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Bio balls vc Seachem matrix


n3wbi3

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Hey guys,

Im thinking of redoing my sump.

Atm its a tower drip system with bio balls ( a craP load of bio ball, over kill) but im thinking of replacing it with a new sump design with only matrix...

What is a better idea, stay with my current sump of bio balls with has a bit of yukky crap i cant get to or swap over to matrix..

Any input would be great.

My current sump...

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Do a combinaton like I previously did. Foam as the pre filter --- Bio Balls in the wet/dry Section --- Matrix in submersible section.

Bio Balls are most effective in a wet/dry config and Seachem reccomends for best performance, Matrix is used in a submersible config.

May be coming back to FW bro...!

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Ive just changed the matrix in my fx5 to the eheim substrat pro.. the matrix has been in there for five years and I rateit the absoloute best.never had a major issue with my fish..im going to trial the ehiem substrate and see if I get the same results as the matrix

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advantages Vs disadvantages

Bioballs - smaller surface area but in drip situation, virtually unlimited access to O2. This means in a closed trickle situation where the bio balls stay moist, will not suffocate even with the long blackout = live bacteria when power comes on = no cycling spikes for ammonia or nitrite when the power comes back on and does not pump dead bacteria back into the tank prior to a new cycling. Their one down side when compared to Matrix is their lower surface area. This may be of no issue as it obviously is with your tank is operating through it and is fully cycled. If it ever became an issue, add more bioballs.

Matrix - much bigger surface area than bio balls, but will see all bacteria die of blackout is long enough (even more likely if matrix is in a canister than if installed in sump where some CO2/O2 can be exchanged via sumps' water surface). Pond Matrix is better than standard Matrix when in a sump situation as the individual pieces of Matrix can be bigger and potentially allow the bacteria that brake down nitrate a home. That is, if the water flow through the sump is not fast enough to fully oxygenate the core of the larger Matrix bits, there may be some anaerobic zones that anaerobic bacteria require for a home.

For me, provided both media have sufficient surface areas that support a bacterial colony of a large enough size to cope with all ammonia and nitrite produced by the fish, then the bio balls are the better of the two due to their ability to stay alive during periods of zero water flow.

Remember too, that bioballs due to their requirements of being installed in a trickle situation (as opposed to immersed as the Matrix is), effectively increases your tank’s surface area = better O2 and CO2 exchange which happens at the water’s surface. Bio balls effectively allow a O2 and CO2 surface exchange, as happens at the surface water of your tank.

Best of both worlds, have both.

Better yet, instead of using Matrix, use MarinePure, which comes in balls (very uniform size but basically as good or bad as Matrix) or slabs or blocks. These can be used to form partitions in a sump which will create great water flow/O2 through the whole slab. Or laid flat which can increase the denitrification area due to limiting an even water flow/O2 through the slab.

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CThompson .. very helpful .. i think i might stay with my current set up with bio balls and save some cash...

Might throw in a slab of marinepure into the sump... just checking it out now.

If i buy a slab of it, is best to lay it in the tower on top of the bio balls or flat completely submersed in water in the sump?

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CThompson .. very helpful .. i think i might stay with my current set up with bio balls and save some cash...

Might throw in a slab of marinepure into the sump... just checking it out now.

If i buy a slab of it, is best to lay it in the tower on top of the bio balls or flat completely submersed in water in the sump?

If you stay with the bioballs, which in my opinion is the right move, you have ammonia and nitrite covered as far as the cycling process goes. In your position I would submerge the MarinePure, as your bio balls have this side of the brake down of wastes covered as mentioned. So with the MarinePure submerged you cause O2 to be potentially be in limited to deficit supply. You want to try to cause the MarinePure to have its best chance to have a anaerobic area as the bacteria that live in these conditions are what break down nitrate - the end result of the cycling process that sees nitrate usually only removed with water changes. The size or existence of the anaerobic zone inside MarinePure will be dictated by size/thickness of block and water flow through it. Too thin a block combined with too fast a water flow "over it" will result in less possibility of an anaerobic zone. Water flow “over” as opposed to “through” will give better opportunity for an anaerobic area within it.

