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The Best Biological Filter Media in 2019
Biological filter media (BFM) is a part of your
tank filtration system made to help good bacteria grow safely. These bacteria
are a very important part of your filter. But to help them keep your aquarium
healthy, you need the best BFM you can get.
So, what are the best biological filter media? BFM can be a little complicated to
understand. There are so many different types that it can be confusing for
beginners at first. But we’ve found the 4 best biological filter media to help
you decide on the right one for your tank.
Biological filtration has been a big discussion
point for a long time. It’s a very general term that describes many types of
water filtration using bacteria. Most people only think about removing ammonia
and nitrite when it comes to biofiltration. But reef aquarists think about
lowering nitrate levels biologically too. We’ll be covering it all.
Best Biological Filter
Media Reviews
There are many different kinds of BFM
available. Most of them are made from either plastic, natural minerals, or
man-made ceramics.
In this review, we’re going to look at the best
of each to help you decide which one is the right one for your tank.
Marineland Canister Filter Bio-Balls
Marineland makes these canister filter
“bio-balls,” which are a traditional nonporous plastic BFM.
Water is able to flow freely over and through the bio-balls. This makes it perfect for supporting the type of bacteria that feed on ammonia and nitrite. However, because it’s nonporous, it can’t filter nitrate.
Read more:
If you have a freshwater aquarium, with or without plants, and a canister filter, then these bio-balls are perfect for you. They never need to be replaced.
Pros:
- Marineland Canister Filter Bio-Balls never get dirty
- You never need to replace them if properly maintained.
- They’re not expensive.
- Bio-balls work very well for ammonia and nitrite.
- Perfect for freshwater tanks.
- Can also be used for marine aquariums with no plants.
Cons:
- The
bio-balls cannot help regulate nitrate.
Fluval BioMax Bio Rings
Bio rings are usually made of silica and
aluminum oxide. This combination makes for a very porous biofilter media.
Fluval BioMax Bio Rings are the best example on
the market. Their internal porous system, like the Seachem Matrix BioMedia (see
below), help more bacteria to grow than smooth biofilter media do.
The ring shape allows for water to flow through
the biofilter media. This helps to make sure that bacteria are able to colonize
much quicker. Fast colonization is very important for new aquariums or if
you’ve just finished a deep clean.
Read more:
Fluval BioMax Bio Rings are perfect for dealing
with ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in your tank. It can be used in any kind of
aquarium.
Pros:
- You can use Fluval BioMax Bio Rings as a loose BFM in canister filters.
- If you don’t use a canister filter, you can also put Fluval BioMax Bio Rings into a filter bag.
- Fluval BioMax Bio Rings are relatively inexpensive.
- Perfect for nitrification and denitrification.
- You can use Fluval BioMax Bio Rings in freshwater, marine, and reef tanks.
Cons:
- Unlike other BFM, Fluval BioMax Bio Rings need to be replaced every 6 months.
Seachem
Matrix BioMedia 1 Liter
The Seachem Matrix is a bio media made of solid
pumice that has been processed into 10mm pebbles. It has a rough surface, which
is perfect for bacteria.
According to Seachem, 1 liter of their Matrix
bio media gives you the same amount of surface area as 170 liters of plastic
ball alternatives. That's because plastic balls only give you an external
surface area. Seachem Matrix, on the other hand, also gives you an internal
“macroporous” surface area.
What’s very good about this product is that
unlike other media, the macropores are big enough for nitrifying and
denitrifying bacteria. This means it can remove ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate
at the same time.
Read more:
Seachem Matrix can be used in any kind of tank.
You only need 250ml for up to 25 gallons of water. 1 liter can be used for up
to 100 gallons.
Pros:
- You can use Seachem Matrix in a filter bag or loose.
- Seachem Matrix never needs to be replaced.
- You can rinse the matrix without harming the bacteria.
- It removes ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.
Cons:
If you’re using a drip tray system, you may need to use a larger Pond Matrix instead.
EHEIM
Substrat Pro Biological Filter Media (Sintered Pearl-Shaped Glass) 1L
Substrat Pro is a type of BFM material from
Germany. Porous beads of glass are made by compressing (also known as “sintering”)
very fine glass particles together. The process of sintering determines how
porous the beads are.
