# Filter materials



## flaviu.vlaicu (26 Apr 2010)

*What filter materials are best for a JBL filter from these here ? *


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## flaviu.vlaicu (5 May 2010)

Ca somenone please post if you are using one of these materials ? I do not know what to opt for !


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## bigmatt (5 May 2010)

Sintered glass (SintoMec) is by far the best for biofiltration - MASSIVE surface area for bacterial colonisation.  if you're having problems with tannin stained water add some carbon, otherwise you get great results using sintered glass through all filter trays
hope this helps,
Matt


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## Themuleous (7 May 2010)

Just use sponge, its far cheaper and does exactly the same job.

Sam


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## ghostsword (7 May 2010)

I would just use peat, micromec ball, sponge (very cheap) and carbon. 

Of the JBL the only one on my filter is MicroMec.


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## Themuleous (7 May 2010)

I'd caution against peat, not only does it affect the water chemistry by lowing pH, which I guess might be the point of you adding it, but as a product for an aquarium its collection and use has to be questioned.  Why destroy peat bogs just to lower the pH in your home tank?

Just my 2p worth.

Sam


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## ghostsword (7 May 2010)

I live in London and my water is almost all composed of rock.. 

With peat on my filter and CO2 I get my water to be around 6.5 ph, which is perfect not only for the plants I have but also for my fish.

Are peat bogs in decline in nature?


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## flaviu.vlaicu (7 May 2010)

Can you please explain what peat bogs are  :?:


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## Themuleous (7 May 2010)

In a word yes.  They are being drained and the peat removed for compost and as a fuel and Im sure other things.  I wont get on my high horse about it, I'm sure google will tell you how valuable they are for wildlife and what damage is being done by removing them.

Peat bogs - are areas of very wet land that over centuries have become 'full' of organic plant and animal matter. They have a very rich variety of wildife.

Sam


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## bigmatt (9 May 2010)

Good point well made Sam - i often question the ethics of some aquarist stuff (Altum angels are a typical example - i know they're beautiful, but the massive mortality rates on imports means aquarists are unintentionally killing loads of fish so they can have a pretty tank) and it's nice to see it's not just me!
Almond leaves are a good, sustainable product for water staining - available through eBay
Cheers folks!
Matt


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## ghostsword (10 May 2010)

Yep, Altum Angels is a good example, with some many fish dying in transit why keep them? Quite sad. 

About peat, I wasn't aware that the peat fields were in decline, and will research further on the subject. Almond leaves are not suitable for me, as I do not use the peat to stain the water, but to soften it and filter it. 

Thanks for the heads up...


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## Themuleous (10 May 2010)

You cant have a go at someone if they don't know the facts, so only right I point people in the right direction   The whole ethics topic is one that I'm sure raises many questions in the hobby. Where do you draw the line? Who knows.

Sam


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## flaviu.vlaicu (11 Jun 2010)

What is best to use as a prefilter cermic rings or bioballs ?


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## Phill Austen (9 Feb 2011)

> Altum Angels is a good example, with some many fish dying in transit why keep them? Quite sad.


 I think the Altum situation is down to the trade being unwilling or unable to give these fish the consideration necessary to overcome the insults of import. Excellent tank bred fish are available, but at a higher price than the wild fish (but vastly cheaper if you factor in the ridiculous mortality the wild fish suffer) see..  http://www.skalarezucht.de/ this guy in Portsmouth is trying to bring in a group of Simon's fish  http://www.angelfishuk.co.uk/orinocoaltums.htm . Good tank bred Altum have been available for some time, but most of the UK aquatic trade has ignored the fact, preferring to squander wild fish.


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## Franko44 (9 Feb 2011)

Hi Mate, I run three JBL 1500e with cermic rings and foam... thats all you need...


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## ceg4048 (9 Feb 2011)

ghostsword said:
			
		

> ..With peat on my filter and CO2 I get my water to be around 6.5 ph, which is perfect not only for the plants I have but also for my fish.


Actually mate plants do not really care about pH and neither do the fish.

