# Pumice stone for Filter media



## Vivian Andrew (23 Sep 2014)

HI,

seachem matrix and ADA sells pumice as filter media, so i wonder whether we can use the pumice stone which they sell to clean feet by breaking into pieces and can be added into filter?


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## dw1305 (23 Sep 2014)

Hi all,





Vivian Andrew said:


> HI, seachem matrix and ADA sells pumice as filter media, so i wonder whether we can use the pumice stone which they sell to clean feet by breaking into pieces and can be added into filter?


 You can, you may find it is a lot cheaper to buy horticultural pumice, they sell it for potting Bonsai etc. 

cheers Darrel


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## Vivian Andrew (23 Sep 2014)

Hi Darrel,

Thanks for the quick reply, i tried finding pumice stone in my place, but only seen in super market which they sell for cleaning feet like attached below pic, one thing i wanna know whether i need to do any treatment before adding inside the canister filter like soaking in dechlorinator, or need to clean with bleach or vinegar before soaking into dechlorinator like seachem purigen ?


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## prdad (23 Sep 2014)

I'd take the string off.


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## dw1305 (23 Sep 2014)

Hi all, 





Vivian Andrew said:


> Thanks for the quick reply, i tried finding pumice stone in my place, but only seen in super market which they sell for cleaning feet


 That's fine as is, as "prdad" just take the string off, break the stone up and put in the filter.

cheers Darrel


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## Vivian Andrew (24 Sep 2014)

Thanks for the clarification Darrel and prdad


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## Alastair (24 Sep 2014)

Seachem matrix has never looked like pumice to me


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## Vivian Andrew (25 Sep 2014)

Alastair said:


> Seachem matrix has never looked like pumice to me


Actually most of the videos in youtube about seachem matrix they say it's pumice, So i thought it's pumice stone


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## dw1305 (25 Sep 2014)

Hi all,
Apparently as used by Amano himself. <"Filtration in the Nature Aquarium">. 





> *.......Filter Media*
> A porous, rough-surfaced pumice stone media and activated carbon are the main filter media that I use in the Nature Aquarium. The dirt that is taken into the filter with water is trapped by the rough surface of the filter media and removed from the water. The dirt that is dissolved in water is adsorbed and removed by activated carbon. The trapped dirt feeds and encourages the microbes in the filter, such as bacteria and protozoans, to multiply and further break down the accumulated dirt.
> 
> However, if too much decomposed dirt, organic matter, and cellulose from decayed plant matter accumulate inside the filter, they reduce the flow and decrease the filtering capacity. This creates the condition commonly known as a clogged filter. When this happens, algae start to grow rapidly, and the clarity of the water decreases as well.
> ...


cheers Darrel


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## ian_m (25 Sep 2014)

Alastair said:


> Seachem matrix has never looked like pumice to me


Seachem Matrix is not pumice. http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Matrix.html, but a ceramic.


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## Vivian Andrew (25 Sep 2014)

Thanks for all the replies and links guys


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## dw1305 (25 Sep 2014)

Hi all, 
It will work. If you ask them, Seachem actually say that Matrix is "100% natural stone", so if it isn't pumice it is pretty close.

cheers Darrel


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