is bio-ring needed for a sump ?

[angmoh]

Is bio-ring a must for my sump filter system ? what's the use of bio-rings ? thanks

 

[Guest]

I don't know much about sumps, but I use Bio-rings in my canister filter. Their use is that they provide a very good surface for benificial bacteria to attach to and colonize on. Benificial bacteria will get rid of ammonia and nitrites from your tank, so they are very important.

 

[angmoh]

how does a canister filter look like ? any pic of it ? thanks

 

[Guest]

Yeah, it looks like a small trash can with two pumps coming out of it, one in and one out. Check any online retailer (Petco, Petsmart, etc.) and you can get some pics.

 

[Lepomis]

No it is not a must. You can subsitute a variety of media for bacteria growth. I use a lot of "biomesh" style stuff in my tank. Surface area of these type materials is very large when calculated in comparison to some other types of media. I think on many one square foot of material = 60-80 square feet of surface area.

 

[ClamKnuckle]

You really don't need to put anything in your sump for biological filtration depending on what you have in your tank. If you have a DSB and 1.5 - 2 lbs/gal LR that should be all teh bio filtration you need.

If your sytem requiers you to have bio fuiltration in your sump, lots of people recommend using LR rubble instead of things like bio-balls because the bio-balls can become nitrate factories, so if you decide to put something like that in your system be aware of that.

If you are tossing around the idea of either a canister filter or a sump, i recommend a sump do to it's added water volume, ability to house items such as skimmers and heaters and ease of maintenance.