What Filter Media Do You Use, Besides Floss/sponge?

[Alps]

I am wondering if there is anything i should use in my 20g tank for chemical filtration? What do you use?

- I have a biowheel for biological and floss/sponge for mechanical.

- can anyone find the link to posts about modding media in emperor biowheels?

Thanks for the help and polling,

Jon

 

[SirMinion]

In various different tanks, setups and filters we have:

• sponge
• floss/wool
• ceramic tubes
• plastic slotted beads
• crushed coral
• crushed wood
• peat
• carbon (charcoal)
• barley-straw matting

 

[McMurray]

I used charcoal, peat, Nitrex

 

[Alps]

I used charcoal, peat, Nitrex

what is nitrex?

 

[McMurray]

I used charcoal, peat, Nitrex

what is nitrex?

nitrex is a reusable substance that takes nitrit out of the water

 

[dthoffsett]

I use foam inserts, ceramic rings, and charcoal (in the 5gal, too lazy to make my own cartridges).

 

[Inchworm]

I voted for "other," because I use nothing else except sponges and filter floss for filtration media. Between them, there are lots of surface areas for beneficial bacteria to live on. Some tanks, especially those having small fish or fry, have only sponge filters to prevent them from being sucked in. Other tanks, those with box filters, have only filter floss in them. I also have some tanks with AquaClear filters which have sponges inside and additional filter floss added to the chamber, and a few of them have sponge pre-filters added as well.

nitrex is a reusable substance that takes nitrit out of the water

Nitrex is a product whose makers claim it is "A biological filter medium for eliminating ammonia, nitrite and nitrate within hours not weeks or months. You can keep more fish due to its ability to break down higher levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate then normal filtration."

I would definitely not use anything that interferes with the activity of normal beneficial bacteria that are present in a healthy, cycled tank.

 

[Lynden]

Does anyone actually use box filters anymore? They are outdated and obsolete.

I use charcoal and a sponge, generally, and possibly ammonia remover and the ceramic tubes. I dont like filter floss at all. It bunches up, and is absolutely disgusting to clean as well. However, I usually just give up with the media eventually, and use either my own mixture, or plants/algae.

 

[dthoffsett]

Does anyone actually use box filters anymore? They are outdated and obsolete.

I use a box filter in my 5gal betta tank. He likes to fight the bubbles.

 

[babybell911]

Iuse whatever is in that box in the corner of my juwel tank sponges and stuff i guess

 

[Spader]

my biowheel is an ammonia remover so i chose that lol

 

[Alps]

so what you are saying, inchworm, is that if you have a healthy tank, chemical filtration will not be necessary because the biological side can handle the nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia?

- what about stuff like purigen that polishes the water like charcoal and can be reused?
- I was planning on using purigen, peat, and foam cutouts in my emperor, any input on this?

 

[Tolak]

Does anyone actually use box filters anymore? They are outdated and obsolete.

Many breeders on cental air systems use box filters, along with sponge filters. Box filters are one of the few filters you can run with the tank 3/4 empty.

 

[Inchworm]

Does anyone actually use box filters anymore? They are outdated and obsolete

Rather than become obsolete, air pumps and box filters have become classics.

so what you are saying, inchworm, is that if you have a healthy tank, chemical filtration will not be necessary because the biological side can handle the nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia?

- what about stuff like purigen that polishes the water like charcoal and can be reused?
- I was planning on using purigen, peat, and foam cutouts in my emperor, any input on this?

Hi Alps,

It will still be necessary to remove excess nitrates, as well as any uneaten food and fish wastes that have fallen to the bottom of the tank, by doing regular and adequate water changes. Peat is often used to alter the water's pH, so whether or not to use it will depend on the kind of fish you have. Charcoal does make the water look nice, and does a good job of removing medicine after treatment, but is not really necessary. If used, it needs to be changed frequently and the costs add up.

Purigen is another matter entirely. Its makers claim that it: "Purigenâ„¢ controls ammonia, nitrites and nitrates by removing nitrogenous organic waste that would otherwise release these harmful compounds."

In effect, the beneficial bacteria that consume fish wastes in a normally cycled tank will be prevented from growing and the elimination of harmful chemicals will be entirely dependent on the maintenance and continued use of this product.

I don't think I would take a chance with this product.

 

[CFC]

I use a product by KENT Marine call Nitrate sponge granules which basicly supply an area for anerobic bacteria to form inside a pocket of low flow media in the filter, i cant honestly say how effective it is as i still do 40% waterchanges weekly on that tank but it does "seem" to work as i regularly have nitrate levels in the tank lower than that of the tapwater i do water changes with.