Filstar Bio-Chem Stars

[Richy44]

I am thinking of putting 20 of these in each of my Aquaclear 70's. they will be on my 33 gal tanks along with a sponge filter.

Comments! Better choice out there?

Thanks.........

[Diamond Discus]

I use them in my canister filters and they work great.
Sue

[White Worm]

Me too

[dwilder]

seachem has matrix bio media that works really well to

[bgbdwlf2500]

yep use them in mine too...... i dont think it really matters what kind of bio media you use though it pretty much is all the same

[Graham]

Actually all bio-medias are not created equal. They all have various levels of available surface for the bacteria to colonize. Some media like the ceramics and glass's start out with lots but as the bio-film build they clog and you loose loads of surface area.

The best bio-media is one that has suffucuent void areas to allow dead bio-film to be sloughed off..

[midazolam]

Actually all bio-medias are not created equal. They all have various levels of available surface for the bacteria to colonize. Some media like the ceramics and glass's start out with lots but as the bio-film build they clog and you loose loads of surface area.

The best bio-media is one that has suffucuent void areas to allow dead bio-film to be sloughed off..

...for example...

don't leave us hangin' man!

[guille2007]

Anyone has tested Cell-Pore biomedia?, it is said that it can reduce nitrates.

[Apistomaster]

...for example...

don't leave us hangin' man!

Plastic beads, Kaldness Bio media, sand used in fluidized beds, bio balls all have good surface areas yet are semi-self cleaning.

The high porosity high surface area media like the ceramics, sintered glass(Ehfisubstrate Pro by Ehiem) generally have the total surface area edge advantage but to do a deep cleaning and removal of pore clogging biofilms may mean they need to be bleached occasionally. That means reestablishing the nitrifying bacteria colonies but this might only be necessary once a year if that because a good rinse as if you were washing gravel is helpful in removing accumulated crud. It just won't reach the deeper internal micropore structures like bleach. I do want to be clear that a deep chemical cleaning is something to do very infrequently. Of course it would be wise to have new but established bio media replacement so if/when you bleach the media your filter systems is still working well.

[Graham]

Anyone has tested Cell-Pore biomedia?, it is said that it can reduce nitrates.


Sorry didn't mean you leave you hanging....Larry's got some of the main ones That would be good for cansisters. For TT's in sumps material like Matala matting or Japanese matting work excellant.

Any media that claims to reduce nitrates is either relying on anaerobic de-nitrification deep within the media or has soem type of ion exchange resin in it (this would have a life span)

[Cosmo]

I have some cubes of cell pore media in a few of my cannisters mixed in with the sintered glass. Don't know if it reduces nitrates, but it seems to stay "unclogged" better than the ehfisubstrat.

After awhile, the surface of the sintered glass media becomes visually smooth, while the cell pore media is at least visually unchanged. Never looked at either through a microscope though :p

Eheim recommends changing half of the bio media annually. The problem is if you have a classic series it's virtually impossible to keep the new separated from the old :( Easy to do with the Pro series.

Drsfostersmith.com used to sell cell pore media in sizes made to fit into most HOB filters.. don't know if they still do or not.

Jim

[guille2007]

Sorry didn't mean you leave you hanging....Larry's got some of the main ones That would be good for cansisters. For TT's in sumps material like Matala matting or Japanese matting work excellant.

Any media that claims to reduce nitrates is either relying on anaerobic de-nitrification deep within the media or has soem type of ion exchange resin in it (this would have a life span)

It is a theory based on the same nitrifying bacteria deeper in the cell pore ball or cube can process nitrate to nitrogen if oxigen is not present, another bacteria colony would be on the media surface wasting the oxigen for the ones that are inside.

[Graham]

You lost me a little bit but as O2 levels drop below 3ppm or so the aerobic bacteria that we rely on for ammonia/nitrite oxidization start to die off with anaerobic hetertrophs taking over. These are they guys that take nitrate and break it down and gas it off.

Live rock and sand beds are a prefect example of this in Reef tanks

[midazolam]

You lost me a little bit but as O2 levels drop below 3ppm or so the aerobic bacteria that we rely on for ammonia/nitrite oxidization start to die off with anaerobic hetertrophs taking over. These are they guys that take nitrate and break it down and gas it off.

Live rock and sand beds are a prefect example of this in Reef tanks

I think he's saying there would be an oxygen gradient as you move deeper into the media. At lower O2 levels the bacteria may become anaerobic, ie, they are facultative anaerobes.

I don't know if the bacteria in question work like this, but this is what the theory would be :)

[guille2007]

You lost me a little bit but as O2 levels drop below 3ppm or so the aerobic bacteria that we rely on for ammonia/nitrite oxidization start to die off with anaerobic hetertrophs taking over. These are they guys that take nitrate and break it down and gas it off.

Live rock and sand beds are a prefect example of this in Reef tanks

I am not saying it could be in a dirty dead water of course , read here about:

http://www.cellpore.com/page2.html

Also Hans Kloss, who is a friend member of this forum and btw a deep background person , keeps nitrates under control using a Jaubert-Plenum filter and has recomended me to use this procedure, so also read this:

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/filtration/plenum.shtml

[Graham]

It has to be a dead zone within the media or the substrate to allow anaerobic bacteria to flourish and de-nitrification to occur

[MSD]

Who is Larry? and what media does he sell that is so good Graham???

[Graham]

read post #9

[MSD]

Thanks, was obviously overtired last night!