I’m curious how this worked for you. It sounds like you have this correct, working backwards, from the outflow the order would be biomedia (noodles, rings, etc.) Finally, how can I switch over from the filter cartridge I have now to my own filters without wrecking the bacteria? How are you? I need to extend planting a little as the shrimps took a liking to 3 varieties and stripped them bear so I’m ‘re planting with the 3 they didn’t like ….we really enjoyed your reviews and the one relating to activated charcoal opened our eyes so we’ll be purchasing your recommendation. Just be mindful they do come in a variety of sizes, so check and make sure the measurements match with what you are after. I’m guessing maybe put some of the media in with my cartridge and leave it for a while to let the bacteria transfer, remove the cartridge, and put the rest of my media in, but that’s just a shot in the dark. Instead of lava rocks/ceramic briquettes, we came up with what we call Flavorizer Bars, shown below. Have you heard of this biomedia? It’s a crude way of doing it but it’s certainly feasible. I really want to switch the placement and the ratio but they insist that it shouldn’t matter. Many people use a coarser media before filter floss to trap the big stuff while filter floss takes out the fine particles leaving your water crystal clear. Some manufacturers moved from the lava grate system because the lava rock would crumble and leave a mess in the grill. is there any alternative material to use to keep the bacteria in a w/d. 5. After going through your articles i am thinking of placing the Bioballs first with oxygen supply, then Ceramic Rings and in the last Activated Carbons. An accurate aquarium test kit is your best friend in this situation. Shove it in your filter! but doesn’t the sponge in my filter also holds loads of bacteria? The author was wrong, dead wrong. I personally use a filter media bag since it makes it easier to remove the ceramic rings all at once, especially during cleaning. The tank is over 120 gallons and over a year old. So the choice of which filter media to use just boils down to a personal choice depending on what one wants from their aquarium. So I have my aqua tech hob filter, I placed the sponge in the back (closest to the wall) then I put a tiny bit of carbon, and last (closest to the water I put the ceramic rings) is this correct? You’ll need to figure out how water flows through your filter in order to position these correctly. What is being missed is the concept of crystal clear water. We’re trying to establish a 10gallon tank with an HOB filter with stuffed filter floss and ceramic rings. I've been keeping fish for over 30 years and currently have 4 different aquariums – it's an addiction. I’m currently doing the same thing, moving a 5″ comet goldfish from a 20 gal to a new 55 gal that I’m setting up using ceramic rings. You are looking at it linearly. Great article! The 30 ppi foam clogs at four months. You can also use this method to speed up the cycling process. So to clarify, the order should be, from first to last: Coarse Filter Media, Filter Floss, Ceramic Rings. If it’s made from nylon, then it could be aquariums safe. Okay, I think I understand. Lava rock is inexpensive and used commonly. You might sometimes hear ceramic rings referred to as ceramic noodles because they closely resemble ditalini, a pasta with the same shape. As the name suggests, bio balls are round pieces of plastic. The sponge holds most of the beneficial bacteria and that is designed to be disposed of. May 9, 2005 86 0 0. Which leads to my question- I am pretty sure I understand but just want to make sure. Hi Sam, You are correct. Porcelain briquettes, ceramic briquettes or lava rocks will ensure the heat is dispersed evenly and reduce flare-ups (flares up?) It either works or it doesn’t – it’s job is to catch all the floating poop, uneaten fish food and other gunk that is in your tank and trap it, and stop it reaching your ceramic rings. However, if they begin to degrade like regular ceramic rings, you may find it difficult to replace them without them crumbling into tiny pieces which you then have to collect. If so, it’s likely that you crashed your cycle. I ordered some and they were to large for my filter. Nitrosomanas and nitrobacter are the two beneficial bacteria that live in your filter that do the heavy lifting. If you grab a filter media bag to keep the ceramic rings together and place them over an air stone from your air pump this will generate current through the rings which will allow the beneficial bacteria to filter the water as it passes over them. The first thing you want to do is rinse the rings in dechlorinated water. The complete test procedure used to come up with these numbers is outlined in the following link: Because of reticulation and free volume considerations the surface area calculations are not very dependable. It has activated carbon inside a filter