Filter Media

[Fishlover94]

Hi all, I have the Eheim 5E 700. Can someone tell me if this is the correct order? My setup is a pre-filter course sponge, then fine, it enters the Eheim it goes through Eheim prefilter, then it goes through Eheim Mech, then a course filter, polishing pad, Eheim MechPro, Eheim BioMech, Eheim SubstratPro, Seachem Matrix/Chemie Pure Green, polishing pad. In between MechPro and BioMech is a small amount of filter floss

 

[Aiken Drum]

It will work, but its ridiculously over complicated.

You generally want to go mechanical, then biological, then chemical. So your prefilter, then sponges going from course to less course and then floss, then biological of which by my count you have 5 different biological medias when you can pick 1, then chemical. Chemical media generally isnt needed except temporarily when you are dealing with an issue. The pure green stuff is just activated carbon sold as something else. This will remove organic compounds and some metals from the water. These organic compounds can be tannins from driftwood which cause tea like colour in the water, so carbon is often used in new tanks to get the water clear until the tannins have leached out. Organic compounds can cause odours so carbon is used to remove these odours. After a course of medication you want to remove the medication from the tank and carbon will do this. Tannins are temporary and leach out after a period. If you keep up with water maintenance your tank shouldn't smell. Medication should only be used to treat a known condition and should then be discontinued.

Generally chemical media is used to deal with a specific short term issue and then is no longer needed. Its expensive, needs replacing frequently, and once its done its job is no longer needed.

If it where me i would just fill the first tray with sponge, then the rest of the trays with biological media, pick 1, you dont need 5. Only have chemical media if you need it, then stop using it when whatever problem it is being used for is resolved. Since you have bought all those bio media products you may as well use them, but regardless of what it may say on the packaging they all do exactly the same job in the same way.

 

[Aiken Drum]

https://youtu.be/ofGVnSf5MNk

This is how i would set up your filter. Choose whatever biomedia you prefer in lieu of biohome. Richard has a financial interest in biohome, but otherwise i agree with how he sets up filtration. Biohome is a biomedia however.

 

[Fishlover94]

It will work, but its ridiculously over complicated.

You generally want to go mechanical, then biological, then chemical. So your prefilter, then sponges going from course to less course and then floss, then biological of which by my count you have 5 different biological medias when you can pick 1, then chemical. Chemical media generally isnt needed except temporarily when you are dealing with an issue. The pure green stuff is just activated carbon sold as something else. This will remove organic compounds and some metals from the water. These organic compounds can be tannins from driftwood which cause tea like colour in the water, so carbon is often used in new tanks to get the water clear until the tannins have leached out. Organic compounds can cause odours so carbon is used to remove these odours. After a course of medication you want to remove the medication from the tank and carbon will do this. Tannins are temporary and leach out after a period. If you keep up with water maintenance your tank shouldn't smell. Medication should only be used to treat a known condition and should then be discontinued.

Generally chemical media is used to deal with a specific short term issue and then is no longer needed. Its expensive, needs replacing frequently, and once its done its job is no longer needed.

If it where me i would just fill the first tray with sponge, then the rest of the trays with biological media, pick 1, you dont need 5. Only have chemical media if you need it, then stop using it when whatever problem it is being used for is resolved. Since you have bought all those bio media products you may as well use them, but regardless of what it may say on the packaging they all do exactly the same job in the same way.

Oh ok what I would like to explain why I use 3 different kinds I love BioMech as per Eheim BioMECH has been cleverly designed: dirt-trapping pockets capture and retain large and small dirt particles. At the same time the subtely designed pore structure provides colonisation for the purification bacteria and thus ensures reliable biological decomposition. I like how Seachem Matrix can also grow Anaerobic Bacteria

 

[Aiken Drum]

But its nonsense. Biological media is just something that provides surface area for denitrifying microbes to grow on. The shape of some media products might provide more surface for a given volume of media, but thats all. For instance media in a ring shape will provide more surface area than a similar sized solid cylinder because it has surface area on the inside and outside of the ring. If the media has a rough surface it will have more surface area than smooth surfaced media. Some media has a fancy shape to give it more surface area. Take a look at K5 media. There might be an argument that some porous types of media have greater surface area because you including the voids inside the media as well as the surface area on the outside, but in reality water flow will follow path of least resistance and flow between pieces of media and not through it, and those voids are going to quickly fill with detritus and lose is porousity anyway.

Ive never seen anyone claim that media like matrix or biohome actually reduces nitrate except people with finincial interests in selling it. And even those with an interest have not once shown any real evidence that it does. Its pretty easy to test. Set up a bare tank and filtration system with matrix/ biohome as per the manufacturers recommendation. This is typically 1kg of media per 100 litres of water to support anaerobic bacteria. Fishless cycle. Dose in 1ppm of ammonia daily. Run it for 12 months, again the manufacturers say it takes up to a year to see anaerobic bacteria growth. Test the amounts of nitrate, with no other biological action taking place you should see nitrate rising by 3.6ppm per day. So over a week you should see approx 25ppm. If its less you can put it down to anaerobic bacteria. Nobody with an interest has ever done this, and when its done independently it hasnt shown any benefit. There are many processes that can reduce nitrate in real life tanks, but growing anaerobic bacteria in filter media in a closed filter with a flow of oxygenated water through it isnt one of them. Matrix/ biohome claim to work by supporting anaerobic bacteria deep inside the media where low oxygen conditions occur, but again how likely is it that water flows through the porous media and not simply taking the simpler route of going around it, and the voids quickly get clogged up anyway.

If you think matrix does its job, then pick matrix. If you think another filter media gives greater surface area pick that one. There really isnt any benefit over lots of different media over just picking the one you think will do the best job. With matrix/ biohome, even if we say it works, you need 1kg per 100 litres of water. Thats a lot of media in big filters, so you probably dont have room for anything else.

Pretty much everything written on the packaging of aquarium products is there to get you to buy their product over someone elses. Most of it is gimics you dont need, some of it is outright lies and misinformation. All you need when selecting filter media is something that gives a good amount of surface area and allows good flow of water through the volume of media. Really, a sponge is as good as anything. If you really want a great filter media, then one of the best isnt even an aquarium product and sold for pennies. Plastic pot scrubbers are at least as good, and probably better than any filter media on the market.

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/pot-scrubbies-bio-home-375264.html