Best biological media?

[lnsaneM]

I usually just run mechanical and biological filtration. unless I'm using chemical to remove the tannins from a newer piece of driftwood. In my larger aquarium with the sump filtration, I'm running a lot of ceramic-bricks along with some ceramic-balls and ceramic-rings with drip filtration for mechanical. And in my 80 I'm running a booster canister filter with all mechanical filtration with the main canister filled with mostly ceramic-balls with some ceramic-rings. I have been doing good with both tanks as far as filtration and having water parameters stable.

So my question is are there one type of media that is superior to another (cheap vs expensive)? I've never really tried the top of the line stuff like Eheim Substrat Pro, or Seachem Matrix Biohome Ultimate etc. I've had success with the stuff that's at a reasonable price, and the bio-balls I've got looks just like Eheim Substrat Pro.

So what is your favorite bio-media? And is there on superior to the other?

 

[jake72]

Generally speaking from my reading sponge 30ppi or 20ppi is among the best biological filtration.

 

[lnsaneM]

Nice, if that were the case then it's cheaper than most media available also

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Poret Foam from Swiss Tropicals. I use the 10 ppi for pre-filtering and the 20 ppi for most filtering and the 30 ppi for shrimp or fry. I do the cubefilters, the Mattenfilters and I even use it in canisters and power filters.
http://www.swisstropicals.com/library/aquarium-biofiltration/

 

[fishorama]

I use ceramics & the sponges they came with in my canisters (Rena XP3s). I use sponges in my HOBs (ACs) for ~20 years but not in continuous use. I still have mostly original AC sponges that almost never degrade, I bought "generic" sponges for them once & the don't last nearly as long. Live & learn.

Next time I need sponges for filter & prefilters I'll try Poret as TTA suggests. The cermics are just getting too heavy for my aging body, lol.

 

[lnsaneM]

I will definitely give this a try when its time to change my media

 

[Rbishop]

I think most folks confuse mechanical (physical) and biological filtration media. Haven't seen anything that equals carbon (expended or not) for surface area for effective biological filtration.

 

[lnsaneM]

Maybe for most folks, but I'm just asking what everyone's preference is when comparing biological media. Just the biological media

 

[dougall]

For biological filtration, you basically need surface area for bacteria to colonize.

What is best can depend on cost or can depend on efficiency.

Personally I just go with ceramic rings, they aren't too big, nor too expensive.. in an average canister filter.

Sometimes I want to try foam, but never have. Maybe one day but I wouldn't rule it out.

At the end of the day, I am more worried about mechanucal filtration, if there is no detectable ammonia in an established aquarium I don't see any reason to worry myself about bacterial filtration any more. Having ceramic rings allows me to remove some from a filter to seed a new aquarium and fill the space left with more.. it's not so easy with blocks of foam.

If you want cheap, go to your local home improvement center and buy lava rock designed for a bbq grill.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Nost of what we consider to be mechanical waste is organic in nature. With large amount of quality rigid foam you will actually get organisms which break down most of this matter. Some of the clearest water I have is in pleco breeding tanks with Mattenfilters on them and nothing else.