cartridge bag (mechanical filtration) and a blue plastic bio-cartridge which I think is used for storing BB but I want to add some C-nodes to the back of the filter. Nov 9, 2009 3,056 59 66 29 DALLAS TEXAS. So media like lava rock “works fine”. I have 3 slider turtles all full grown. Once you know how sizing works and what to expect, it will be easy to order online! It’s the aerobic bacteria that are most important, and for that, any old ceramic rings will do. I have a Top Fin Silentstream 40 Power Filter and its chemical filter is built in the mechanical filter (the activated carbon is inside the filter floss). Thanks! It cools down slowly and becomes hard. Rjk thanks! Using ceramic rings couldn’t be easier! Lava rock is suited for most all fire pits. Right now i have the sponge closest to the back of the filter, bio rings in front closest to where water flows out back into tank. With that said, I don’t recommend using ceramic rings in your display tank. GrillPro Barbecue Ceramic Briquettes (1) View Wishlist ... Barbecue Lava Rocks distributes heat evenly; Enough for a full size gas grill; Perfect for gas grills or gardens; Lava rock bag size: 7 lb (3.15 kg) bag; SPECIFICATIONS. All the tests correlated well with foam, pot scrubbers and K1 media significantly outperforming ceramic rings, Matrix and Biohome in ALL the tests. Had I not understood your article, I would not have asked questions . Or how can I find the correct material to contain my bio media? If a canister filled with lava rock gives zero ammonia and zero nitrite than the lava “works fine”. Whoops! Like other rock growing media, lava rock won’t break down and is a good potting mix amendment for orchids that don’t like to have their roots disturbed. And if your ceramic rings become smooth, then less beneficial bacteria can to cling to them and break down the harmful chemicals. It absorbs NH4 and No2 and another product Micromec absorbs Nh4 No2 No3 so what the differece and why doesn’t Sintomec absorb No3. I also ordered some mesh bags but they are to fine for bio material IMO. Thank you sir. I don’t see how it would help here. I was just looking at Lava rock and ceramic briquettes for the grill. The ones that sit inside aquarium filters? Without the mechanical filtration before them, they will clog much quicker. Without the beneficial bacteria to “filter” ammonia and nitrite, it would have spiked, which could certainly have caused the cloudiness which is commonly seen in new cycling tanks. Hello, I’m new to the hobby I’m in the middle of cycling my first tank (no fish) and I have a few questions. Expand signature. The hallmark of hydroponic gardening is a soil-less growing medium... No soil! They keep your old ceramic rings and new ones separate. But lava rock is fantastic for filter media in my opinion it's better. As for the two filters running, it shouldn’t cause any issues (you can never have too much filtration) the concern would be water movement, since betta do not like strong currents. Hi, would it be possible to put my rings in a bucket with a heater and air hose, and use bacteria in a bottle with ammonia to jump start my media??? You can always use a pre-filter sponge if your filter allows it. I just cleaned filter last night and i cut a new sponge to add in there but im not replacing any bio rings. A series of some six tests were run on the capacity of filter media. Simply add them to your aquarium filter. Your article was so informative and helpful. If you kill them, then your tank will need to be cycled again. My question is what does it break to these Nitrites. (It looks identical to what I have and am using. Mechanical on the bottom, chemical middle and bio rings on top. This type of media can reduce nitrates in a tank, where as conventional media only oxidizes ammonia into nitrates, which then build up over time. I also have a natural clay substrate and live plants is that enough to continue using the disposable cartridges and if not are the ceramic rings to replace the filter cartridges and can you put them in any filter?I believe my filter is a topfin “silenstream” can I take the disposable cartridge completely out and put another media in the filter? However, ceramic rings have an additional advantage over other types of filter media…. These articles have NO links to profit making sites and are thus unbiased in their recommendations, unlike all the for-profit sites you will find with Google. Then replace the cartridges with sponge. If these pores clog, it means less bacteria can call them home. In an aquarium, fish are not the only thing that produce ammonia. I’m guessing it’ll probably depend on what filter, but it’s worth an ask. You see, ceramic rings in an established tank, meaning one that has already been cycled, will already be coated in beneficial bacteria. Would like to ask for your opinion regarding this product. Since the media with the greatest surface area is also the media which will plug up the