers, and turned one sump into an algae scrubber refugium. But in the past, I have used moving beds, bio-wheels, and they all work just as well as others, as long as they are kept up to speed, anything works as long as regular, frequent maintenance is done. If a filter (mechanical, and bio) is allowed to gunk up, it becomes useless, and spews nitrate.

never heard of sea shells as media. I suppose as a ph buffer? What type of shells do you use and how do you preprare it?

 

[ECW]

Filter floss, sponges, Eheim substrat pro, bio rings, and matrix. Scrubbers in the pond.

 

[duanes]

never heard of sea shells as media. I suppose as a ph buffer? What type of shells do you use and how do you preprare it?

Anything can be biomedia, shells, old hair curlers, even ends of old tooth brushes, bio media is just a place for bacteria to colonize, and although more surface area is best, that beneficial colony will rise and fall according to its food supply (stocking level).
There is only a problem when not enough surface area is supplied for amount of fish in the tank.
Below the shells in one of my sumps, and are found on the beach near my house, I rinse them and drop in the sump, under water flow.

 

[duanes]

Fresh from the Pacific.

 

[Castlk]

Sponges, bio balls, ceramic rings, Seachem Matrix and polishing pads.

 

[lm26sk]

Floss , nylon scrubbers , lava rock , ceramic balls (in net) .. sump 1/2 submerged