Filter Media

[fijiwigi]

When I did saltwater I did live rocks in the tank and whatever would hold bacteria in my HOB filter before I went to a custom sump refugium. Fresh water is new to me. I currently have 2 HOB filters on my 37G tank. A emperor 280 with no media and a new Tetra that pushes 320 gph. 600gph on a 37g is obviously overkill but I like the flow. I have carbon filter media pads in my tetra filter. But wondering If I should stuff some sort of filter media in the emperor 280. Like lava rock or something. Are bio balls a good freshwater choice ?

Just wondering if the freshwater community just sticks with the carbon filter media pads always or drops some other fun stuff in all that wasted space behind the filter pad in the filter ?

 

[Sidman24]

I use biomax, poly fill, any type of filter pad. Carbon is really unnecessary unless wanting to remove medication from water

 

[Bambithegirl]

Complete Beginner

Hi Everyone,

I just set up my first tank in years. I imagine I will have many questions but will ask them one at a time as I need the info. I have a corner filter with charcoal and filter wool but I have read on several blogs that I should not add the activated charcoal until after my tank is cycled. Is this correct, and if so, do I literally just take the filter wool out when cycling is complete, add washed charcoal and put the filter wool back in? At the moment its only the wool in the filter.

 

[Cactuspixie]

I would recommend bio media such as matrix/denitrate together with filter floss. I like to use LOTS of biomedia.

 

[Masha]

Hi Everyone,

I just set up my first tank in years. I imagine I will have many questions but will ask them one at a time as I need the info. I have a corner filter with charcoal and filter wool but I have read on several blogs that I should not add the activated charcoal until after my tank is cycled. Is this correct, and if so, do I literally just take the filter wool out when cycling is complete, add washed charcoal and put the filter wool back in? At the moment its only the wool in the filter.

Hi!
I answered your question in your other thread

 

[BBradbury]

Tank Filtration

When I did saltwater I did live rocks in the tank and whatever would hold bacteria in my HOB filter before I went to a custom sump refugium. Fresh water is new to me. I currently have 2 HOB filters on my 37G tank. A emperor 280 with no media and a new Tetra that pushes 320 gph. 600gph on a 37g is obviously overkill but I like the flow. I have carbon filter media pads in my tetra filter. But wondering If I should stuff some sort of filter media in the emperor 280. Like lava rock or something. Are bio balls a good freshwater choice ?

Just wondering if the freshwater community just sticks with the carbon filter media pads always or drops some other fun stuff in all that wasted space behind the filter pad in the filter ?

Hello fiji...

The filtration equipment really isn't the filter, it's performing large, weekly water changes that keeps the water pure. Overfiltering the tank helps get oxygen into the tank water and releases carbon dioxide, but doesn't do as good a job of keeping the tank water pure as a basic water change. Everything you put into the tank is a place for good bacteria to grow. Try using a poly fiber pad in your filter if it will accommodate it. HBH and Acurel have very good padding that will house good bacteria, lava rock and aquatic plants are very good too.

Chemical medium (carbon) isn't needed, the water change does the same job.

B

 

[PerfectDepth]

In HOBs that use filter cartridges I just open the cartridge, dump out the carbon, and only use the plastic frame of the cartridge. Then find some way to clip or rubber-band a piece of cut-to-fit bonded filter pad to the cartridge frame. Then I stuff poly-fill in front of the cartridge, and a bag of ceramic media (bio-max) behind it.

 

[Caliban07]

Hello fiji... The filtration equipment really isn't the filter, it's performing large, weekly water changes that keeps the water pure. Overfiltering the tank helps get oxygen into the tank water and releases carbon dioxide, but doesn't do as good a job of keeping the tank water pure as a basic water change. Everything you put into the tank is a place for good bacteria to grow. Try using a poly fiber pad in your filter if it will accommodate it. HBH and Acurel have very good padding that will house good bacteria, lava rock and aquatic plants are very good too. Chemical medium (carbon) isn't needed, the water change does the same job. B

Hi fiji

There is nothing wrong with over filtration. As you already have a salt water aquarium I'm sure you are aware of the importance of filtration and the difference between filtration and dilution. It is not feasible for everyone to do large weekly water changes in a salt water aquarium as the time and cost implications would become outrageous. Small weekly water changes seems to be the amount most people change and some change higher volumes maybe every couple of weeks. This is because salt water aquarists use many types of filtration/absorption methods to keep the water as clean as possible. Refugiums/protein skimmers live rock filter media are all examples of this as I'm sure you know.

Filtration is just as important in freshwater aquariums. As already stated. The more items you have in the aquarium the better. Plants, ornaments, gravel, bog wood will all house beneficial bacteria and the most important is in your filter as the mechanical filter brings food to the BB. Higher filtration turnover brings more food to the BB helping to keep the nasty toxins such as ammonia and nitrite at bay.

Why not fill the spare slot with another sponge? I'm not familiar with lava rock but ceramic rings are extremely porous and can house huge quantities of bacteria.