Laboratories have used sintered glass similar
to Substrat Pro to grow bacteria in a controlled environment. It’s a very good
medium for this.
That’s why EHEIM decided to take the process
and make their sintered pearl-shaped glass beads for aquarium filtration.
Read more:
Even though EHEIM also makes their own range of
biofilter canisters, you can use the EHEIM Substrat Pro BFM in any canister
filter’s tray. This product is best for larger canisters in both freshwater and
marine fish tanks.
Pros:
- Glass
beads won’t break down in your aquarium. - You
can easily clean the beads by rinsing them off. - Removes
ammonia, nitrate, and nitrate. - You
can use the EHEIM Substrat Pro in freshwater and marine tanks.
Cons:
- Can
be a little expensive.
Related Questions
You probably have a few more questions now that
you know what the best BFM are. Don’t worry: we have the answers right here!
Why
Do I Need a Biological Filter?
Bacteria grows everywhere in your aquarium. On
the glass, on your gravel, even on any ornaments you have in your tank.
So you might be wondering why you need a
biofilter at all if the bacteria is already everywhere. But it’s very important
for you to have one in place.
That’s because when you clean your aquarium’s
glass, rinse your gravel, scrub your ornaments, or even change lots of water at
a time, you disturb that bacteria. When your bacteria is disturbed or too much
is removed too quickly, you lose some of your natural biofilters.
Your BFM is meant to act as a safe home for the
bacteria that feed on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Even if you have to do a
deep clean because your tank got neglected, the bacteria in your biofilter will
keep working to keep your aquarium healthy.
Too much ammonia, nitrite, or even nitrate can
be deadly for your fish and plants. So these bacteria are your friends. Your
BFM helps you to look after them.
After a deep clean, there’s very little or even
no bacteria left on your glass, ornaments, and gravel. Even the loose bacteria
that floats in your water is gone.
The bacteria in your biofilter makes more
bacteria that colonize the rest of your tank for you.
In
What Order Should I Use Biological Filter Media (BFM)?
You should always put your BFM in the cleanest
part of your filtration system.
If you don’t let water flow through your
mechanical filter first, the bigger, heavier particles will settle in and on
top of your biofilter. All the sludge and debris, like solid fish waste and
uneaten fish food, will clog up your BFM.
When this happens, you’ll have a lot of
nitrite-friendly bacteria taking over the bacteria that feeds on nitrate. This
is very bad for your fish.
That’s why you should always make sure the
water flows through your mechanical filter first. This way, you can clean or
replace the mechanical filter without disturbing the good bacteria in and on
your biofilter.
If
I Use More Than 1 BFM Type, in What Order Should I Put Them?
You don’t actually need to use more than 1 BFM
type if you use a product that deals with ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.
However, if you use something that doesn’t affect ammonia, you’re going to need
to add at least 1 more type.
In this case, it’s doesn’t really matter what
order you put your BFM in........
If you’re using a canister filter, you can mix
the loose BFM together if you choose. The same is true for using filter bags.
Just be careful mixing 2 types of BFM, as some (like the Fluval BioMedia Bio
Rings) do need to be replaced while others don’t. If 1 of your BFM does need to
be replaced but the other doesn’t, it’s going to be easier for you not to mix
them.
How
Much BFM Do I Need to Use?
This can be a little tricky to answer. Even
though some manufacturers will tell you how much BFM to use per gallon of
water, not all of them do. This is because a lot of BFM is prepackaged for a
specific type of filter.
That means there’s no one answer to this
question. How much BFM you really need depends on a lot of things. For example,
the size of your fish and how much food you give them can affect how much BFM
you need.
The best way to see how much BFM you need is to
use the amount the manufacturer suggests. Carefully monitor your ammonia,
nitrite, and nitrate levels and add more media if you need to.
Don’t know how to test those levels? Check out this guide.
Can Sponge Be Used as BFM?
While some people suggest only using sponges as
mechanical filter media, you can actually use them as BFM as well.
Link to: Other kind of MFM
You need to be careful using sponges for
mechanical and biological filter layers at the same time, though. This is
called “dual purposing.” If you are dual purposing, then you need to use more
than one sponge at the same time.
Just as importantly, you need to make sure that
the sponges you use when dual purposing have different degrees of coarseness.
