Optimal Filter Media?

[statenfish]

I am running a renafilstar 2x and 4x on my 90 gallon koi tank. What is the optimal media to use in this situation. I usually run chemipure elite, anf rena brand carbon ans well as biochemsorb. I use rena biomedia stars also is this a good mix?. I hear alot of talk that carbon is not needed is this true?

 

[rabbut]

I would use mainly bio media, as it is a large tank with messy fish. It will be needed to keep water quality up. Carbon can can be used, but I recomend it unless you are removing meds. It reaches saturation and stops doing it's job after three days[/] and if left saturated for too lang, can leach nasties back into the water. For this reason, IMO it is best left out.

A safe bet would be to run foam in the lower basket of each, then filter floss in the second, followed by the bio media in the remaining baskets. This polishes the water, without allowing the bio media to clogg, and reduces cleaning. It also gives a safety layer, should one fail

HTH
Rabbut

 

[statenfish]

[thanks rabbit. If the chem media becomes inert then cant it act as a biomedia?

 

[rabbut]

[thanks rabbit. If the chem media becomes inert then cant it act as a biomedia?

It can, but not as effectively as purely biological media. The process of the chemical media becoming innert is the reason for it being doggy, as it will release some toxins back into the water, to adsorb other toxins that are easier to remove, and often less toxic than the substances being replaced in the media.

HTH
Rabbut

 

[adamgreen240]

totally agree use more bio media and mechanical . Things like bio balls work well

 

[shroob]

For canisters I would use something like ehfisubstrat, bioballs are great for wet/drys but for the limited space of canisters I would rather have ehfisubstrat.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

It reaches saturation and stops doing it's job after three days[/] and if left saturated for too lang, can leach nasties back into the water.

This is an urban myth and is not accurate.

 

[rabbut]

It reaches saturation and stops doing it's job after three days[/] and if left saturated for too lang, can leach nasties back into the water.

This is an urban myth and is not accurate.

I'll see if I can pull the thread I read this from in the scientific section up again, as it was explained very well with correct references, if you want it, but I'll add the basic outline of it here.

Carbon is an ion exchanger. It adsorbs (rather than absorbs) chemicals according to their charge. It prefurs to adsorb a few molecules with large charges to adsorbing multiple molecules with smaller charges, as the stronger charged molecules can outcompete the smaller charges for the available charges. Therefore, once the carbon reaches saturation, small charged molecules get forced out again, buy molecules with larger charges, hence substances leaching back out.

The time frame may well be a myth, as I don't recall any references stating this, but given the potential for problems when things do get leached, I'd rather go by the lowest estimate. I recall that the time frame depends on the carbon type also...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[T1KARMANN]

if you want the best siporex sinister glass has a massive surface area