# Whats better- bio balls, ceramic rings, etc.



## ShrimpieLove (Apr 26, 2010)

Hi everyone! 
Someone suggested to me today to replace whats in my filter today to some fully cycled media-like a couple sponges and some biomax rings or ceramic rings. Ill probably make a post about that in the buy and sell ... 
So just a general question- what is the best biological thing to use... Ceramic rings? Bio balls? I see a bunch of different types of things online at big als but im wondering what type is the best? I have an Ac bio max bag in mine now but im wondering if there is a better type of media like rings or balls... and which is the besy... Maybe someone can tell me some info about them


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Personally, I use the Eheim biological media, but they are all essentially the same.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

What kind of filter are you looking for media for? My aquaclears have either the "tube ceramic" or EHEIM biomedia, plus sponges, and my eheims all use the eheim mech and biomedia. I have put the EHEIM SUBSTRAT PRO stuff in little baggies and used it in Hang-on-back, and in larger round bags (for convenience) or just loose, in my cannisters.

W


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

You're never going to have enough bioload in that tank to need any other filter media than what you have. If you ever do set another tank up, the Eheim media (Ehfisubstrat pro) is my favourite.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Is Eheim Ehfilav 1 Liter good?


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

If you feel like getting ripped off, sure. You can just buy really soft porous lava rock from Betz for about $1 for that amount and crush it. That's all it is.


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## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

For FW aquarium applications, ceramics are better. Bioballs for pond applications.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I think ceramic fine pored materials are the thing. Crushed lava rock is an inferior low-cost substitute, and buying it from EHEIM would be just ... a waste. I would buy some other cheaper brand of ceramic porous media rather than the eheim brand lava rock. 

W


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Will crushed ceramic flower pots work?


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

If you can't afford a good ceramic media made for the purpose, just go with open cell sponges like the AquaClear, and filter floss. You'll probably do better with those than with homemade mess. 

Someone on pricenetwork was selling the same filter-sponge stuff that comes with aquaclear filters, in big blocks. Boy I'd like to get a big cube of that stuff.

W


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## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

Its not the same grade of ceramics - plus you might have to be concerned that some of the clay they use for flower pots aren't quite inert as they may contain dyes to color the pot etc... resulting in chemicals being leeched into your aquarium.

The stuff eheim makes is very high grade ceramics. You can't go wrong with eheim for FW.



igor.kanshyn said:


> Will crushed ceramic flower pots work?


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

igor.kanshyn said:


> Will crushed ceramic flower pots work?


No, if you're going to do that, you are better of with volcanic rocks. Canadian tire sell them at the BBQ section too. The problem with flower pots is that it's not pourous enough. It will get clogged very quickly after a few generations of bacteria that live and die. To keep it effective, you will need to frequently clean the media (like once a week), making it a high maintainance media.
Just about any other type of biomedia would fit what you want. The difference is only by a bit, so you shouldn't worry too much.
Another thing you need to keep in mind. Ehiem biomedia is engineered for slower flow rate filters. This is because they understand that high flow rate does not mean better filtration. So they go for a slower flow rate with better filtrations and a quieter motor. If you have a high flow rate filter, it may not be used as effectively as it was intended.

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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

*Got something!*

I was lucky several days ago. I was in this hydroponics store buying fertilization and saw a demo stand with plants and fishes there. They were showing how goldfishes produced waster, which fed plants, plants cleared water for fishes and everyone were happy. The interesting thing is that they are using _claydite _or _Filter Clay _or _clay balls_ there. They explained me that these balls were host for bacterias that processed fishes waste. The reason why they were using the balls was because of a lot of pores inside.
So, it's exactly how bio media in our aquarium filters work.

They were so kind that gave me ~ 1.5 litter for free.
They sells it and I think it's not expensive. They have a lot of and are importing it from Germany  Unfortunately, I don't know name of this stuff, but they will understand explanation about red clay balls.

The only thing I'm worrying about that these balls are not sink in a water.


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## oshiet (Oct 23, 2009)

The red clay balls are called Hydroton.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

*Hydroton*

Thank you.

I see a lot of reference to Hydroton. People use it instead of soil to growing plants.

*Is it good as a bio media?*


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

igor.kanshyn said:


> Thank you.
> 
> I see a lot of reference to Hydroton. People use it instead of soil to growing plants.
> 
> *Is it good as a bio media?*


There's no reason why it shouldn't be just as good. I imagine your overall capacity will be slightly lower given the sluffing nature of clay but that should also save you cleaning time.

