sanchezkk
Aquarium Advice Freak
I would like to use homemade Bio Media. I'd like to house the media in my HOB Filter. I read an idea for media .... Toy Army Men! What do you guys think?
Cheap DIY Bio-Media?
- Thread starter sanchezkk
- Start date
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jetajockey
come get me tang police!
It works, but honestly most things will work, but it wouldn't harm anything to do it for novelty's sake.
Considering that a HOB doesn't have much biomedia space compared to a sump, I'd just get something that is very porous like ceramic media or even old filter carbon.
Considering that a HOB doesn't have much biomedia space compared to a sump, I'd just get something that is very porous like ceramic media or even old filter carbon.
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sanchezkk
Aquarium Advice Freak
Old filter carbon would work?
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
Yes, it serves as a good biomedia because of its surface area.
Jess1ca
Aquarium Advice Addict
sanchezkk said:
Lava rock too I believe
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sanchezkk
Aquarium Advice Freak
Interesting hmmm. Anymore ideas?
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sanchezkk
Aquarium Advice Freak
Okay. I presently own a Penguin Bio-Wheel 350 HOB Filter. How much would I need?
Jess1ca
Aquarium Advice Addict
sanchezkk said:
Toy soldiers? Or lava rock?
Link119
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2011
- Messages
- 334
What is wrong with using the bio wheel?
xwesx1978
Aquarium Advice Freak
bio wheels work pretty well , also carbon breaks down and releases toxins after awhile , I know a lot of people use plastic pot scrubbers as bio media
greaver83
Aquarium Advice Freak
ripped up body wash luffas
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sanchezkk
Aquarium Advice Freak
Link119 said:
From what I understand the bio wheel is not the best idea. To get the best nitrifying bacteria the media needs to be completely submerged to be advantageous to a tank. The wheel is out of the water being showered with water but not allowing any of the good bacteria to grow and develop.
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
sanchezkk said:
Biowheels work great. They were developed in part by the same guy that produced biospira. The media only needs to be wet, the oxygenating effect actually makes it a huge attraction for bb.
rotorhead22
Aquarium Advice Freak
+1...Emperor 400 w/2 Biowheels work great. A simple modification of the extra media tray can turn it into an even better filter by bubbling air through the 2 extra trays filled with ceramic bio media. Check out the DIY project.
The secret here is surface area. Ceramics are porous and give lots of sites for bacteria to populate. Since Nitrifying bacteria is aerobic, aeration is also key.
The secret here is surface area. Ceramics are porous and give lots of sites for bacteria to populate. Since Nitrifying bacteria is aerobic, aeration is also key.
ilostnemo
Aquarium Advice Addict
not quite true. its a common misconception that carbon does that.
Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
I placed ceramic rings/cylinders in the extra media tray. I wanted to add more in the space between the extra media tray and the filter output but I did not want to just drop them in loosely.
So I tied fishing line to one of them and threaded the line through additional rings enough to make a total length of 1-1.5 feet. I then fed the rings into the filter. The top most ring sits at or slightly above water level and this "rig" makes media removal very convenient, especially in vertical spaces.
So I tied fishing line to one of them and threaded the line through additional rings enough to make a total length of 1-1.5 feet. I then fed the rings into the filter. The top most ring sits at or slightly above water level and this "rig" makes media removal very convenient, especially in vertical spaces.
