filter media...what do you use and why?

[mekoi]

Hi Guys,

I've used lava rocks(cheap and works great fo TT), jap matt(current filter) and netting. Never tried any other media/filter , maybe I should

jon

[keokoi]

aerated J-Mat since the beginning. Will be adding Bakki Shower this spring. Not sure on Media as of yet but am thinking BH for the heck of it.

Joe

[luke frisbee]

I'd use that coral too..if I could get it....i wonder if i took a trailer down tot he key.hmmmm

Lava rock is "man-made" I have been told it is a by-product in a foundry trade.

[dick benbow]

Joe,
How about extra hard akadama? <grin>

[gregbickal]

Media? I dont use any media... The RAW (Radio-Active Waves) from the Nuke plant 2 miles away keep my water gin clear

Ok, seriously, I have passive settling chamber, then brushes, then bird netting, then static K1.

For my breeding ponds, passive settling, then lava-rock.

All works good. You would be surprized how much gunk bird netting traps.

[Dwight]

How in the world do you use bird netting ?


Even though I'm currently a K! fan it seems that almost everything works as long as it suits the application.
Ive also found that very high frequency radio waves help precipitate alge. Now who started this EM emission thing anyway? I know about the ceramics in the Bakki shower supposedly emiting far infra red but after teaching chemistry and physics for 36 years have a hard time believing it. What are FIR waves supposed to do anyway except heat up water ?

[gregbickal]

You unfold the bird netting and let it get warm in the sun. Then wad it up into a big ball. Lots of surface area, lots of void space. When you want to clean it, just pull it out, or drain the chamber and spray it off in place. Good stuff, easy to clean, traps lots, cheap. Gill nets from Memphis Net & Twine are also very cheap.

[Dwight]

Good idea. I wonder how it would work in an up-flow bioreactor ( basically a 35 gal plastic drum with a bulkhead fitting in the botton )

[Werner]

Here's an article I wrote for the novice ponder which may be of some help:

http://www.wernersponds.com/biofiltermedia.htm

and another by Dr. Tim Hovanec

http://www.marineland.com/getstarted...THESURFACE.pdf

[kevan]

it would appear that your surface area chart is way off the mark for the larva material, that your report is biased/wrong.

but back to alpha grog, it would appear to actually be very porus baked clay,

yes it could clog like larva rock which is why you have a decent pre filter to prevent this.

i have used alfa grog for many years and have never experienced it clogging or a reduced efficiancy, and when i am raising fry any efficancy loss would become instantly apparent.

i dont have Momotaro bacteria house media but to me as far as i can tell this appears to be along the lines of baked clay/alfa grog, now without a detailed description of the material its hard for me to comment but from what i have seen it would appear that this material would suffer in an identicle way as lava rock or alfa grog regarding blocking, are you saying that this material is not a suitable media also?

it seems for some reason your report was biased against larva rock due to the fact that no one would be prepared to use a decent pre filter? which could simply be a few sheets of graded foam after brushes....whats so impossible about that in order to reap the benefit of a cheap and highly efficient media?

kevan.