Filter Experts

[Maxta]

I have an internal filter on my aquarium, the Hagen Elite Stingray.

Right if you look at the internals, it has the intake at the bottom obviously with sponge, then the media cartridges.

I just bought this Seachem Matrix high capacity biofiltration support media. I picked out all the small bits and crushed some of the big bits down to make them smaller in order to fit them in the media cartridge (with it being a small filter).

My question is, would there be any problem in taking out the cartridges and leaving them out completely, and just adding the larger parts of the new media by themselves into the compartments either side? The bits that would be putting in are big therefore would not escape out of the filter and wouldnt get sucked up the outtake.

Thanks, Ian.

 

[Maxta]

Anyone?

 

[Tessla]

The Matrix media is a bit small to put in there loose, you'd have a horrible time cleaning out your filter sponge. It might be easier to get some filter floss or sponge and cut that down to fit where the cartridges currently go, leave those in and only replace one bit of sponge at a time if you need to, rinse all media well in tank water whenever you do a water change. While sponges are generally classified as mechanical filtration media, these can also be used as biological fitration media, it's just a matter of providing your bacteria with a place to colonise. Even activated carbon, if you leave it in your filter and don't change it will become biological filtration media, you just wouldn't get the chemical filtration benefit of changing the carbon, in fact, I think activated carbon has a similar surface area to the ceramic bio media.

 

[Maxta]

Ok il stick to the little bits i broke down to put in my cartridges.

 

[Maxta]

BTW my matrix media is large not small, there are some small bits in it but not many. but the big bits i was planning on using wouldnt get caught anywhere. I spoke to RDD and he said that his were small too and were surprised at the size of mine.

Would this change your view on this Tessla?

Im currently using the cartridges, with one of them filled with small pieces of the matrix, due to the large size of the actual media i had to take a hammer to some of them and tap them to make them break into small pieces in order for me to fill my media cartridges with them.

Then i realised it might be a good idea to take the cartridge out altogether and put the large bits in, more media = more bacteria, but had to run idea past here first

 

[Tessla]

How many of the larger pieces would be replacing a single catridge? If you're looking at more than two or three, that's going to be annoying to deal with every time you open your filter to clean it (which will likely be once a week). I'm sure they wouldn't get caught anywhere, it's just a bit more hassle than is necessary, and a sponge would provide plenty of surface area for bacteria to colonise. If you really want to provide more surface area for bacteria to colonize, you'll need to get a bigger filter.

What you actually want to achieve is a large amount of surface area that will stay in your filter long term, in larger filters ceramic or plastic media are used as they rarely clog when placed on top of mechanical filtration like sponges and filter floss so they can be kept in the filter for years. However, even in larger filters these aren't the only filter media that act as biological filtration, you get bacteria all over the other media as well: the longer the media stays in the tank, the more bacteria it will have. You will also get more bacteria growth in more highly oxygenated media, this would be what makes biowheels effective and the reason the majority of your biological filtration media will be at the top of the filter.

You'll also only have as many bacteria as your bioload will sustain, without a sufficient ammonia source, some of the bacteria will die off. Past a certain point, the only way to get more bacteria in your filter is to add more ammonia, but this isn't necessary as your bacteria population will adjust to your stocking, provided you have enough filtration and don't overstock.

My view is only that you're fussing a great deal over something that could be done more easily and cheaply while still remaining perfectly safe. I just want to make sure that you don't end up wasting an awful lot of time on your filter media. Good to see you taking such care with your tank though.

 

[Maxta]

Yeah.

My dad kind of doesnt understand what im doing, hes been brainwashed by some LFS's. Keeps asking why im adding ammonia and boiling my bogwood, and why im testing his water now and then etc. I just want to do things right and without losing any fish, im a pet lover, was devastated when the Pleco died.

Okay il just stick to adding the matrix media into the cartridges, i removed all the carbon and zeolite pieces out of 1 of the cartridges and replaced with the matrix. Il be leaving it a week or two before i do the same to the second cartridge.

Thanks for the info

Heres a picture of the cartridge, the small pile directly above it is the carbon & zeolite iv taken out, to the side is the matrix media:

and heres a picture of the smallers parts i replaced into the cartridge:

 

[Tessla]

Your matrix media is much larger than I expected it to be, looks as though you could use a couple of the larger pieces in your filter with little hassle, though if you've already got your catridges set up with smaller bits, I'd just use those as you shouldn't have to replace them.

Boiling bogwood isn't at all necessary for the health of your fish by the way, it will only reduce pH significantly if you have very soft water, in which case you would want to add buffers anyways. The yellow brown color of the water is a purely cosmetic problem, the same with algae (algae being actually beneficial in the aquarium the same way live plants are).

 

[Maxta]

Tell me about it, i didnt expect them to be that big. Yeah il stick with what the experts say then lol

Yeah i know it wont harm the fish but im just boiling the bogwood as id rather it didnt give off the acidic tannin and lower my pH. But as soon as i think its stopped leaching the stuff, i leave it and then come back and theres some more lol. Boiled the smaller bit 7 times now, and left it overnight 3 times in a pan of hot water with the lid on. The other bits in a bucket which i add boiling water from the kettle to.

Wont be putting it back into the water until my cycle is done. Along with any plants.

Thanks for the info again

 

[CLOSSIE]

if its volume of media you are looking for, what about buying a media net, or filling an old pair of stockings and putting that in and around where your media cage sits. at least that will stop bits being sucked into the impellor and wil make cleaning easier as you simply lift the whole bag out. cheers