How many "pot scrubbers"

Scrubbies have almost 3x as much surface area per gallon (Compared to bioballs), so you can get away with a lot less.
In my sumps I use a combination of lava rock and scrubbies (and sometimes other stuff).
If you can, another cheap (free) way to get good media is go to local businesses and ask if you can take the centers of their floor scrubbing pads. They'll look at you like you're crazy but its good biomedia.

legendaryfrog said:

thanks rally, but wouldnt the floor scrubbing pads have chemical residue on them?

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I think those floor buffer pads come as complete circles that are scored so you can take the middle out and just throw it away. Rally is probably talking about the middles from the pads that have never been used.

mvigor said:

I think those floor buffer pads come as complete circles that are scored so you can take the middle out and just throw it away. Rally is probably talking about the middles from the pads that have never been used.

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Yea, sorry I didnt make that clear. There are some that are treated, but you'll know it if you smell them. Just sniff. They should smell like plastic.


I did a rough guess on my small sump and I'd say there is ~25 in a gallon (probably less).

Industry standard is 2.2 gallons of bioballs per 100 gallons of tank, so thats about 45 gallons per gallon of bioballs.
In theory, 1 gallon of scrubbies will be good for 135 gallons.

I'll be generous and say that there is 30 in a gallon, so for about 5 bucks you can filter 135 gallons lol....

I put 102 in my wet/dry for my 40 gallon....

born2lovefish said:

I put 102 in my wet/dry for my 40 gallon....

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I have ~20 gallons of them in the sump for my 300. They are so cheap I bought way more than I thought lol....