You can’t use the exact same type of sponge as a mechanical and a biological
filter at the same time. This won’t filter your water properly.
When dual purposing, put the most coarse sponge
first as a mechanical filter. The finer sponges work very nicely as BFM if need
be.
You should also be careful to clean these
sponges at different times. Otherwise, you’re going to disturb your bacteria.
Be very careful when buying sponges to use in
your aquarium. It doesn’t matter if you want to use them for mechanical
filtration, biofiltration, or both. Some sponges aren’t safe to use as any kind
of filter.
Take a look at this YouTube video to find out how to see if a sponge brand is
safe for your aquarium.
How Often Do I Need to Change My BFM?
With most BFM, you don’t ever need to change or
replace them at all. As you saw with 3 of the BFM we reviewed above, all you
need to do is rinse them off.
However, if you’re using the Fluval BioMedia
Bio Rings, you’ll need to replace some of them every 6 months. Sometimes, you
make need to change them more often.
The only other time you might need to replace
your BFM is if you’re using sintered glass, like the EHEIM Substrat Pro. And
even then, you only need to change them if the beads do start to break down.
But that should never happen in a healthy tank.
Normally, even if your aquarium was neglected
and you need to do a deep clean, you can keep the same BFM.
Instead of changing your BFM, just give it a
rinse if your water flow rate is too slow. You should also rinse your BFM if
you notice that there is a lot of fish waste and dirt building up.
Never rinse your BFM
under the tap, though. The chlorine will kill all your bacteria. Instead, use
some of your aquarium water to rinse your BFM.
Do I Really Need a Mechanical Filter
and Chemical Filter if I Use a Lot of BFM?
All 3 filter types - mechanical, biological,
and chemical - are recommended. However, at the very least, you should always
have both a mechanical and biological filter in place.
That’s because they serve very different
purposes. While you can dual purpose by using sponges as both mechanical and
biological filter media, as mentioned earlier, you still need to use several
different sponges.
If you decide to use a biological filter
without a mechanical filter, your BFM is going to become clogged very quickly.
You should always have a mechanical filter before your BFM to prevent this from
happening by capturing all the bigger debris.
Otherwise, your tank is going to have too much
nitrite, which is very bad for your fish.
The chemical filter isn’t absolutely necessary,
but it’s always a good idea to have all 3 filter types. Chemical filters are
placed behind the mechanical and biological filters, so it’s the last filter
your water flows through.
All the things that mechanical and biological
filters cannot take care of, chemical filters do. This includes undissolved
material that can make your tank water cloudy or smell bad.
Read original article at: The Best Biological Filter Media in 2019.
Thứ Bảy, 13 tháng 4, 2019
How to Change Your Filter Without Losing Bacteria
Biological balance is the key to a healthy
aquarium and bacteria plays an important part it that balance. Changing your
filter can sometimes make you lose bacteria, though. And when it does, your
water quality can crash.
So, how to change your filter without losing
bacteria? The only
way to make sure you don’t lose too much bacteria when changing your filter is
to colonize the new filter. There are 3 ways to do this. All of them have one
thing in common: the old filter’s media.
We’ll take a look at all 3 ways to change your aquarium filter without losing bacteria. And we’ll help you understand why bacteria is actually a good thing for your fish.
3 Ways to Change Your
Aquarium Filter Without Losing Bacteria
As mentioned earlier, there are 3 ways to
change your aquarium filter without losing bacteria. All 3 methods are very
simple, but will save you from a tank disaster that can be difficult to fix.
With all 3 methods, you’ll need to keep your
old filter’s media. Ideally, it will stay in your aquarium with the new filter
for a month. This is to help the new filter to cultivate the bacteria necessary
for a healthy tank.
Before you buy a new filter, you do need to ask
yourself if you really need one. As long as your old filter still works, you
probably don’t.
If you need a stronger water flow rate, it’s
usually a better option to buy a second, smaller filter. You can use it with
the old filter at the same time.
Leave
Your Old Filter in With the New One
Leaving your old filter in your tank with the
new one for at least a month seems like the easiest option. After all, all you
need to do is put the new one in.