There's no reason it'd be any worse, that's for sure.


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## Plaid (Nov 10, 2008)

I do not trust the so-called "lava rock" at all. It's not rock formed from lava, it's industrial waste formed from the iron-refining process. People with reef tanks have encountered severe damages when using it, and even though freshwater systems are much less sensitive, the reef damages indicate that lava rock DOES leech chemicals, or has the capacity to do so.

Ehfisubstrat is considered to be the best stuff in the business, but you can really use anything non-toxic. I like the ceramic rings that come with Aquaclears, I've been able to use them on tanks far larger than reccomended and still had no ammonia. YMMV.

Wes


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Plaid said:


> I do not trust the so-called "lava rock" at all. It's not rock formed from lava, it's industrial waste formed from the iron-refining process.


Link please. I've never heard this about lava rock and I've been to Oahu (a Hawaiian island) a couple of times it there's quite a lot of hardened lava that's just the actual land and if you look at parts that have chipped off they look similar to the big pieces of lava rock you can buy in a store. I might be wrong.


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## Sagittarius-Aquarius (Oct 30, 2009)

AquariAM said:


> Link please. I've never heard this about lava rock and I've been to Oahu (a Hawaiian island) a couple of times it there's quite a lot of hardened lava that's just the actual land and if you look at parts that have chipped off they look similar to the big pieces of lava rock you can buy in a store. I might be wrong.


Well then they did a good job, didn't they?
Here is a link for you: http://books.google.ca/books?id=RLp...&q=what is aquarium lava rock made of&f=false

Also, I know it says man-made, but I'm certain that it is often the by-product of a refining process also. I'll post a link if I can find one.

EDIT: I'm going to have to say Plaid and AquariAM are correct. From what I've read, the man-made stuff is more common.


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## Plaid (Nov 10, 2008)

Hm. Upon research, I'm reconsidering my opinion on aquarium lava rock being unsafe. However, I've found a few points on it being an iron byproduct, here:

"East of the Mississippi, lava rock are colored clinkers a silicate slag waste product from iron ore smelting, steel making blast furnaces, or silicate type slag from coal fired electrical generating plants. ( the by product of burning Coal) The clinkers, while being porous, will clog unless you have a very good pre filter system."
-http://wernersponds.com/biofiltermedia.htm

I've found bits of that quote all over the place, but noone cites things on the internet. 

Lava rock IS hella heavy, though. I'd be nervous filling a HOB with it, but in a sump or can, I could deal.

And I guess it IS very affordable...


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Hmm. Looks like there's some 'lava rock' that is actually 'slag'.

The natural lava rock looks quite similar though.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

*Hydroton in Lucky*

I've seen that *Hydroton *in Lucky Aquariums on sale.
They have a transparent filter filled with them and other types of media.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Plaid said:


> ..."East of the Mississippi, lava rock are colored clinkers a silicate slag waste product from iron ore smelting, steel making blast furnaces, or silicate type slag from coal fired electrical generating plants. ( the by product of burning Coal) The clinkers, while being porous, will clog unless you have a very good pre filter system."
> -http://wernersponds.com/biofiltermedia.htm ...


Nice, that is something very interesting. I never knew that the lava rock I bought where man made.



igor.kanshyn said:


> I've seen that *Hydroton *in Lucky Aquariums on sale.
> They have a transparent filter filled with them and other types of media.


I think Ehiem has these for sale as well. I bought a second hand ehiem that exclusively use these stuff. It's running perfectly fine every since I hook it up. Not sure if it is supperior to the other stuff though ... I guess it is better by a slight margin.

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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Zebrapl3co said:


> Nice, that is something very interesting. I never knew that the lava rock I bought where man made.
> 
> I think Ehiem has these for sale as well. I bought a second hand ehiem that exclusively use these stuff. It's running perfectly fine every since I hook it up. Not sure if it is supperior to the other stuff though ... I guess it is better by a slight margin.


Eheim does not use a clay media. Substrat and Substrat pro are supposedly sintered glass- though substrat looks more like some sort of meta or orthoquartzite to me. Substrat pro is definitely man made but both are quartz/silica type material. Eheim also sells a cheaper chipped lava rock substrate called Ehfilav as well.

Substrat pro is rounded and resembles cocoa pebbles when wet, but tastes much worse. Substrat just looks like a quartzite stone busted into pieces.


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