Hello Everyone!
I'm starting to test out a home-made canister filter which has a full 2-gallon media capacity (Once I'm done testing, I'll post the DIY plan and pics, if all goes well!), and now it's time to decdide on some media. I've got the thing divided up so the bottom 1.5 gallons is divided off with a screen from the top .5 gallon (flow is bottom to top). My issue is, I don't want to open the thing up too much once it's running, because the lid is going to be a royal P.I.T.A. to keep closed water tight and once I have it, I don't wanna mess with it for at least 6-8 weeks.
My tank (75 gallon/FW) already has adequate mechanical filtration via Aqaclear and this canister is going to have a prefilter to keep any major particulate matter out, so what I really want is bio filtration only (whether or not I really need that much it is another story...like I said, this is an experimental filter project).
Question 1: Between the bio-max stuff, bio-balls, aquarium gravel, spongy material, etc., which GENERALLY delivers the most efficient bio filtration (considering surface area per gallon per dollar---all other things being equal) which can be left unattended for the longest time period? (If your answer is bio-balls, please tell me which ones you like best, since there are different types and brand names (spongy insides, non-spherical shape, etc.)
Question 2: Since I actually have two chambers, would it possibly be even better to mix, say, #1 bio medium with the second best so as to get some sort of synergistic effect, if such a thing exists? Or just fill the whole thing with the same type of media?
Let me know what you think!
I'm starting to test out a home-made canister filter which has a full 2-gallon media capacity (Once I'm done testing, I'll post the DIY plan and pics, if all goes well!), and now it's time to decdide on some media. I've got the thing divided up so the bottom 1.5 gallons is divided off with a screen from the top .5 gallon (flow is bottom to top). My issue is, I don't want to open the thing up too much once it's running, because the lid is going to be a royal P.I.T.A. to keep closed water tight and once I have it, I don't wanna mess with it for at least 6-8 weeks.
My tank (75 gallon/FW) already has adequate mechanical filtration via Aqaclear and this canister is going to have a prefilter to keep any major particulate matter out, so what I really want is bio filtration only (whether or not I really need that much it is another story...like I said, this is an experimental filter project).
Question 1: Between the bio-max stuff, bio-balls, aquarium gravel, spongy material, etc., which GENERALLY delivers the most efficient bio filtration (considering surface area per gallon per dollar---all other things being equal) which can be left unattended for the longest time period? (If your answer is bio-balls, please tell me which ones you like best, since there are different types and brand names (spongy insides, non-spherical shape, etc.)
Question 2: Since I actually have two chambers, would it possibly be even better to mix, say, #1 bio medium with the second best so as to get some sort of synergistic effect, if such a thing exists? Or just fill the whole thing with the same type of media?
Let me know what you think!