This method does help to colonize your new
filter with the bacteria from the old one. But you must keep a careful eye on
your flow rates. Too much flow will disturb your fish, especially if they are
small, young, or are betta fish. A flow rate that is too fast for them will
cause your fish stress from having to swim against the current.
If you have live plants in your aquarium,
you’ll also need a slower flow rate. This helps to keep carbon dioxide levels
healthy.
You can use filter pads to slow your flow rate
down if need be. The old filter can actually be left in your tank permanently
unless it is broken or you only want to keep one filter.
Reuse
the Old Filter’s Media
Another option is to take the old filter’s
media and put it into your new filter. The media is where a lot of the bacteria
is. This way, you don’t have to worry about losing that bacteria. You probably
won’t replace all your filter media at the same time, so new media will have
time to be colonized.
The only problem with this method is that your
old and new filters need to use media that are the same size and shape. If the
old filter’s media won’t fit into the new filter, this method won’t work.
Your media also needs to be in good condition.
Media that is falling apart cannot be reused, of course.
Try to keep the old media in your tank for at
least one month before changing any of it.
Colonize
the New Filter
If you don’t want to or can’t run two filters
at the same time and your old filter’s media doesn’t fit your new filter, there
is a third option.
When you take the old filter out, keep its
media. As long as they aren’t falling apart, you can simply put them next to
the new filter. Over the next month, the bacteria from the old media will
colonize your new filter for you.
While you can usually keep two filters in your
tank permanently, or reuse the old media in your new filter until it starts falling
apart, this method should only be used for one month. After that month is over,
you must take the old media out.
Understanding Biological
Balance
If you’re a beginner, you may be wondering why
you need bacteria in your tank in the first place. When we think of bacteria,
we usually think of things that make us sick. And we don’t want to make our
fish sick, right?
But yogurt is an example of good bacteria that
can help us stay healthy. In the same way, there are good bacteria in our
aquariums that help keep our aquariums and our fish healthy too.
For example, some bacteria feed on fish waste
and uneaten fish food. Other bacteria feed on nitrate and ammonia, which helps
to keep them at a healthy level.
Bacteria helps to create biological balance.
It’s the number 1 way for your tank to get rid of waste. This is why you should
have a biofilter in your aquarium.
Biological
Filtration
Biological filtration helps to keep things in
balance. In nature, this balance usually happens without needing our help. But
in an aquarium, we need to be careful to make sure we create that balance for
our fish.
You might think that if you have a 1,000-gallon
tank with only one small fish in it, you have a stronger biofilter capacity
than a 10-gallon aquarium with the same fish.
But actually, the biofilter capacity will be the exact same. This is because the bacteria need waste to feed. It doesn’t matter how big or small your tank is, that one small fish can only create a small number of bacteria.
The biofilter size will be the same no matter
what your tank size. After all, it cannot get bigger than the available “food”
for the bacteria is.
If some of your fish die or you move them to
another tank, the bacteria levels will also start to drop. With less fish,
there’s less waste, so some of the bacteria will die because they aren’t
getting enough food. When you put more fish into your tank, the bacteria levels
will rise again.
Common
Misunderstandings
Having an aquarium can be a fun and beautiful
experience. Unfortunately, too many new aquarists don’t do proper research.
They come across some common misunderstandings and think they’re true.
When it comes to biofilters, there are two in
particular that are very common:
- Bacteria that feed on nitrite and
ammonia only live in the filter. - Most good bacteria in a tank are
found in the filter’s media, such as the bio rings and filter sponge.
This makes new tank owners think that changing
their filter will always lead to a biological crash. They become too scared to
change their filter because they think they’ll lose all their good bacteria.
Luckily, this isn’t true. As long as your
aquarium is healthy and your filter is working properly, you’ll find good
bacteria everywhere. Even the water and tank glass have bacteria on it. Your
aquarium’s gravel, ornaments, and plastic plants also have bacteria.
The
Truth
Because of those common misunderstandings, a
lot of people think that the biofilter is a “safe haven” for good bacteria.
They believe that only bad bacteria are able to live in other areas of their
aquariums.
But when scientists used a Scanning Electron
Microscope to study the biology of aquariums, they found that good bacteria is
indeed found everywhere. They even tried to make the biological balance crash
on purpose by putting in new filters without first colonizing them. That’s
because the filter media doesn’t have more bacteria than any other part of the
tank. They actually have exactly the same amount.
