Medias in Canister filter

[samuelgoh]

Hi,

wat medias do you guys put in ur canister ?
I am starting a new 3ft tank and tot of putting the following

-sponge/mat
-Mr Aqua CRs
-Aquaclay

tot of biohome+ or seacheam matrix but read that they absorb nitrates/nitrites as well, so is it still beneficial to a plant environment ?
And i think biohome+ is abit overkill for a planted tank environment with faunas such as yamato / neons etc..

hope to see some comments guys, help me out! thanks! =)

[samuelgoh]

anyone can comment?

[ankank]

I guess with filter media every fish keeper has his own preferences. It also depends on the filter's size and numbers of media stages (you didn't state both) and on your budget.

(In my own experience it doesn't need sophisticated filter media for the usual planted tank. A combination of fine/coarse filter wool/sponge and a little ceramic media to distribute the stream will do fine in most cases.)

[samuelgoh]

I guess with filter media every fish keeper has his own preferences. It also depends on the filter's size and numbers of media stages (you didn't state both) and on your budget.

(In my own experience it doesn't need sophisticated filter media for the usual planted tank. A combination of fine/coarse filter wool/sponge and a little ceramic media to distribute the stream will do fine in most cases.)

ok thanks
i am using the 2217 in this case
3 media stages.

[zenscape]

I am using 2028- 4 trays

Layout (from bottom):-
Bottom tray- Ceramic rings and coarse pad on top
2nd tray- EHEIM substrat
3rd Tray- Biohome (red and white)
4th and top- Whatever remainder of rings, biohome, substrat Plus Fine wool top.

By the way, I don't think biohome absorbs nitrate. Its purpose, like ring and substrat is to provide a condusive environment for nitrifying bacteria to have a foothold. There may be a product called Biohome Nitrate and i have not used it before.

[winston77]

I am using 2028- 4 trays

Layout (from bottom):-
Bottom tray- Ceramic rings and coarse pad on top
2nd tray- EHEIM substrat
3rd Tray- Biohome (red and white)
4th and top- Whatever remainder of rings, biohome, substrat Plus Fine wool top.

By the way, I don't think biohome absorbs nitrate. Its purpose, like ring and substrat is to provide a condusive environment for nitrifying bacteria to have a foothold. There may be a product called Biohome Nitrate and i have not used it before.

Huh? 2028 has 3 trays only, rite?

Anyway, I like your idea on arrangement of the media, eheim substrat followed by Biohome. It since the efficiency of Biohome is greater than that of eheim substrat, Biohome should be at the last tray to ensure that NH4 are properly used to convert into NO3. Am I right to say it this way?

[samuelgoh]

so guys , do you suggest that i just stay with biohome+ , instead of venturing out to try aquaclay/matrix ?

[winston77]

so guys , do you suggest that i just stay with biohome+ , instead of venturing out to try aquaclay/matrix ?

Well... it really depend very much on your budget...

IMO, Biohome+ is the best media available in the market, and its very costly as well.

Other media does pretty well, so it is really up to you to decide. I personally use Biohome+ in my 2026 for 3ft.

[ziege]

Sorry guys, juz wanna ask. I'm using Anti-ammonia rock for my HOF (I'm running a CF with Bio Rings as well.). Is the anti-ammonia rock useful or harmful for a planted tank?

[KeIgO86]

By the way, I don't think biohome absorbs nitrate. Its purpose, like ring and substrat is to provide a condusive environment for nitrifying bacteria to have a foothold. There may be a product called Biohome Nitrate and i have not used it before.

http://www.reinbiotech.com/biohome/biohome.jsp <-- seems like this page states otherwise.

[samuelgoh]

http://www.reinbiotech.com/biohome/biohome.jsp <-- seems like this page states otherwise.

hmmm meaning ?

[Quixotic]

By the way, I don't think biohome absorbs nitrate. Its purpose, like ring and substrat is to provide a condusive environment for nitrifying bacteria to have a foothold. There may be a product called Biohome Nitrate and i have not used it before.

http://www.reinbiotech.com/biohome/biohome.jsp <-- seems like this page states otherwise.

Hmm... I don't get it. Where or what does it state contrary to that zenscape has mentioned? If you are referring to the Biohome Nitrate statement, he said may be.

BIOHOME is the most efficient and cost effective biological colonisation media available for Nitrobacter, nitrosomonas, and other bacteria which adapt themselves to function in anoxic conditions.

It is merely a media in which bacteria lives and colonise and these bacteria will help convert/remove ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

Biohome is actually the same as any other products or media. What is different (supposedly) is that Biohome has more surface area compared with other media and therefore is able to allow MORE bacteria to colonise.

More bacteria = less ammonia/nitrite/nitrate = better water quality (comparatively).

[zenscape]

Lol Thanks Quixotic, you said it all for me..

[KeIgO86]

BIOHOME allows both nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria to grow in a single pellet, effectively getting rid of toxic and prevent green water.

By the way, I don't think biohome absorbs nitrate.

Here's the contrary part. Denitrifying (anaerobic) bacteria turns nitrates into nitrogen and oxygen gas, removing it from the water, which is somewhat similar to biohome "absorbing" nitrate. I may be wrong here by thinking that most cheaper biological filter media only are able to house nitrifying (aerobic) bacteria though.

Pardon my ignorance, but I thought that there is only biohome and biohome+. Is there a biohome nitrate that I do not know of?

[Quixotic]

There is no Biohome Nitrate.

I think your question can be interpreted as this: How can the media house anaerobic and aerobic bacterias in the same condition and thus claims to be able to remove nitrate, whereby the condition for removal of nitrate requires anaerobic environment?

Isn't there an illustration on the composite of the media showing how the water flows and the colonies of anaerobic and aerobic bacterias?

Aerobic bacteria mainly colonise areas where the water flows and anaerobic bacteria conlonise the deep and compact areas where the water doesn't flow. Considering how porous it is on the surface and compact inside, this would be very possible then.

BTW, other medias are able to house anaerobic bacterias as well, e.g. Eheim, Sera and this.