Biological filter media is any media that can be used to house as much beneficial bacteria as possible. Very porous media is desired because this will allow for more beneficial bacteria per square inch. One key is the surface area if you’re going to choose the right biological filter. So, what types of biological filter you should choose?
Absorptive ceramic cylinders
Buy some ceramic cylinders for it is a great biological media hat you can readily add to your aquarium filter. Each cylinder will average 3/8”x 3/8”. Frequently placed in media bags and put up as the bottom layer in an aquarium filter which is closer to the top. Expect a much better water flow and a remarkable surface area for good bacteria to produce and thrive when you have a ceramic cylinder.
Bio-Glass
Bio-glass is very similar to the ceramic cylinders. It comes in the shape of a deep-set cylinder and it is made of natural silicate. Kept as well in media bags and put down in the lower layer of the aquarium filter closer to the top. Beneficial bacteria thrives and grows in the surface are of a bio-glass in the same way that a better water flow is produced.
Useful Bio-Balls
Ergonomically designed, bio-ball goes extremely well into a filter and it shelters those healthy bacteria that you always wanted to have. A gallon of bio-balls would have a surface area close to 21.5 square feet. Works great in wet/dry and canister filters.
Sphere-shaped media
These biological media balls is made from natural lava rock. It gives you a nice water flow all the while providing home for helpful bacteria which you’ve always wanted. The quartz balls should be placed in media bags of the aquarium filter. You can place the biological spheres in almost all aquarium filters.
Bio Media Stars
This biological media is made from polymer and is shaped as a star. Provides excellent surface area to build up your beneficial bacteria. If you will have 4 stars, expect to have 20 gallons.
Eheim Ehfisubstrat PRO
Made from glass sinters, Ehfisubstrat provides a big surface area around 19,000 square feet for every gallon. It’s specifically designed to shelter helpful bacteria. It can be used in almost all existing aquarium filters. You can keep it in common aquarium media filter bags.
Changing Media Filters
You need not worry how oftimes you have to change the biological filter media in your fish tank. Well, you might not replace it after all! As long as the filter media is in good shape, and you are able to clean it, you should be OK. A lot of bio-filter media can be re-used and needs merely to be cleaned.
Cleansing Bio Filters
When is the time you would have to clean biological media filter? You should wash your filter media if you notice that the water flow slowed and you start to see floating detritus ( fish dirt).
You can cleanse your bio-filter media by directly placing the mechanical filter under running water, but it’s advised that you should not. The right way to wash biological media is in a container of water from your aquarium. If you bathe your biological media under running water, the chlorine would waste all the healthy bacteria that you keep. Undoing the good bacteria would lead to serious issues and possibly creating a mini-cycle. Just regularly soak the bio-filter media in a pail of water from your aquarium.
Gardens Calgary is a local organization that promotes ecologically friendly ponds
Written by: Custom Stone and Waterscapes 3829 Parkhill Place SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2W6 (403) 870-1142