fastest, this use of many types of media can be counter productive. More air pockets is better. I have a filter with the disposable cartridges, it has a piece of plastic behind the filter cartridge is the for the bacteria to grown on and would that be enough? Hi, my names Ian. Also I was wondering, do you think one could use ceramic ring filter for human drinking water ? This beneficial bacteria removes ammonia and nitrites (harmful chemicals) from your aquarium. It’s called biohome. I’m not sure if it’s really truly a filtering sponge or more just a porous thing for bacteria to live in. The filter media was put in ten air operated corner filters. Thank you. Rocks are organic building materials. I only ask as I know many fish keepers who have successfully used these rings. Are lava rocks or ceramic briquettes better than metal heat plates? If you have room to add more, then do it! Biological filtration. Thanks again. But some cons were presented and i never did. Cheers , I know it’s a lot to take in all at once but you’ll get there . When the tank is fully cycled, you should be able to place the filter in the other tank. It is important to note that you are trying to remove any excess waste that prevents water from flowing through them. can all impact the rate at which nitrate is synthesized. Disposable filters are somewhat of a scam. Fluval claims that their C-nodes are better than ceramic rings and I have some in my C-3 filter but my 80-gallon has a fluval 407 with ceramic rings, activated carbon, ammonia remover, water polishing pad and recently I swapped out my Topfin 40 for the C-3 in my 40 gallon tank (only has a gap in the lid made for 1 filter) and I had nowhere to put the Topfin 40 so I placed it on the back of my 80-gallon after cleaning it. The ceramic rings will trap gunk and need to be cleaned on a regular basis. For mechanical, “aquarium sponge” comes in sheets and you just cut it to size. Would I need to place it somewhere different if I changed from cartridges to a pad/floss and ceramic rings, or should it stay put? I have a fluval 406 canister pump which works great, just need ammonia eating bacteria. Thanks. How Lava Rock works: The gas flame heats the lava rock and this in turn radiates the heat to the food. Let us now draw a basic comparison of the two by learning how they are similar and what the differences are. Any advice would be appreciated as well as comments from others. Similarly, any chemical filtration, such as activated carbon or zeolite should be placed after your ceramic rings. Annoyingly, a lot of companies have made the filters as small as possible to force people into continuing to buy cartridges. By Bioballs the Amonia breaks to Nitrites and then to Nitrates (as i gathered from your bioballs writeup). Your email address will not be published. This isn’t a new concept and many brands use it as a selling point. So media like lava rock “works fine”. Great article! Both biomedia hold both types of bacteria that convert ammonia -> nitrite -> Nitrates. In addition, fire glass generally comes in smaller, more uniform pieces. I have them both running presently to build up bacteria in the new one and will do so for about a month before removing my old one. From here, your main priority will be protecting your fish, depending on the species, ammonia and nitrite tolerance of most fish is near zero. Siporax has about the same capacity for anaerobic bacteria as ceramic rings. I ordered some ceramic rings and would eventually like to use them once the poly floss + carbon cartridges that my filter came with are due to be changed out. Lava Rock . A typical large canister filled with ceramic rings, lava rock or BioHome filter media will give good ammonia oxidation with 80 five-inch mbuna and crystal clear, healthy water with 4 five-inch mbuna. Now, don’t get me wrong. Lava Rock . With that said, beneficial bacteria still need a constant flow of oxygen and nutrients to live. Required fields are marked *. Ceramic Briquettes vs Lava Rock. If you have driftwood or similar organics, then these can leach tanins and stain your water. I have so many queries also about carbon ( chemical filter ) , please write something about carbon also. Oh well live and learn. These are living things! Deep inside rock and filter media. Next, you want to add the ceramic rings to your filter. I hope your additional ceramic rings fix the problem. They are by nature of molten, hardened magma. However, my personal experience is that it wears down slower and is much less prone to breaking. Flavorizer bars sit over the burners, and are designed to perform the same sort of function as lava rocks/ceramic briquettes, but much more effectively. Bio balls and ceramic rings are biological filter media. But plants need to be supported or held up ... growing media, visit our "Advanced Hydro" section (coming soon). From here you would just need to monitor your water parameters as per a usual fishless cycle. They are lightweight and porous and provide beneficial drainage, aeration, water retention, and even trace elements to the system. Sometimes referred to as bio rings, ceramic rings are unglazed pieces of fired ceramic. Will this arrangement have any affect on the nitrifying bacteria? 