Spring-Flo trickle filter media

[kaceyo]

Has anybody used Spring-Flow brand media in their wet/dry filters? It comes on a spool and unwindes like fishing line into the wet/dry section of the filter. It's supposed to have an incredible amount of surface area and $50 will get you enough to fill a 25gal barrel. I'm wondering what the downside might be when it's actualy put into use. I was planning on using bio-barrels, which are fairly inexpensive compared to the various bio-ball types. Since its much cheaper to increase the volume of the wet/dry section than to maximize surface area on the media in a smaller W/Dry section the biobarrels seemed the way to go. But if the Spring-Flow works well I could increase both volume and surface area economicly, as long as it doesn't channel or(?). Please let me know if you have used or heard about this stuff.
Thanx,
Kacey

[Anonapersona]

I've heard about it from pond information. It is like plastic tape, I doubt that the surface area compares favorably with bio barrels. For large ponds, where the biofilter is the size of a barrel or larger it is great, lightweight and easy to lift out and shake clean. Lighter than lava rock, cheaper than bioballs. Easier to deal with than a like amount of kitchen scrubbies. But, in small spaces I suspect that bioballs or similar products will be better, with more surface ares per unit volume.

OTOH, if you actually need 35 cubic feet (?) of biomedia, then that is probably good for you. For smaller applications you can try cheap kitchen scrubbies, just be sure there is no anit-bacteria additives. I found some bath scrubbies at the dollar store that might be suitable, 3/$1.

[Anonapersona]

Did you realize the bio barrels float (I think that is what positive bouyancy means!). And how about this http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/5031/cid/1394

to make a tall trickle filter? You could wrap plastic around the solid core and set up a drip tray then have the whole thing trickle down the back side of the tank instead of falling down a hose to the lower wet/dry, the entire descent would be trickling filtration. Maybe less niose that way, I don't know. $16 for a 4' segment.

[aggie_67]

Bio Strata looks just like what is inside industrial cooling towers, used for liquid-air contact. Should be perfect for bio use, if it is like cooling tower material just need to make sure the orientation is right as liquid will only flow one way.

[Anonapersona]

Aggie, you are pretty handy, maybe you could try to make a wet/dry with this stuff... it sure looks like it would be perfect, just need to make a tall box to put it in and then be able to hide the whole thing alonside the tank and stand.

I still have not set up my wet/dry because I am worried about the sound of falling water down the tubing to the unit, but if a system were built using the tall block of bio-strata, I think it would be rather quiet, don't you think so? You'd want a long acrylic box with a hose at the bottom running to the sump where the heater and return pump would be located. It looks like the stuff runs so that you would set it on one end, but 1'x1' might be too large for most needs.