# To Bio or not to Bio...media that is.



## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

For a few years now I've been sort of following "the Walstad method" after reading her book. Soil under gravel, mechanical filtering to keep things clean and water flowing, with a lot of plant mass and minimal or no bio-media filtering under the premise that healthy plants consume ammonia as nutrient before it ever converts to nitrite/nitrate. In fact, in order to use nitrate, plants actually convert it to ammonium (search "nitrate reduction" in the article). My personal experience supports this too, I kept the box of bio-media that came with my Eheim 2213 in a closet for 2 years - and I never had any ammonia problems. The filter had 2-3 foam blocks and a filter disc - that's it. Oh, before I forget to mention, I did water changes 5-6 times a year - when I had to hack plants back. This has been the case with 3 different tanks.

Several months ago, I started a 75G. Low-tech, no CO2 lower light (96W CF), minimal fert added tank after some reading on Tom Barr's site. I used bio-media this time. Overall, things have not gone so well, my plants (cuttings and propagations from the same ones I've had all along) aren't doing so good - not dying but not growing well - but algae sure is! In fact I recently lost quite a bit of plant mass trying to trim and cut algae infested leaves off.

Going back to what worked previously, over two weeks ago, I removed all the bio media from the filter. I've been checking ammonia levels, at first daily, then every 2-3 days and still no measurable ammonia - even confirmed with dip strip tests at Big Al's. With our high PH in the GTA (~8) if these ammonia results were wrong, my fish would be in trouble fast - they aren't.

Although I've not seen a marked improvement in plant growth _yet _- I think (I'm almost positive) that algae has slowed down. This is the first weekend in a long time I don't have the urge to pull plants, scrub driftwood

At last my questions to fellow planted tank keepers:
 Do you use bio-media in your filters?
If not, what led you to remove or not use it?


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## gunnerx (Mar 20, 2008)

I have TONS of bio media for both of my tanks. 

The 29 gallon has a Fluval 405 with 3 baskets full of media and an Aquaclear 50 with bio media as well.

The 120 gallon has an Eheim 2250 monster full of media and an Eheim 2217 with the media that came with it. I do have an Aquaclear 110 with 2 sponges for strictly mechanical which removes a lot of sludge.

Plants are growing great on both tanks. The 29 gallon actually had 1 frogbit plant that I put in when it was left in a bag that someone gave me with their fish. Now there's a ton of them floating on top of the tank! Not much problems with algae either.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

All my aquariums are well planted with HOB filters with a sponge insert and sponge prefilter. I could probably get away with sponge filtered powerheads instead. I use the filters as mechanical filters and to spread the water flow throughout the tanks. Fish wastes feed my plants as well as a few well positioned root fertilizers. The water changes provide trace elements plus you can add the trace as well. 
I believe that plants and nitrifying bacteria are in constant competition for fish wastes. So I don't use biological or chemical media as I want the fish wastes and trace elements to feed my plants because they are a natural source of plant food. I also use pressurized co2 and Excel. The lighting is around 2 w/gal. for 10 hours a day and my plants seem quite healthy.


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

It's too bad that I've missed this thread. 

My very late 2 cents: I have the same situation as Mr.Fishes, thought my tanks have not been running as long. 

My first tank (30G): soil under gravel with no bio-media or media at all so to speak. Lights are a single fluo strip. The plants are growing like crazy, ammonia and nitrates all read 0ppm. 

Fish load: 3 adult tetra's (one black skirt and two bleeding hearts), 1 adult gourami, 2 adult male platy's and 6 zebra danios. 


The second tank (15G): Eco-complete under gravel, full bio-media, dual fluo 15w daylight etc... This tank has periodic algae attacks either green spot or green water. The plants are not growing. 

I'm tempted to remove the fish, and then removing the bio-media to see the effects.


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

Shattered said:


> I'm tempted to remove the fish, and then removing the bio-media to see the effects.


Sounds like you have an NH3 test, if you are willing to check daily for the first bit, you probably don't need to move the fish. If the plants don't take up the slack and ammonia starts to show up just do a WC or even add some prime, but I doubt you'd have any problems. I've been reading a bit and apparently diluted liquid ammonia can be/is used in agriculture as a fertilizer - plants like ammonia.

The 75G continues to improve now that all the filter has is mechanical media - and still no NH3 readings at all - the fish are doing as well as ever, except for one platy that is feasting on the weakened algae. She just keeps eating algae off the driftwood and plants, she's fat like she'll burst and I'm almost worried to feed regular food to the rest of the fish.

I thought I'd get more opinions on this question...


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## Marius (Nov 28, 2008)

Definitely "to bio" ...best thing ever would be a fluidized sand bed filter, one of the "old school" little secrets


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