Media in filters?

[red_wall]

I've never really thought about it until now, but, what are the requirements for filter media?
What all should you have in there?

Right now, I'm doing a some-what ghetto DIY 'canister filter' and I can't fit any sponge in there. Would I get away with just gravel and ceramic porous material?

The way I see it, is the main component in a filter is the sponge, providing mechanical and biological filtration. But would just the gravel and ceramic work?

I was thinking of putting a sponge over the intake to the filter to help with mechanical... Would this provide biological as well? Or would I need to attach an air pump to it? (Still confused on what the air pumps do to help filters)


Any advice?

[Lupin]

You need the sponge or filter floss to collect finer particles. My filters are filled with mostly filter floss and sponges to do that job. If you want to put the sponge on the filter intake, you need to make sure it doesn't get clogged easily because once it does, the input and output flows also decrease.

Regarding the airpumps connected to the sponges, the air pushes the dirt to the sponges thus the dirt sticks to the sponges. This works only for tanks smaller than a 20g. If your tank is bigger than that, sponge filter is very inadequate and it does not push all the dirt into the sponges so you still need to vacuum around.

[red_wall]

Gotcha. Thanks Lupin.

You can delete this thread now, you've answered all my questions.

[Lupin]

Nah. No need to delete this thread as it can benefit others.:)

[red_wall]

Oh yeah, that is the kind of the point of this forum isn't it :]