Decorative items as bio-media

[iheartbettas]

Hi there. I'm just learning as much as I can about biofiltration and just have a question about which items in an aquarium can act as an excellent bio-media. I was thinking natural looking items like rocks perhaps with a lot of crevaces, silk or fabric plants with a lot of surface area, etc.

I also know that you can add a biofilter in a power filter for example, but I think because of the rapid movement, they are more likely to settle on the decorative items. I really just want my powerfilter to handle mechanical filtration. Sorry for rambling, I hope you understand my question. Thanks!

 

[kenyi]

Hi there. I'm just learning as much as I can about biofiltration and just have a question about which items in an aquarium can act as an excellent bio-media. I was thinking natural looking items like rocks perhaps with a lot of crevaces, silk or fabric plants with a lot of surface area, etc.

I also know that you can add a biofilter in a power filter for example, but I think because of the rapid movement, they are more likely to settle on the decorative items. I really just want my powerfilter to handle mechanical filtration. Sorry for rambling, I hope you understand my question. Thanks!

Biological bacteria (the biofilter of the tank) will develop on everything inside the tank (glass, gravel, silk plants, rocks). It will be in abundance anywhere that is submerged in water in your tank, so, technically yes, a silk plant, if put in a tank with water, over time will become covered in beneficial bacteria. Now, the concept of a "biofilter" is trying to provide as much area for the bacteria to develop as possible, and enough water flowing through that bacteria so it can be affective. So, that is why we use sponges and bio-balls and high pours media. The High flow of your powerfilter will most likely not harm the bacteria, and as long as you don't throw away your cartridges every month your filter actually IS acting as a biofilter. You could add an extra sponge to your powerfilter that you won't throw away to act as a biofilter as well. I would recommend doing one of those two things, just so you can have the area in your tank that will get the most flow have an abundance of bacteria. And although rocks and silk plants will provide surface area, it is limited and only a certain amount of flow is directed on them at a time, so yes, but the affect of a silk plant on the biofilter is quite small compared to a small sponge in your filter.

What filter do you have? It may have a "biological" media already, or you could not throw away the cartridges or put a media in there. It's pretty easy depending on what filter you have.

 

[Cerianthus]

ALthough rocks with lots of crevices (lava rocks, tuffa rocks, etc) will increase the surface areas for bio-activities but they will also become nitrate factory as they will be clogging up with detritus with time.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

Beginners Guide to Filter Media - Monster Fish Keepers