# Best Filter Media



## Tom72 (22 Feb 2022)

Hi Folks, after watching a green aqua post on filtration it has made me realise that my external filter is not performing as well as it could. I have been using lava and a mix of bits and bats. I think this is the problem and want to replace with a very Porous ceramic media. Looking on line it’s hard to see how rough/smooth the media is. Please can anyone recommend the best products. Ideally ones that redo not have to be replaced regularly (matrix)


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## hypnogogia (22 Feb 2022)

I hear that pot scrubbers are very good as biological media. Lots of people use 20ppi Ms 30ppi foam.  Expesmive ceramic or sintered glass isn’t necessary.  Perhaps look at this thread.  





						Is expensive bio media worth it?
					

Obviously we all want the best conditions for our fish/inverts, and expensive bio media may have more surface area - but at what point does it stop being worth it (i.e. cheaper media would convert everything to nitrates anyway)? Do you guys think the expensive stuff like Seachem Matrix and Eheim...



					www.ukaps.org


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## dw1305 (22 Feb 2022)

Hi all, 
What @hypnogogia says. 

As you'll see from the <"linked thread"> opinions differ, but I  have a <"real problem with the "Pondguru">, <"the purveyor of Biohome">.


> ....... Marketing departments are extremely effective at writing very convincing science fiction, shooting down the cheap alternative and promoting the very expensive alternative. They are also very good at making charlatan YouTube videos.
> 
> This paper was sent to the “Pondguru”, a British distributor of Biohome who has a YouTube channel which seems to be the “bible” for some folks. Note this YouTube channel got a 1% accuracy rating from the author and that was generous. The “Pondguru” YouTube videos on Biohome are two ten minute rambles about how Biohome “duplicates Nature” in the aquarium. No testing. No real science. Nothing! Pure snake oil salesmanship!
> 
> The best the replies from the Pondguru and the “manufacturer” could do defending their product was to say they has many anecdotal stories from users of their products where the product worked as advertised. They did not provide ANY studies from anyone which showed their product worked........The Pondguru than makes the incredulous statement that anecdotal evidence is more reliable than scientific experimentation. ......


He also says, on <"his website">, 


> _Please note: Tanks with heavy stock and feeding (e.g. cichlid, goldfish, predator or fry tanks) and marine tanks may require 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres to achieve the full cycle filtration which will result in the reduction of nitrates. *Do not worry about plant growth being affected in a tank which reads zero nitrates - the nitrate is processed into soluble nitrogen which is easily used by plants, boosting their growth.*_


So not only economical with the truth, but also, apparently unaware, of how the nitrogen cycle actually works.


Tom72 said:


> Ideally ones that redo not have to be replaced regularly (matrix)


That is another <"fib by Seachem">,  Matrix is <"pumice"> and good <"for all of eternity">.

cheers Darrel


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## dean (26 Feb 2022)

Totally agree with the above posts 

You need to decide how much you want to be sold an idea 
Simple gravel works as a medium after all there wasn’t much else around 50 years ago and fish were happy and bred 

I personally like foam as it’s cheap comes in various grades very easy to cut to fit any filter and so easy to clean so it gets my vote 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Aqua sobriquet (26 Feb 2022)

My favourite (it came with my filter) is Sera Siporax. It’s sintered glass and seems to have a large surface area. Not cheap but I’d probably buy some more if I needed it. The Ceramic tubes are said to be a poor alternative.


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## _Maq_ (7 Sep 2022)

Aqua sobriquet said:


> seems to have a large surface area


I rather think that all that race for laaarge surface area is a nonsense invented by vendors.


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## AlecF (7 Sep 2022)

I understand the turn towards pot scrubbers, etc, but aren't they encouraging pollution? Just to be speculative, has anyone suggested using a natural sponge? Maybe they have issues in terms of depleting natural resources. I have a fluvial with the usual sponges and some media, but not filled to the brim. My partner has taught me not to use pot scrubbers for the dishes, because they contribute to micro-plastics, I believe, so it made me think about their use in filters? Just asking, I'm not a passionate advocate of any approach, I just use a mix.


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## OllieTY (8 Sep 2022)

Tom72 said:


> Hi Folks, after watching a green aqua post on filtration it has made me realise that my external filter is not performing as well as it could. I have been using lava and a mix of bits and bats. I think this is the problem and want to replace with a very Porous ceramic media. Looking on line it’s hard to see how rough/smooth the media is. Please can anyone recommend the best products. Ideally ones that redo not have to be replaced regularly (matrix)



Just use whatever came with your filter


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## _Maq_ (8 Sep 2022)

Tom72 said:


> after watching a green aqua post on filtration it has made me realise that my external filter is not performing as well as it could


It's a capital question: What do *you expect* your filtration should do?
You should solve this, and not a very different thing: What vendors / *people say* the filtration should do. 
Manufacturers of filters & filter media swear that you cannot establish proper microbial life (biofiltration) without their help. Then there are manufacturers of microbial inoculants who also swear that without them microbes either can't find a way to your tank or die off quickly.
If you asked me, my microbes seem stupid, because they never learnt that they should move into my canister filter and leave the tank; instead, they stubbornly live everywhere and don't follow vendors' 'scientific' instructions. Damn!


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## JohnCooke (16 Dec 2022)

Amazingly, there is genuine scientific research available on the usefulness of pot scourers as filter media. It's here:



			https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313369447_Evaluation_of_nitrification_performance_of_a_trickling_filter_with_nylon_pot_scrubber_as_media
		


It concludes that pot scourers are an efficient means of filtration. This concurs with the findings of the "aquarium science" website, here:






						7. Aquarium Filter Media
					

The media in an aquarium filter is the most important variable when setting up a filter.




					aquariumscience.org
				




A caveat can be noted, though. The scientific research focused on the use of pot scourers in a _trickle_ filter.


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## dw1305 (16 Dec 2022)

Hi all,


AlecF said:


> I understand the turn towards pot scrubbers, etc, but aren't they encouraging pollution?


I think it is a valid concern. If you use <"pumice">, or sintered glass, it will last. I've got some "Eheim Substrate Pro" (coco-pops) that <"I've used for ~ ten years"> and it is still fully intact.

<"Alfagrog"> or <"Hydroleca"> might have the smallest environmental footprint?

Cheers Darrel


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## Mattant1984 (16 Dec 2022)

I've used alfagrog for years and never had a problem. It's cheap and effective in my eyes


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## fredi (16 Dec 2022)

I  used Eheim substrate pro for years, i used to use lytag, i have used siprorax, never had a problem with any of them
Properly maintained, they have all given me ammonia and nitrite (at level of detection employed) free aquaria
I have found that since changing to a mixture of pot scrubbers in lower sections and 30ppi foam in top section, time between cleaning (as determined by flow reduction) is much extended 
Still zero detectable ammonia and nitrate 👍


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## Aqua sobriquet (17 Dec 2022)

I switched over to one tray of Siporax and another tray of Ziss ZM-ll micro on one tank and Ziss ZM-ll completely on a smaller tank a while back.
Both seem to be working well. The Ziss media hasn’t clogged at all so far and filter flow has been quite good.


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## hypnogogia (17 Dec 2022)

Aqua sobriquet said:


> Ziss ZM-ll micro


Good stuff that.


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## Aqua sobriquet (18 Dec 2022)

hypnogogia said:


> Good stuff that.


It’s only fairly recently that I read it’s good not only in moving bed filters but also in Canister filters. There are of course several different  sizes and manufacturers of this type of media.


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## Qwedfg (Thursday at 6:33 AM)

Tom72 said:


> Hi Folks, after watching a green aqua post on filtration it has made me realise that my external filter is not performing as well as it could. I have been using lava and a mix of bits and bats. I think this is the problem and want to replace with a very Porous ceramic media. Looking on line it’s hard to see how rough/smooth the media is. Please can anyone recommend the best products. Ideally ones that redo not have to be replaced regularly (matrix)


The green aqua video is very interesting and from what they've said they believe in seachem matrix so much they include it with a filter purchase.  About 5 or so years ago when I was still into reefing seachem matrix was a very popular and well respected means of adding additional biofiltration to your reef.  Now many people seem to be using bioblocks which appear to be bricks with many micro perforations in them for a similar purpose.  It seems fairly straight forward that the more surface area there is the more bacteria that can grow and the a larger bacterial population increases their ability to reduce ammonia or nitrites.  I guess the question would be is how much surface area do you need to reduce ammonia in your tank?  This relationship is not exactly clear to me in a planted tank since plants perform a similar job.
I do have some seachem matrix in my filter in addition to the eheim media that came with my 2217 since I had a bunch left over from my defunct reef.  I don't know if I would purchase more of it though.


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## Hanuman (Thursday at 7:07 AM)

Qwedfg said:


> The green aqua video is very interesting and from what they've said they believe in seachem matrix so much they include it with a filter purchase.


They ought to beleive in what Matrix actually is: pumice. They would probably pay MUCH less and do a service to everyone instead of promoting an overly expensive natural product. Seems it's all about money and the more we go the worse it gets. In Asia, I know many people who use pumice in their tanks and filters and all is perfectly fine.

You will note below, Seachem does not deny it's pumice but then go about justifying it all with a well crafted sales pitch.


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## Simon Cole (Thursday at 7:32 AM)

Hanuman said:


> In Asia, I know many people who use pumice in their tanks and filters and all is perfectly fine.


That's what I use. It used to cost about £4 a bag from Ikea. If I can find some white lumpy stuff like the Matrix, then I may chuck it in one day.


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## Hanuman (Thursday at 7:46 AM)

Simon Cole said:


> That's what I use. It used to cost about £4 a bag from Ikea. If I can find some white lumpy stuff like the Matrix, then I may chuck it in one day.


