Customizing A Filter

[Tizer]

I could only every imagine the filter being left to clog up over 6-9 months for it to get in such a state that the Cirax holes fill up with gunk, meaning they are hard to clean. even then a good shake in water should dislodge most of it. Personally, cant imagine that happening on any of my filters. That said, i still think sponges are best too, purely coz i can cut them around whenever i need a new one.

 

[EX1EY]

Thanks for the advice/opinions. I might just leave it as sponge media, seems that people think thats ok and it means less work and maintenance.

cheers

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Being in the states I had not heard of the Cirax media so I just Googled it. Here is what I found on the Juwel site:

JUWEL Filtermedia! Made to fit each Filter System! Use the filter baskets for your filter system to make maintenance even easier! The coarse, the fine blue filter sponges and the highly porous filter material CIRAX contain the most important bio - cultures, which are the key to effectively clean the water. The highly porous filter material CIRAX with its extremely large surface offers an ideal livinge space for bio-cultures and ensures the highest water quality. To maintain this water quality we suggest to replace CIRAX every 9 - 12 months. Please observe the maintenance guidelines in your instruction manual for furhter details.

(red is mine added for emphasis.) From JUWEL® Aquarium website

I rest my case

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I don't want to get into an argument about this, but you are using manufacturer's directions regarding replacing media to base your case on... pretty flimsy case, really. All filter manufacturers recommend you change your filter media WAY too often. Usually they will say 1 month or around there, so having this one says 9 months to a full year tells you everything you need to know. The stuff lasts. The truth is that you don't need to change your filter's media until it falls apart or is so gunked up that it loses its effectiveness. Using the manufacturer's suggestions is like listening to a car dealer for how often you should buy a new car.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Being in the states I had not heard of the Cirax media so I just Googled it. Here is what I found on the Juwel site:

JUWEL Filtermedia! Made to fit each Filter System! Use the filter baskets for your filter system to make maintenance even easier! The coarse, the fine blue filter sponges and the highly porous filter material CIRAX contain the most important bio - cultures, which are the key to effectively clean the water. The highly porous filter material CIRAX with its extremely large surface offers an ideal livinge space for bio-cultures and ensures the highest water quality. To maintain this water quality we suggest to replace CIRAX every 9 - 12 months. Please observe the maintenance guidelines in your instruction manual for furhter details.

(red is mine added for emphasis.) From JUWEL® Aquarium website

I rest my case

you of all people should know better then to quote that rubbish, you change your sponges every 6-12 months too i guess

Juwel also tell not to an air stone in their tanks or your warrenty is null....need i say more on juwels instructions?

i rest my case

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Fom Rena for their ceramic rings:

With normal use, FilStar Ceramic Rings will not need to be replaced or cleaned. A brownish film growing on the rings indicates good bacterial growth. This film should not be cleaned off. Continuous water flow is necessary to maintain living colonies of beneficial bacteria.

They don't tell you replace these, but they tell you about their Fluval BIOMAX Filter Media

Biological filter media designed specifically for Fluval Multi-Stage Canister Filters. Porous ceramic cylinders encourage beneficial bacteria growth to help eliminate harmful ammonia and nitrite levels in your aquarium water. Cylindrical design allows a large population of bacteria to grow in a minimal space while pores are perfectly sized for bacteria colonies. Great for fresh or saltwater aquariums.

Cleaning/Maintenance Instructions
Rinse monthly using water from the aquarium. Never rinse with tap water or any water that could contain chlorine. Replace every six months, depending on fish load.

Or how about this stuff from- Imagine® Bio Modules Filter Insert for AquaClear Power Filters

Use Instructions
Remove Bio Modules Insert from plastic bag. Rinse under clean running tap water. Place Bio Modules Insert on top of Activated Carbon Filter Insert in Powerfilter Filter Basket. The Bio Modules Insert should only be rinsed clean when it becomes excessively dirty. Rinse only with non-chlorinated water, as chlorine might kill off most, if not all, of the beneficial bacteria. Ideally, rinse the insert with water from your aquarium. Replace the Bio Modules Insert every 3 months. However, to maintain system filtration, do not rinse or change another Powerfilter filter insert at the same time.

And Eheim says of their Efisubstrat Pro

Still made of sintered glass for long term use. Simply rinse well with aquarium water and reuse. Enormous surface area; ideal for the colonization of nitrifying bacteria.

Azoo sells Bio-Glass and says:

Q. Does biological filter media need replacement?

A. No. Removing or replacing the media can severely deplete the bacterial population. The discoloration or film found on the media indicates healthy growth of the bacteria. However, if the media becomes clogged, you can use aquarium water to gently dislodge some of the material to improve water flow.