While this crash can sometimes happen, it
doesn’t happen very often. It’s only when your tank is already unhealthy that
changing the filter causes a crash.
Even though it is safe to change your filter without colonizing the new media, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Using 1 of the 3 methods we introduced to you is still considered best practice. After all, you still lose some bacteria otherwise.
Related Questions
Now you know how to change your aquarium filter
without losing too much bacteria. You also know that as long as your tank is
healthy, it’s okay if you forget to colonize the new filter.
But of course, you may still have a few
questions.
After all, if the bacteria live everywhere in
your tank, why do you still end up with bad water quality after changing your
filter?
There are 3 reasons this usually happens. We’ll
take a look at all of them.
What
Mistakes Happen With New Aquariums?
If you’ve just gotten your first aquarium,
we’re sure you’re excited about it! For the first while, your tank is looking
perfectly healthy and clean. The biofilter is being built as bacteria starts to
grow and feed on waste.
But then you see some algae starting to grow
too. You begin to panic because you think it’s bad for your tank.
While too much algae are definitely bad for
your aquarium, a little bit is perfectly fine. But if you're still a beginner,
you might not know this. Instead of keeping an eye on your algae growth, you
decide to clean everything.
This is where the problem starts.
By changing all your aquarium water at once,
scrubbing every surface, and changing your filter media, you interrupt the
biological balance. The biofilter never develops properly because you’re not
allowing it to.
When this happens, all the waste that your good
bacteria is supposed to take care of stays in the water. This makes it cloudy.
Your aquarium may even start to smell and your fish start to get sick.
So you become worried and start over with new
filters, new water, and by scrubbing everything again. The only problem is,
that’s what caused the issue in the first place.
Instead, you should leave your tank to regulate
itself for a month. It will probably look dirty for a few weeks, but that's
okay. During those first 30 days, your biofilter is growing. Letting it do so
will help make sure your aquarium stays healthy in the future.
When
is a Deep Clean Bad?
Doing a deep clean every now and then is good
for your tank. There is some waste that bacteria can’t take care of and your
filter media only last for a certain amount of time. For example, activated
carbon needs to be changed once a month.
Siphoning your gravel, changing the water, and
replacing filter media is very good practice. But if you do so too often,
especially all at the same time,
this can end up being very bad for your tank.
That’s because it disturbs your biological
balance too much.
Bacteria that feed on ammonia and nitrite
usually grows on the top level of your gravel. The bacteria that feed on sludge
grows on the bottom layer. Too much of this second type can be a bad thing and
lead to algae.
But cleaning your gravel can cause cloudy
water. You panic and change your media filter and/or water. This takes away the
bacteria that is supposed to help your gravel bacteria colonize to a healthy
level again. The cloudy water is actually just small debris from the gravel
that will settle after a little while.
It’s much better to do smaller gravel cleans
more often instead of one deep clean every month or 2. This helps to makes sure
you don’t accidentally lose too much bacteria.
What
Should I Do if My Aquarium Was Neglected?
Sometimes, even the best of us get a little
lazy with cleaning our tanks. Or maybe we’ve been too busy to do it properly in
a while. Perhaps you went away for a few weeks and nobody was looking after
your aquarium for you - or they didn’t do so properly.
While it’s okay to be lazy every now and then,
it becomes a problem when your tank becomes neglected. By the time you realize
there’s something wrong, your filter media is usually clogged with slime and
making a horrible noise. It’s struggling to filter your water.
This slime and sludge make algae grow faster.
Even worse, it releases hydrogen sulfide, which is very bad for your aquarium.
The problem is, if you do a deep clean, you’ll
end up losing all the good bacteria too.
What you should do instead is make small changes. Make sure your filter is still in good condition and change the media first. This will help aerate your tank. Clean your aquarium glass slowly and carefully. Otherwise, you’ll send algae particles into the water and clog your filter again.
Take any ornaments out to clean them
separately. And instead of doing one big water change, do smaller changes over
a few weeks. Lastly, clean your aquarium gravel again. This can also be done
while changing water.
Be careful to test your ammonia, nitrite, and
pH levels every week during this cleaning period.
Read more at: How to Change Your Filter Without Losing Bacteria.