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Page not found joey...

What do u guys think of the bio balls causing nitrates to go up after a while?

Nitrates are the END result of the nitrogen cycle. No matter what bio media you use, if it is cycled then the end result is nitrate. Without this cycling process your fish would be dead. A water change is done to remove solid waste (which will increase nitrate if left in tank or filter) and to remove dissolved pollutants such as nitrate.

Your question is welcome but its need highlights a basic lack of understanding of the nitrogen cycle. It is a very simple process which is unnecessarily complicated when aquarists over thinking in terms of pros and cons of bio media choices.

Bacteria need three things 1) a surface to attach to 2) O2 and 3) food. The better choice/s for an individual will be somewhat dictated by circumstance (sometimes = $).

All a bio media is, is a surface area. Usually a greater surface area is king, but not always as I have mentioned with regards to bioballs set up in a trickle situation. So Surface Area + Situation/Location of media, will be a better equation for working out the best bio media for an individual circumstance.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Look into k1

Place in water under bio balls

Wool above bioballs as a fine partial collector

Place a quick grow plant in the sump with a fluorescent light

That will take care of all filtration needs minimise water changes which will keep all readings low

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Wow, such knowledgeable responses and advice.

Water changes are still the most valuable tool for any fishkeeper. It removes all the bits that show up on standardized test kits.

I guess its the same as having a window opened on a stuffy house. You know just how good that is.

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Page not found joey...

What do u guys think of the bio balls causing nitrates to go up after a while?

This concept I believe is from a situation where the water is not sufficiently filtered from a mechanical perspective prior to the bio ball stage / biological stage of filtration. If large particles are allowed to enter the bio balls then they can become a trap for waste and result in my opinion in high nitrates .This is also true for any biological medium which traps waste .

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Page not found joey...

What do u guys think of the bio balls causing nitrates to go up after a while?

This concept I believe is from a situation where the water is not sufficiently filtered from a mechanical perspective prior to the bio ball stage / biological stage of filtration. If large particles are allowed to enter the bio balls then they can become a trap for waste and result in my opinion in high nitrates .This is also true for any biological medium which traps waste .

Hi Pat,

The water feeding to any biological media should be well filtered before it gets to the biological medium as can be managed. Any particulate matter whether large or small, that stays in the tank/system, regardless of if it is in the tank itself or in the mechanical filter medium or the biological filter media, will increase the nitrate levels. Until they are broken down to nitrate and removed with a water change, or the particle itself is taken from the tank, also usually during a water change but also with a filter clean, the waste can potentially add to the nitrate level.

.

At the end of the day, a cycled tank that receives regular maintenance will have a nitrate level, which is maintained at a safe level with tank maintenance. Will trapped waste lead to "high" nitrates as you mention? I would say no to that, as at any time there will be some level of trapped waste, which should be removed and nitrate levels maintained with the normal tank maintenance.

If a "high" level of nitrate results, it is due, as you say, to the trapped waste, but more over this "high" nitrate level is caused by lack of normal maintenance.

Craig

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  • 2 weeks later...

Look into k1

Place in water under bio balls

Wool above bioballs as a fine partial collector

Place a quick grow plant in the sump with a fluorescent light

That will take care of all filtration needs minimise water changes which will keep all readings low

You are correct in that growing plants will remove nitrates. Both MarinePure and plants will remove nitrate biologically.

But it can be a tricky thing to get right and then to maintain in an ongoing permanent basis. That is, it is not as simple as dropping a block of MarinePure into the dark of a sump, and forgetting about it.

You will achieve the same and/or better result dependant on how many plants Vs. size of MarinePure.

In addition, live healthy well growing plants will add to the bio load (as does bacteria), which will have vegetable matter die from time to time as will be natural, which will add to the mechanical filtration needs and have a greater nitrate impact than will MarinePure.

So for the KISS value alone with Plants Vs. MarinePure; MarinePure wins it easily (-; The only real negative with MarinePure is the initial purchase price. But then, plants can die...MarinePure can't....

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