So it clogs but cant be fully cleaned- wanna bet it eventually clogs up pretty good? They also say the same thing regarding their Quartz Ball Bio Media.

Like I said, I will stick with my sponges.

There has been a lot of talk regarding the Poret Filter Foam. if you are curious you can go here to learn about it http/www.swisstrop...ter%20Foam.html

 

[BigbruiserAl]

with respect you said you have no experience with Cirax and your wall of text is proved absolutely nothing

To the op i have used and still use this Cirax media in the juwel rio, it been in the filter over a year is now its a brown colour with good bacteria on it. It has been never been cleaned apart from a wash in tank water and even then didt clog and i doubt it will

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Al, why is it every time you and I have a disagreement in these forums it turns out you have misrepresented the facts? If you go back and read the posts made by the OP, Fish Fanatic, you will discover this poster never once mentioned Cirax. They only asked about cermics You, in fact were the one to mention this particular brand name. And that is when I responded with the info supplied by the manufacturer.

My point, which you also seem to have missed, is that manufacturers of ceramic and similar bio-media say a lot of different things. Some say it should be replaced, some say it should not. Some say it can clog and can be somewhat unclogged. Some claim it can't clog.

My personal experience is it can clog. However, I have no idea how one might make a measurement to support your claim that your Cirax media has as good a flow rate after of year of use as it did the first day you ran it. I would love to know exactly how you measured it to make that statement.

The only way I know for one to see that their filter media is clogged is when the water must pass though the media without being able to flow around it. With sponges the water pretty much has to pass through the sponge whereas with ceramics and the like the water can easily flow through the spaces between the individuals balls, noodles etc. In one case you can see that flow has been slowed while with the other you really can't How do you know that your Cirax after one year is any more effective than a smooth plastic bio-ball in providing places for the bacteria to live? How do you know the original surface areas have not been compromised at all due to clogging?

My experience with ceramic styled media was with the Cell-Pore slab/block inserts one could use in an Emperor and for Aquaclears. The design of those filters pretty much forces the water through the media with very little way around it. I saw the effects of clogging over time because of this. Which is why I switched back to all sponges for the most part. I might also note that Cell-Pore is no longer made, I suspect because it clogged. but if you are curious about it, Google it.

One last question. You wrote above:

It has been never been cleaned apart from a wash in tank water

Exactly what is a wash in tank water if not cleaning? I have been rinsing out sponges (including large pre-filter sponges) in tank water for years and it sure seems like I am cleaning them.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Al, why is it every time you and I have a disagreement in these forums it turns out you have misrepresented the facts? If you go back and read the posts made by the OP, Fish Fanatic, you will discover this poster never once mentioned Cirax. They only asked about cermics You, in fact were the one to mention this particular brand name. And that is when I responded with the info supplied by the manufacturer.

pebbly stuff from the juwel filter that is cirax

My point, which you also seem to have missed, is that manufacturers of ceramic and similar bio-media say a lot of different things. Some say it should be replaced, some say it should not. Some say it can clog and can be somewhat unclogged. Some claim it can't clog.

Fair enough i missed your point there apologies

My personal experience is it can clog. However, I have no idea how one might make a measurement to support your claim that your Cirax media has as good a flow rate after of year of use as it did the first day you ran it. I would love to know exactly how you measured it to make that statement.

Again thats fair enough i have yet to see any on mine clog or even seen a post about it, maybe it down to stocking or cleaning Frequency of filters of course it not say it cant happen i guess

The only way I know for one to see that their filter media is clogged is when the water must pass though the media without being able to flow around it. With sponges the water pretty much has to pass through the sponge whereas with ceramics and the like the water can easily flow through the spaces between the individuals balls, noodles etc. In one case you can see that flow has been slowed while with the other you really can't How do you know that your Cirax after one year is any more effective than a smooth plastic bio-ball in providing places for the bacteria to live? How do you know the original surface areas have not been compromised at all due to clogging?

My experience with ceramic styled media was with the Cell-Pore slab/block inserts one could use in an Emperor and for Aquaclears. The design of those filters pretty much forces the water through the media with very little way around it. I saw the effects of clogging over time because of this. Which is why I switched back to all sponges for the most part. I might also note that Cell-Pore is no longer made, I suspect because it clogged. but if you are curious about it, Google it.

One last question. You wrote above:

It has been never been cleaned apart from a wash in tank water

Exactly what is a wash in tank water if not cleaning? I have been rinsing out sponges (including large pre-filter sponges) in tank water for years and it sure seems like I am cleaning them.

A quick rinse in water is hardly cleaning in my experince not like cleaning one of my sponges but i should have said that in the post