Carbon filters are controversial and completely optional. They have some advantages and kept the water extra clear as they usually come in the form of floss. The disadvantage are more myths than anything and the only true downside is that it could be replaced with a media that can house more bacteria. If biological filtration isn't a problem you could run carbon floss for extra clarity. There are lots of sites online with the advantages and disadvantages of carbon and I will let you make up your own mind. Personally I use it.

Large weekly water changes will keep nitrates down via dilution and plants will help of course. I can understand brads theory that constantly diluting toxins before they get a chance to build would keep toxins down but this should not be used in place of mechanical and biological filtration. Aquarium water will never be pure. As soon as fresh water is put in it takes to the nitrogen cycle and toxins are created. Monitoring nitrates and changing water when they exceed 20ppm is the best bet. Type of fish (blue ram) bioload and your your tap water baseline are all variants in the frequency and volumes of water changes.

 

[BBradbury]

Tank Filtration

Cal brings up a good point about tank filtration. Actually, the idea of large, weekly water changes isn't theory, it's fact. I'll take the water change fact a bit further and say that if I were to change half the tank water in my tanks more often than weekly, say a couple of times a week or more, I could do away with tank filtration completely. There would be an extremely small bioload in the tank. Wastes from fish and dead plant material take time to dissolve and create nitrogen, like ammonia, nitrite and eventually nitrates. By removing and replacing large amounts of tank water weekly or more often, the water is always aerated and pure. There's no time for toxins to build in the water before the next large change. As you said, the toxins left in the tank that aren't removed during the water change process are diluted in all the new water to the point that they're not toxic to the fish.

B

 

[Caliban07]

Hmm I really do understand your thinking brad but the nitrogen cycle is nature and can't be bypassed or ignored so there is no way you can actually do away with filtration. As soon as you add 'pure' tap water, heterotrophic bacteria get to work on the organic materials in the water and create ammonia and the rest of the cycle keeps these toxins down. This is why every time i do a water change at 50% or more I get a small Bacteria bloom. Ammonia is also excreted directly from the fish gills and is the largest contributor not to mention decaying organic materials, rotting food and fish waste. Imagine if there was no biological filter, it wouldn't be long before ammonia was building up to dangerous levels and another water change would be required. It isn't by chance that nature has provided us with this phenomenon so why not make the most of it? It is actually keeping the frequency of your water changes down. You must also consider that tap water base lines vary across the world and changing water can be a tough process many.

Water changes should compliment filtration and i do 30% a week. This would be know where near enough without biological filtration.

 

[Fishfur]

If you happen to have sufficient small pieces of lava rock, it makes an excellent bio media, very similar to any ceramic media you can buy.

I'd skip the carbon, it's not needed unless to remove meds, odour or colour leaching from wood, or leaves.

Filter floss is cheap, great for polishing water and it's a decent bio media as well. It can be well rinsed and reused many times over, but eventually becomes small shreddy pieces. I replace half at a time when it gets to that point. It is cheaper than the bonded pad type of floss.

Sponge is the other really good media. Long lasting, grows good BB colonies, easy to clean. No need to replace 'til it's literally disintegrating, turning to powder. Rinse and squeeze out well in tank water to clean all media.. ceramic should be well swished to clean it in it's little bag.

Water changes are the primary control for nitrates in fresh water tanks. Though it's technically possible to do what Brad said, the work would be enormous and hardly worth the effort. OR you can invest in something like the, I think it's called Aquapure, or Aquaripure ? Look up denitrification filters.. you'll find it. It works much like the sand and live rock does in salt water tanks. They're not cheap, but they do reduce the need for water changes dramatically.

Edit.. the end result of a true denitrifying filter is nitrogen gas, btw. They do need a bit of upkeep, but not a huge amount.

 

[fijiwigi]

Those are some well educated responses. And much appreciated. Saltwater is a different world and the reason I got out was because of expense. Water changes are killer on the wallet. Freshwater its much easier to manage. Carbon is so commonly encouraged its tough to say skip it all together. Basically I simply need something for bacterial growth. And rocks and wood don't seem pourous enough to do that. A sponge or a lava rock gives much more surface area hence more bacterial growth. I didn't have a filter at all on saltwater lol. Just a bunch of chaeto and lots of pourous rocks. I used to use purigen in saltwater not sure if thats a freshwater thing ? My assumption is to find lava rock for the filters to house beneficial bacteria. Keep the filter pads and skip the carbon for a purigen pouch.

 

[jlk]

Cal brings up a good point about tank filtration. Actually, the idea of large, weekly water changes isn't theory, it's fact. I'll take the water change fact a bit further and say that if I were to change half the tank water in my tanks more often than weekly, say a couple of times a week or more, I could do away with tank filtration completely. There would be an extremely small bioload in the tank. Wastes from fish and dead plant material take time to dissolve and create nitrogen, like ammonia, nitrite and eventually nitrates. By removing and replacing large amounts of tank water weekly or more often, the water is always aerated and pure. There's no time for toxins to build in the water before the next large change. As you said, the toxins left in the tank that aren't removed during the water change process are diluted in all the new water to the point that they're not toxic to the fish.