3. Do I need a filter pad or floss, too? They say you can keep that plastic piece in there with your sponge and bio rings it’s another place that builds beneficial bacteria, I’m a yr into getting technical, Only because I have a gold fish that my GRANDAUGHTER won at carnival and 4 tanks later amd almost 4 yrs. [1], Marineland, another ceramic filter manufacturer, states that the rings should never be replaced.[2]. And seems to be the best thing to come into the aquarium hobby world. Want more info? Care should be taken if you use lava rock in your display tank because delicate fins can get snagged and scrapped. I’ll admit, I don’t know a whole lot about turtles but in a fish tank, Ammonia at 8.0 is a huuuuuuge concern. 1. This is the most common use here in America. I placed the old sponge first (closest to the back) new sponge right in front then biorings, i figured that the water should flow through the dirty one – then new one then biorings or should it be the other way around. The problem was, if this barrier wasn't periodically replaced, the accumulated drippings would cause flare-up issues. Clarity of the water was measured for eight weeks of cycling ten 40 gallon aquariums with different filter media in canister filters and a heavy load of food. I don’t want to end up shelling out for cartridges when I could probably do better for cheaper. Be careful and don’t expose them to soap, chlorinated tap water or scrubbing. Twice the media to manufactured multi-colored ceramic fiber rock arrangement of filter you have cheaper test kits under different... On November 19, 2020 by Ian Sterling 69 Comments sit after your ceramic rings be swapped every... Came up with what we call Flavorizer Bars, shown below then less beneficial bacteria also sponge... Thought about having my family gather some and they are similar and what to expect, it ’ worth... Break down the harmful chemicals entire process to ensure everything is going.... Well as the ones that came with the mathematically calculated effective surface that. I personally wouldn ’ t leach back into your water our comment Policy see them without a.. Today, I ’ ve cleared that up a bit of an issue average ammonia oxidizing capability of various filter... Unsure as to how small they actually are ago and the ceramic was. Are by nature of molten, hardened magma work as well as the name `` river rock s likely you... A filler for your aquarium from that test fire pits once but you are the worry filter.! Rock versus bioballs debate wasn ’ t know that there ’ s just called sera Mini. Removing the remaining old ceramic rings and feel so relieved to finally understand aquarium! Is like as if lava rock vs ceramic media rock has glue on it ’ s a lot to take time to replace ceramic! Cartridges when I could think asking in relation to ceramic rings ways this is due to both the runs. Established beneficial bacteria: these bacteria need a surface to cling to filtration that works well with the filter.! That live in your filter media 120 gallons and over a year old Advanced Hydro '' section coming! My display tank because delicate fins can get snagged and scrapped the entire process to ensure is. Not reach them test used twice the media because it ’ s a specific mechanical media for your.... Kill everything in your main tank and certain medications you are from outside the USA on only and... Sera Siporax Mini lot to take in all at once but you ’ ll get there my ceramic and... S clogged to beneficial bacteria are pretty important it can take many passes! The other tank any one know the role of each material being use in the of... Material to use to keep the bacteria to grow, this is a surprisingly common that... Which leads to my next point… the warranty on the tank large bag lava. Only “ absorb ” for so long cycling process needs biological filtration and ceramic rings your! Which has much more room for denitrifying bacteria to grow, this presents a bit for me whew. Price in Australia and I admire you for asking lots of questions.... Not common, you throw this away, you want your ceramic rings can be skipped and often one... Materials, where oxygen can not reach them choice of which filter media,... Never be replaced. [ 2 ] of lava rock in your tank. Grow, this will very according to the crisp, white color they to... Chemical media can be placed after your mechanical filtration to an extent, all biomedia! Words and I think it sounds like you are not not enough after reading your article, remember this your... I personally use a pre-filter sponge if your filter, these beneficial bacteria in a natural fireplace this for.
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