# Natural replacement for Bio-Max Ceramic Rings



## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Hi,

Does anyone use crushed pumice stones or haydite material as a cheap/natural replacement for ceramic discs and rings in filters? Based on pumice stones structure beneficial bacterias have to thrive there.

What do you think about using something apart from sponges as home for bacterias in general?


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

I might should not think about some DIY stuff, but just buy Seachem Matrix Bio-Media and it will be it.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Matrix= bleh. 
Might as well buy some sandstone and beat it up and make something similar yourself. I can give you ten pounds for free. All you need is a hammer and a lot of time.

Get the Eheim Ehfisubstrat. It's round. No channeling.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Why couldn't you use the Clay pebbles sold in hydroponic stores?


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

You could probably use those. I don't see why not. I imagine being clay and exposed to high flow after maybe 2 years they'd noticeably be shrunken. Otherwise sounds like a great idea.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

http://www.wernersponds.com/biofiltermedia.htm has a lot of info on the various types of bio media and their costs relative to surface area. You might find some surprises there.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Thank you guys. I will look at those materials.

Does it really make sense to looking for those big surface are materials and not just add another sponge?


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

BillD said:


> http://www.wernersponds.com/biofiltermedia.htm has a lot of info on the various types of bio media and their costs relative to surface area. You might find some surprises there.


Though they may have vastly different surface areas on paper, in actual practice, steel pot scrubbers

http://www.wernersponds.com/Scrubbers Stainless_small.jpg

Have NOTHING going on something like these bio barrels

http://www.wernersponds.com/bio_barrels.gif

It's not just how much surface area it has. How does it perform long term? Does it cause channeling, where flow is high in area X low in Y and dead in Z? I guarantee you the pot scrubber will. The bio barrel never will.

The pot scrubber after 1 month will be so heavily colonized on the outer 1cm that the inside of it will essentially be dead flow. The Bio barrels will keep building a thicker and thicker bio layer but will not cause any kind of flow depletion- even after eight months without cleaning.

In the 90s there was a craze over bio bale, which is essentially plastic 'hay'









Low cost, easy to make, high surface area, but it caused uneven flow and channeling.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

*Eheim Substrat Pro*

What about Eheim Substrat Pro? Is it good?


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

igor.kanshyn said:


> What about Eheim Substrat Pro? Is it good?


Oh hell ya. It's not worth the price if it didn't come with your filter though. I'd take a chance on those clay balls before I bought Ehfisubstrat at the retail price. Price aside it's excellent.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

AquariAM said:


> Though they may have vastly different surface areas on paper, in actual practice, steel pot scrubbers
> 
> http://www.wernersponds.com/Scrubbers Stainless_small.jpg
> 
> ...


From being a dish washer when I was a kid, I can tell you any kind of stainless steel scrubbers will eventually rust. It's just a matter of time.
You might want to try the plastic pot scrubbers:









But from experience, it's only slightly better than lava rocks. What really is going to kick you in the balls is that lead it's going leech out. It's not food grade plastic, even though you are using it on your dishes. It's cheap made in China plastic. I have no idea what kind of bad stuff is in it. But my fish really perked up when I finally got sick and tire of it and replace it will commercial bio-rings. At least there is nothing leeching out of it.

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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Zebrapl3co said:


> From being a dish washer when I was a kid, I can tell you any kind of stainless steel scrubbers will eventually rust. It's just a matter of time.
> You might want to try the plastic pot scrubbers:
> 
> 
> ...


Plastic does not contain lead. It'll leach volatile organics as it cures.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

AquariAM said:


> Plastic does not contain lead. It'll leach volatile organics as it cures.


Lots of plastic items from China contain(ed) lead. PVC blinds for one. If you are worried about plastic leaching, don't use anything plastic in your tank, such as suction cups to hold your heater, or clear airline. They leach plasticizes which is why the suction cups get hard and the airline becomes rigid.


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## InSpirit (Mar 14, 2009)

*Synth*

In any Eheim canister there's one OEM media that I would be sure to add and that's EHFI Synth. It's Eheim's filter wadding. It goes on the top of the canister to a depth of an inch and polishes the water. It's indestructable and can be washed out completely using a blast of the hose in the laundry tub. Being the last media to add to your canister you can easily clean just this in your regular maintenance schedule. It's phenol free.


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## InSpirit (Mar 14, 2009)

AquariAM said:


> Though they may have vastly different surface areas on paper, in actual practice, steel pot scrubbers
> 
> http://www.wernersponds.com/Scrubbers Stainless_small.jpg
> 
> ...


The smallest bio barrel is 1" in size. The smaller one has disappeared from the market. It's too big for a canister. Besides the bio barrel is used for fluid suspension and we just choose to use it for trickle filters. As for channeling... that's a term used for highflow and large scale aquaculture. That's when your 5 HP pump blows all the water past your biofilter. You don't have to worry about it for a small canister filter. It's all in the way you pack it. I happen to use Sera biofibre in all my canisters. It washes out easily as it can expand for cleaning when removed from the canister.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

InSpirit said:


> The smallest bio barrel is 1" in size. The smaller one has disappeared from the market. It's too big for a canister. Besides the bio barrel is used for fluid suspension and we just choose to use it for trickle filters. As for channeling... that's a term used for highflow and large scale aquaculture. That's when your 5 HP pump blows all the water past your biofilter. You don't have to worry about it for a small canister filter. It's all in the way you pack it. I happen to use Sera biofibre in all my canisters. It washes out easily as it can expand for cleaning when removed from the canister.


Channeling, or 'large scale by pass' can occur in any canister filter. I've seen many an improperly packed canister where all the media on one side was dirty and the media on the other side looked like it never got any flow. I was using the bio barrel as an example of a material which would not cause channeling. That's it.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

InSpirit said:


> In any Eheim canister there's one OEM media that I would be sure to add and that's EHFI Synth. It's Eheim's filter wadding. It goes on the top of the canister to a depth of an inch and polishes the water. It's indestructable and can be washed out completely using a blast of the hose in the laundry tub. Being the last media to add to your canister you can easily clean just this in your regular maintenance schedule. It's phenol free.


EHFI Synth is for mechanical filtration. Do I get this right? It's not primary for hosting bacterias, right? Cleaning it with a tap water will kill majority of bacterias that can be there.


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## InSpirit (Mar 14, 2009)

igor.kanshyn said:


> EHFI Synth is for mechanical filtration. Do I get this right? It's not primary for hosting bacterias, right? Cleaning it with a tap water will kill majority of bacterias that can be there.


Yes. But the other layers of chosen media will house the bacteria as well. The Synth is more of a water polisher. It traps the small dirt particles. You locate it as the final layer in your canister packing.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

InSpirit said:


> Yes. But the other layers of chosen media will house the bacteria as well. The Synth is more of a water polisher. It traps the small dirt particles. You locate it as the final layer in your canister packing.


Thank you. I'm trying to get a good and cheap "bacteria house" media now 
I use water polishing pads in my filter. BTW, look at Crystal water in your tank thread. Fluval water polishing pads are not good enough


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