Substrate As Bio Filter

[Sten0016]

Hello everyone,

Well so far I have an empty 20 gal tank. I've done a lot of reading and think i know how im going to set it up. Freshwater, and a few small fish to start.

I had a power outage the other day witch put my train of thought to filters. I seen a product called seachem Matrix. It said it could be used as or mixed with your substrate. So if i had this as substrate, instead of putting it in my filter, i would at least have a biofilter during a power outage no?

More or less i'm just spit ballin ideas. If its bad well ill throw it out the window.

 

[techen]

Yes and no, It would work but as far as I know you'd need water flow over it so it covers the entire tank. These things are used in sumps where water passes over and through it acting kinda like a offline filter.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I consider most of the fancy bio-media as being overpriced and of not much benefit in the long run. The bacteria will grow on any gravel or sand one uses as substrate. It will grow in sponges. It will grow on biowheels. It will grow on gravel in a bag or box.
 
All the talk of superior surface area is a bunch of hype imo. In the long run, the finer the pores of any material are, the sooner they will begin to clog. And clogged pores do not present a good place for bacteria as they soon are without food, carbon and oxygen.
 
It is not how much surface area one has available to start that counts, it is what surfaces will have adequate flow through in months and years from now. if you want interesting bio-media that won't make you poor:
 
lava rock broken into small pieces
gravel
sponges
Poret foam
plastic hair curlers
pot scrubbers (nylon)
 
The key to good bio-media is not just surface area, but the ability to maintain adequate flow though and across all surfaces to which the bacteria will attach.

 

[Sten0016]

Ahhh water flow. That's the missing piece. See what happens when the power goes out. You sit and overthink things.

Thanks for the responces.