Wash it with acid and you will end up with Matrix Simon Cole™


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## dw1305 (Thursday at 10:47 AM)

Hi all,


Hanuman said:


> Seachem does not deny it's pumice but then go about justifying it all with a well crafted sales pitch.


You have to admire <"their chutzpah">, but it is exactly that, a well crafted sales pitch. All <"commercially exploitable deposits of pumice"> are very similar, for geological reasons.


Qwedfg said:


> It seems fairly straight forward that the more surface area there is the more bacteria that can grow and the a larger bacterial population increases their ability to reduce ammonia or nitrites. I guess the question would be is how much surface area do you need to reduce ammonia in your tank? This relationship is not exactly clear to me in a planted tank since plants perform a similar job.


It isn't really a surface area issue at all, that is all <"_smoke and mirrors_"> by the <"vendors of filter media"> that is supposed to perform simultaneous aerobic nitrification and anaerobic denitrification.  It is back to the magic of the word <"aquarium">, it turns <"base metal into gold">. <EI DOSING USING DRY SALTS>

This is the blurb for <"MarinePure Bioblock">.


> ........ The combination of vast surface area and open/interconnected pores allows a thin bio-film to develop. This thin film allows bacteria to flourish because necessary nutrients are immediately available. With the open pores, old dead bio-film is easily flushed from the media and will not plug the media. Water flows through the media, not around as with other denser medias, thus utilizing the most surface area for beneficial bacterial growth.......


I'm going to suggest that it being <"worth £60"> (of any-ones money), is a bit of a stretch, when <"compared to other options">.

The prime metric in aerobic nitrification, the conversion of ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-)  is <"dissolved oxygen levels">. Have a look at <"The nitrifying microbes in aquariums and cycling"> and <"Is expensive bio media worth it?">.

As you say one you've introduced plants the equation is slightly different, and any requirement for the reduction in nitrate (NO3-) levels is performed either <"directly">, <"or indirectly">, by the plants.

One of the issues marine aquarists have is a lack of <"rooted flowering plants"> and expensive water changes, this means that they don't like their filters being  a<"nitrate factory">, but for me it is an unalloyed good thing.

Have a look at <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton  - School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee">.

cheers Darrel


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## Aqua sobriquet (Thursday at 11:04 AM)

I’ve used a variety of media over the years. For something with a good surface area (if you think you need it) with a good flow rate, Sera Siporax is pretty good. Being hollow tubes it doesn’t block easily like some other media. I still use some in one of my filters. Being made of sintered glass it’s easy enough to sterilise if you want to remove it for later use. I used H2O2 and boiling water when I removed it from one of my filters. 
I’m no expert but it seems to me if you have media with a very rough surface surely you need less of it in a filter? Thinking about a small HOB maybe. Obviously if you have a large filter like a Biomaster almost any type of plastic media seems to do the trick. I’m using Ziss ZMll in my filters.


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## dw1305 (Thursday at 11:55 AM)

Hi all, 


Aqua sobriquet said:


> Being made of sintered glass it’s easy enough to sterilise if you want to remove it for later use. I used H2O2 and boiling water when I removed it from one of my filters.


That is definitely an advantage. We used to <"autoclave it">, but apparently a microwave also works. 


Aqua sobriquet said:


> I’m no expert but it seems to me if you have media with a very rough surface surely you need less of it in a filter?


Yes, I think that is very generally true, but you would want it to shed the biofilm before that layer got too thick.  I like <"Eheim Substrat Pro"> (if someone else is buying), because it <"combines being physically stable"> with a good shape to shed biofilm, before it gets too thick. 


Aqua sobriquet said:


> Thinking about a small HOB maybe.... I’m using Ziss ZMll in my filters.


I'm going to say that a <"floating cell media"> is <"still optimum">, even in a small volume filter. 


dw1305 said:


> Have a look at Aquarium Science, the planted pages are <"interesting">, but he is very good <"on biological filtration">.



cheers Darrel


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## Jaseon (Thursday at 12:53 PM)

When i hear the words porosity along with surface area ( ie biohome) i run a mile.


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## MichaelJ (Thursday at 5:53 PM)

In a well circulated (flow) densely planted tank I think bio media is largely unnecessary. The amount of beneficial microbial activity in a dedicated bio media in such an environment will only be a small fraction of what takes place among the substrate and plants. I am more and more leaning towards removing the Matrix from my HOBs and replace it with sponges and only rely on my filtration for circulation/flow and mechanical filtration (?).

Cheers,
Michael


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## Aqua sobriquet (Thursday at 9:34 PM)

Good idea on the Microwave Darrel, I never thought of that.


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## MichaelJ (Yesterday at 5:32 AM)

Aqua sobriquet said:


> Good idea on the Microwave Darrel, I never thought of that.


Besides reheating coffee, thats the best use of a microwave ever! 

Cheers,
Michael


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