Biofilter Questionnaire

Hi Guys,
I want to do an exercise to find the common size of the biofilter in relation to the size of the tank and the simplest way IMO is to ask the members.

The questions I like answered are:

• Type of bio-medium used: ie: siporax, bio balls, foam or other
• Volume of the bio-medium in Liters: ie: 0.5L, 1L, 5L etc
• Volume of the tank in Liters: ie: 50L, 100L 200L etc

Thanks for your co-operation

 

What I see very often on planted tank sites, is that the biofilter should be at least 10% of the aquarium volume. This means the amount of media, not the water volume of the sump/cannister. But, this is related to less effective, older type media such as bio balls, ceramic rings and sponges. If you use Siporax or Matrix, you would need less. According to the Sera web site, 1L of Siporax = 34L of ceramic rings. Furthermore, Sera propose 1L of Siporax per 200L of aquarium water. Seachem suggests 500ml of Matrix per 200L of aquarium water. Think maybe these figures will help you formulate some answers?

 

I think this whole issue is an almighty mess, although - despite it - we seem to get away with it.

I assume that the ratios you quote are based on differences in surface area, but who says that the surface areas are evenly coated? Cultures tend to establish themselves in preffered areas.
1 in 200 is a ratio I use for Siporax and it seems to work, but in the old days I used bio-balls in roughly the same ratio and that also worked.

The information from the members could give us valuable information and maybe enough to tell us what to investigate further.

I'm really keen to see the answers.

 

OK on my 300L aquarium I have a 12L cannister filter and a 25L sump, which can actually hold 75L. The extra space is for 40L of possible overflow.

In the cannister filter, with 12L of water:
1L Sera Siporax
1L Sera branded ceramic rings
1L Sera branded bio balls
3 Sera branded course sponges
1 Sera branded filter pad
1 packet Buyo filter floss

In the sump, with 25L of water:
2L no-name brand ceramic rings
4 normal foam sponges
2 packets of Buyo filter floss

I intend to replace the 2L ceramic rings in the sump with 2L Siporax within the next few months. I can't say I have any filtration issues, except I think I can improve flow in the aquarium. But this is a mechanical filtration issue, and your thread is bio filtration...

 

Hmmm,

I'm proposing to ignore the sponges/floss even though I know they get populated with bacteria, but - I assume - not as dense as the Siporax and rings. They also get clogged quickly with mulm/sediments.

So, that would amount to: 3L of Siporax and 2L of no-name brand ceramic rings.

OK?

 

No, let's look at what's currently there. As said, I don't believe I have bio filtration issues at the moment, although I would like to upgrade to more Siporax.

1L Siporax, 3L normal ceramic rings (Sera and no-name brand together), 1L bio balls

So if 1L Siporax = 34L ceramic rings (According to Sera), then I have 38L bio media on my 300L aquarium, which is above the minimum 10% value recommended.

But then Sera suggest 1L Siporax per 200L of aquarium water, so I think the 1L Siporax = 34L ceramic rings is perhaps not so true...According to Sera, I should have 1.5L of Siporax on my 300L aquarium, or 51L of ceramic rings (if 1L Siporax = 34L ceramic rings).

Prod Dirk's been using Siporax for much longer than anybody else on this forum. Perhaps he knows the "REAL" ratio of Siporax to aquarium volume?

 

OK, I understand, but for the time being I'll record it as : 1L Siporax, 3L rings and 1L bio balls. OK?

 

Hey guys!

Please respond to my request for information, even if its only just to keep me quiet
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Remember:

• Type of bio-medium.
• Volume of Bio-medium.
• Volume of tank.

 

All my life I have used box filters stuffed with coral chips, stones and wool. If not that then I have used sponge filters. Most of my tanks used to have undergravel filters. When I started my first (and best) planted tank all I used was a 1500 L/H powerhead with the little sponge filter cartridge. This tank was stuffed with fish and many spawned---even the pencil fish (it is a wonderful thing to put 6 pencil fish into a tank and fish out 9). I have used the Aquaclear filters but didn't find them so fantastic. I went back to the plain old powerhead with sponge filter cartridges. Quite frankly, I don't see much point in being so obsessive about filtration and Siporax. Planted tanks need very little filtration as the plants do most if not all the work. It is only since I have been mucking about with fancy filters that I have had algae problems.

My next planted tank will again simply have a high flow rate powerhead. Siporax be damned.

Not the response you were expecting?

 

Thanks Raymond. It's appreciated

OK, OK, But I think a bio-filter is a good thing and I firmly believe that it reduces the so-called "residual ammonia", ie: the stuff that can cause green water

 

Canister: Via Aqua 1200

Capacity: 15 liters

Amount of Media: 10 liters of Media

Media Type: Ceramic Rings, Clay Balls, Batting.

----------------------------

Canister: Cascade 500

Capacity: 5 liters

Amount of Media: 3 liters of Media

Media Type: Ceramic Rings, Clay Balls, Batting.

Both run in my 250 liter setup.

 

Thanks Larch. That's very impressive.

 

OK shihr, thanks very much for responding. Where on earth are you?
Two questions:

• What medium are you using?
• How much are you using? (Ltrs)

 

Yes, I know you live in Jo'burg, but where are you now?

BTW: Just give me your best guess of the total volume in Ltrs. OK?

 

No sweat