B

The methodology of zero filtration and large water changes is actually an ancient (as in millennia) and proven practice religiously followed by many serious goldfish breeders. They do not bother with cycling as 100% of the water is changed daily. It's something I generally practice with quarantined fish but it's a commitment to follow. Not for most hobbyists though but it is scientifically sound practice that has its benefits.

 

[Fishfur]

The problem with carbon is that though it was once used always, and tossed out with every filter change along with all the other media, since at the time the nitrogen cycle was not understood, it has since been learned that there may be a connection between the use of carbon, specifically activated charcoal, to be precise, and some fish diseases, Hole in the Head for one.

Also, activated charcoal that is not changed out regularly soon becomes exhausted and it can then discharge the organics it has collected back into the tank water. Charcoal is good at adsorbing many things, but it has a relatively short life span and if not changed, can literally do more harm than good for many tanks. It does not serve well as extra biomedia because of this potential for discharging the organic load it has adsorbed.

It can't be recharged unless you have access to high temperature processing equipment.. I think it needs to bake at 900 F for some unknown length of time to be recharged. Not something most hobbyists can manage. So unless you need it to remove some medication or colour or smell, I really would skip it.

Manufacturers of filters persist in adding it to their refill inserts, why I'm not sure. Of course, they want you to buy them often and replace them often, so perhaps they think it won't matter. I would disagree, it can matter if your fish get sick.

You can remove the charcoal from inserts, but it's a nuisance to do, and it's often combined with the ceramic media into a combination. I honestly believe that you are far better off to use filter foam cut to fit, some sort of ceramic in a bag if you wish to, though it can be all sponge, and then some floss to polish the water. These media types will always be much cheaper than buying inserts made to fit the filter specifically. And if you use your own media, no worries about exhausted charcoal in them either.

 

[Caliban07]

The problem with carbon is that though it was once used always, and tossed out with every filter change along with all the other media, since at the time the nitrogen cycle was not understood, it has since been learned that there may be a connection between the use of carbon, specifically activated charcoal, to be precise, and some fish diseases, Hole in the Head for one. Also, activated charcoal that is not changed out regularly soon becomes exhausted and it can then discharge the organics it has collected back into the tank water. Charcoal is good at adsorbing many things, but it has a relatively short life span and if not changed, can literally do more harm than good for many tanks. It does not serve well as extra biomedia because of this potential for discharging the organic load it has adsorbed. It can't be recharged unless you have access to high temperature processing equipment.. I think it needs to bake at 900 F for some unknown length of time to be recharged. Not something most hobbyists can manage. So unless you need it to remove some medication or colour or smell, I really would skip it. Manufacturers of filters persist in adding it to their refill inserts, why I'm not sure. Of course, they want you to buy them often and replace them often, so perhaps they think it won't matter. I would disagree, it can matter if your fish get sick. You can remove the charcoal from inserts, but it's a nuisance to do, and it's often combined with the ceramic media into a combination. I honestly believe that you are far better off to use filter foam cut to fit, some sort of ceramic in a bag if you wish to, though it can be all sponge, and then some floss to polish the water. These media types will always be much cheaper than buying inserts made to fit the filter specifically. And if you use your own media, no worries about exhausted charcoal in them either.

Again. The disadvantages of carbon filters are generally myth and although some may be true in industry, the likely hood of these things happening in our aquariums is pretty low. I got my info from this website. Again who knows whether any of this is fact or myth? With regards to carbon we are all just producing information that we have read but I used this website to forge my opinion.

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/carbon.htm

 

[Caliban07]

The methodology of zero filtration and large water changes is actually an ancient (as in millennia) and proven practice religiously followed by many serious goldfish breeders. They do not bother with cycling as 100% of the water is changed daily. It's something I generally practice with quarantined fish but it's a commitment to follow. Not for most hobbyists though but it is scientifically sound practice that has its benefits.

I'm still not convinced. Are you saying that by changing 100% of the water every day you will prevent any amount of natural biological filtration from colonising in a body of water that contains living organisms?

 

[Masha]

Again. The disadvantages of carbon filters are generally myth and although some may be true in industry, the likely hood of these things happening in our aquariums is pretty low. I got my info from this website. Again who knows whether any of this is fact or myth? With regards to carbon we are all just producing information that we have read but I used this website to forge my opinion.

Using activated carbon (charcoal) in the aquarium

Caliban - I was wondering. In that link, they refer to carbon removing "dissolved organic molecules". What would those be?

 

[Caliban07]

I'm not sure to be honest masha. Again, this is just the link I found the most useful when researching carbon.

Sorry

 

[Masha]

For what it's worth, I found this:
What Contaminants Activated Carbon Filters Remove From Water | TheWaterSite.com

One possible source of concern for activated charcoal is that some types are apparently made from substances that can increase phosphates in your tank, which can lead to an outbreak of algae.

 

[Caliban07]

Yeh I read that too. But also read that the amounts of phosphates leached would be so minimal it wouldn't make a difference. Also I think phosphates are a problem mostly associated with saltwater aquariums.

Everyone is entitled to there own opinion on carbon. I think it's one of those topics that is best to let people make up there own minds. I wouldn't encourage people to use it or suggest that people don't use it. Provide the information for claimed advantages and disadvantages and let people make up their own mind. It's such a grey area.