Cheers,


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## roadmaster (10 Feb 2011)

I  believe  pH is but a number which is rendered by most test kits in direct relation to minerals in source water or  lack thereof. Fish may not feel pH but they do feel the effect's of changes in mineral content (hard,soft water) especially if these changes are sudden and much different than water fish were raised,shipped,acclimated to.
Believe it fair to say that pH numbers below 7.0 most often are associated with softer more acidic waters than pH levels above 7.4 which often are indicitive (not always) of harder or more alkaline water.
Is why we acclimate fish, and why many species of soft water fishes do poorly over the long haul in hard alkaline water and also why some species of fishes prefer hard alkaline water over soft acidic conditions.
Is easy for me to understand why pH is often fixated on  for most,,don't test water for gh,kh but rather rely on PH test results.
Still studying,effects of Total dissolved solids /conductivity on tropical fishes but perhaps this is for another time.


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## dw1305 (10 Feb 2011)

Hi all,
*Filtration material*
Coarse sponge and/or ceramic rings for me too. 
*Peat Bogs*
Buy peat while you can, it is fast running out. I've got a new slogan for the "_Peat Producers Association_" (should arguably have been called the "_Peat Exploiters Association_", and I've just found out they are now called "_The Growing Media Association_" http://www.growingmedia.co.uk/).


> _A nature reserve in a bag for your garden (or aquarium)"_


More peat details here:
 <http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Sustainable-gardening/Peat-and-the-environment> & <http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2010/180310.aspx>.

If you are worried about the air miles involved in transporting "Indian Almond" leaves from SE Asia, Alder cones (_Alnus spp. - A. glutinosa, A. cordata or A. incana_) are a very good alternative for adding tannins, and can be collected locally by most people (possibly even Luis in E. London).

*pH*


> I believe pH is but a number which is rendered by most test kits in direct relation to minerals in source water or lack thereof.


I see where you are coming from, but this is not necessarily true, pH is a fairly meaningless measurement without some measure of the carbonate buffering of the water as well. The technical details are here: <http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=14695#p152255>. 

This means that not all pH values are equal. I use rainwater in my tanks and in the afternoon when the plants are photosynthesising I might record a pH in the pH7.8 - pH8 range. This is not the same situation at all as in hard, highly buffered carbonate rich water (like my tap water) that will also have a high pH of somewhere around pH7.8,  but one that is stable, whatever you add to the hard water, within reason, the pH won't change very much.  If I measure the pH of the hard buffered water in the morning before lights on it will still be pH7.8 ish, however if I now look at the pH of the rainwater tank it will be somewhere around pH6.5, my water has magically gone from alkaline to acid over-night.

In the rain-water case I know I don't have much buffering, so the pH differences are attributable to the amount of dissolved CO2 (as carbonic acid) in my water and the carbonic acid/carbonate equilibrium. In comparison the large reserve of buffering of the hard water, the dKH value, mean that only the constant addition of CO2 will drive the pH down from its stable value.

However although pH is a fairly meaningless measurement in very soft water (for both aquarium keeper and aquarium residents) TDS is not. I know from experience that if I keep the TDS in the 70 - 120 range (by altering teh proportion of rain/tap water), my water will be about right for my largely S. American fish and I can ignore pH. If I wanted to breed extreme black water fish, I would need to start from a lower TDS value, and then reduce the pH with weak acids (which will then increase the TDS). In this case pH would become relevant. 

cheers Darrel


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## ghostsword (11 Feb 2011)

Thanks Darrell, I have heard about Alder cones, this would suitable for people trying to match the soft water parameters for some fish or shrimp.

Thank you Clive, 


			
				ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Actually mate plants do not really care about pH and neither do the fish.
> 
> Cheers,



That point is taken on board, and your tips and input is always welcome. 

So it is safe to say that using peat and other water softeners, caring about ph levels (unless extremes) is a truly waste of time?

I know the answer to be yes, but this from watching my tank. I just add tap water, 50% WC every two days, dose EI, use CO2 and keep my light low, and got nice growing plants.

Have we been conned all this time?  Or am I missing something?


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## LondonDragon (11 Feb 2011)

ghostsword said:
			
		

> So it is safe to say that using peat and other water softeners, caring about ph levels (unless extremes) is a truly waste of time?


Yes, unless you trying to keep or breed a particular type of fish that needs those levels of soft water, otherwise is pretty much a waste of time.


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## roadmaster (11 Feb 2011)

Also, using tapwater makes water changes way less tedious, and biological filter doesn't suffer  like perhaps with much softer water . Believe bacteria much prefer more basic water.


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