Bioballs vs Straws

S

SpidermanTUba

Registered Member
Feb 2, 2005
3
0
0
Here's a question. 1 gallon of bioballs has 21.5 sq ft of surface area, right?


A one inche long 1/4" diameter straw has a surface area of 1.6 cubic inches, if you include the inner and outer surfaces of the straw. (2 * pi * 1/4" * 1")

You could fit 16 of these 1 inch pieces into a 1 inch cube, for a total surface area of 16 * 1.6 = 25.6 square inches.

231 inches per gallon times 25.6 square inches divided by 144 square inches per square foot equals 41.1 sq feet of surface area per gallon! Almost double that of bioballs?

Are straws better than bioballs? Even if you subtract half of the outer surfaces of the straws because the outer surfaces contact each other, you end up with 3/4 * 41.1 sq feet = 30.8 sq ft - still better than bioballs.

What makes bioballs better? I read everywhere that hands down they are the best no questions asked - but if you set up straws so that they were parallel and the water flowed through them, wouldn't that work at least as well, if not better?
 
I'm so stupified by this question I have no idea what to say. :thud:
 
The more surface area the better only, repeat only if that surface area is well washed by the water flow past it, not blocked by contact, not dead-ended by the container, etc. Effective surface is quite a different thing from total surface area.

BTW, I use a type of bioball.
 
easter grass works, the stiff kind. strays compact together too easily and i figure to get a ton of them would cost the same as bioballs since they are pretty cheap online.
 
Whats the point of these objects?
Click to expand...
The point of them is to give benifical bateria a place to grow and thrive that remains undisturbed. Conventional filter floss in HOB filters holds alot of bateria, but when you change the floss, you lose the bacteria. The "objects" placed in the flow of filtered water(inline) give the bacteria a permanent place to grow, and thrive!

Back to the topic!
I would think that the straws would kind of comprimise flow a bit. Especially if they got squished! :eek:
 
blitzen25bm said:
easter grass works, the stiff kind. strays compact together too easily and i figure to get a ton of them would cost the same as bioballs since they are pretty cheap online.
Click to expand...

You can get bioballs free at McDonalds? <G>
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom