Bio Media Change Out

I've been using the media that came with my filter. It is working just fine like it is supposed to. My question is.....The black plastic spiral things that are my last tray float when I rinse my trays. I want to replace them with something heavier. What are best? Ceramic rings, bio balls ? I was going to exchange them slowly a few per rinsing.

 

I like bioballs or Seachem Matrix bio media. The rings are okay too but if you are picking just one I'd go with bioballs/matrix for the surface area that the bacteria can colonize.

 

My middle basket is Matrix I believe. Little brown balls?

Do the bio balls float?

 

Little brown balls are probably bio balls (mine are at least small round beige/tan in color). Matrix looks more like random sized whiteish flatter bits of rock. My bio balls do not float, they are from eheim, not sure if that makes a difference or not.

 

Any plastic media, bio balls, pot scrubbies should not be used in a static filter. They are for large moving bed media filters or sumps. They harbor very little bacteria. You need solid porous media with large surface area like Matrix, Biohome or Marine Pure media.

 

Any plastic media, bio balls, pot scrubbies should not be used in a static filter. They are for large moving bed media filters or sumps. They harbor very little bacteria. You need solid porous media with large surface area like Matrix, Biohome or Marine Pure media.

My filter is a Eheim pro 4 250 it has the brown balls and black spiral plastic things. Which do you recommend and can I replace them all at once?

 

My filter is a Eheim pro 4 250 it has the brown balls and black spiral plastic things. Which do you recommend and can I replace them all at once?

If it's plastic you should remove them and just replace with Matrix like you wanted. The brown balls should stay as they are probably good bio media.

 

If it's plastic you should remove them and just replace with Matrix like you wanted. The brown balls should stay as they are probably good bio media.

I looked up the 3 things you said. The Matrix looks best and I can probably buy it at the lfs. My question is still can I replace it all at once or should I do it slower.

My filter is due for a rinse that's why I was asking.

 

I looked up the 3 things you said. The Matrix looks best and I can probably buy it at the lfs. My question is still can I replace it all at once or should I do it slower.

If you're asking if the brown bio balls should be replaced at the same time, no. If you put in your new Matrix I would wait about 2-4 weeks before replacing the rest with Matrix. However, I really don't think those brown bio balls need to be replaced.

 

If you're asking if the brown bio balls should be replaced at the same time, no. If you put in your new Matrix I would wait about 2-4 weeks before replacing the rest with Matrix. However, I really don't think those brown bio balls need to be replaced.

Wasn't replacing them at all. Just the black plastic things.

 

Wasn't replacing them at all. Just the black plastic things.

OK, yes you could replace all the plastic media as the new media will start to colonize new bacteria within days.

 

I will look for some then! TY

 

How is your filter set up? Top to bottom and how does the water flow from top to bottom or bottom to top? What size tank and how many fish. Ehiem makes great filters! Now if the filter is set up correctly and your amount f fish is correct you may not need to change anything. You can only grow enough bacteria for the amount of fish you have.
Did the black plastic things come with the filter? A great video to watch is setting up your canister filter by the pond guru. Look it up on utube .

 

How is your filter set up? Top to bottom and how does the water flow from top to bottom or bottom to top? What size tank and how many fish. Ehiem makes great filters! Now if the filter is set up correctly and your amount f fish is correct you may not need to change anything. You can only grow enough bacteria for the amount of fish you have.
Did the black plastic things come with the filter? A great video to watch is setting up your canister filter by the pond guru. Look it up on utube .

Yes they did come with it. I just don't like how they float. Been working good though. My canister is a Eheim pro 4 250. 55 gallon tank. It seems to be doing a great job. Just when cleaning the floaties go everywhere making it a hassle. It is top to bottom. Coarse sponge, filter floss, bio substrat, plastic spirals, I have a bag of purigen in the bottom.

 

The little brown balls are likely Eheim substrat pro. They are quite good, as are eheim filters. One thing I will say is that I would have sponges in the bottom tray. Course, then fine, then a filter floss pad. That way they will collect debris and stop the bio media from clogging or getting too dirty.

The flow goes through the course sponge at the top, down to the bottom around the sides and then up through the media in the trays. So the bottom would be mechanical and the other trays would be biological. Sponge would also act as biological.

 

The little brown balls are likely Eheim substrat pro. They are quite good, as are eheim filters. One thing I will say is that I would have sponges in the bottom tray. Course, then fine, then a filter floss pad. That way they will collect debris and stop the bio media from clogging or getting too dirty.

The flow goes through the course sponge at the top, down to the bottom around the sides and then up through the media in the trays. So the bottom would be mechanical and the other trays would be biological. Sponge would also act as biological.

mine is

top blue coarse sponge
middle substrat topped with floss- has a lid on it
bottom plastic spirals

Do you mean to replace the plastic with more sponge?

 

mine is

top blue coarse sponge
middle substrat topped with floss- has a lid on it
bottom plastic spirals

Do you mean to replace the plastic with more sponge?

I would replace the plastic with sponge personally. And take the floss out of the middle tray and on top of the sponge in the bottom. Bottom tray would ideally have course then fine sponge then floss.

The sponge on top is a prefilter sponge.

 

I would replace the plastic with sponge personally. And take the floss out of the middle tray and on top of the sponge in the bottom. Bottom tray would ideally have course then fine sponge then floss.

The sponge on top is a prefilter sponge.

You said the bio would get mucked up. the floss is before the bio right now. If flows through the top down.

 

You said the bio would get mucked up. the floss is before the bio right now. If flows through the top down.

Are you sure about that? I'm fairly certain that on those filters it goes in through the top tray with the sponge, down the sides and then up through the trays from the bottom.

This is a diagram of how the larger version of this works:

 

Are you sure about that? I'm fairly certain that on those filters it goes in through the top tray with the sponge, down the sides and then up through the trays from the bottom.

This is a diagram of how the larger version of this works:
eheim pro 4 250 - Google Search

Guess I'm lost then. Why would they have the floss after everything else? I also don't see how it goes through the top to the sides. There aren't any holes or slots its solid all the way down the sides.

 

Guess I'm lost then. Why would they have the floss after everything else? I also don't see how it goes through the top to the sides. There aren't any holes or slots its solid all the way down the sides.

Companies tend to sell them with wonky setups. The floss in most filters is on the top tray, when it shouldn't be there. My eheim ecco pro 300 was sold the same way. Only my jbl filter came organised perfectly.

The top tray with the sponge should have a solid bottom. There should be a hole to the side where the water will pass to the bottom. Here's a video by pondguru on how to set up these filters right. This is the pro 4 600 rather than 250 though. Also you don't have to pay attention to the full cycle he will talk about, that is if you have biohome which cultures bacteria that will break down nitrates.

 

Companies tend to sell them with wonky setups. The floss in most filters is on the top tray, when it shouldn't be there. My eheim ecco pro 300 was sold the same way. Only my jbl filter came organised perfectly.

The top tray with the sponge should have a solid bottom. There should be a hole to the side where the water will pass to the bottom. Here's a video by pondguru on how to set up these filters right. This is the pro 4 600 rather than 250 though. Also you don't have to pay attention to the full cycle he will talk about, that is if you have biohome which cultures bacteria that will break down nitrates.

So a coarse sponge with filter floss on top in the bottom tray to replace the plasic things. Substrat balls in the middle. top is the solid compartment with the prefilter sponge. Is that going to be good? That will be so much easier to clean....

 

So a coarse sponge with filter floss on top in the bottom tray to replace the plasic things. Substrat balls in the middle. top is the solid compartment with the prefilter sponge. Is that going to be good? That will be so much easier to clean....

That's how I'd set it up anyway. Pondguru too and filters are his speciality. Only I would do both a course and fine sponge in the bottom along with the filter floss.

It's definitely easier to clean. I rarely have to touch my biomedical trays at all. Just a few squeezes of the sponges in some old tank water and the dirt is gone. My filter has a prefilter sponge tray, two sponge trays and two biological trays. The sponges act as biological too so all is good.

 

That's how I'd set it up anyway. Pondguru too and filters are his speciality. Only I would do both a course and fine sponge in the bottom along with the filter floss.

It's definitely easier to clean. I rarely have to touch my biomedical trays at all. Just a few squeezes of the sponges in some old tank water and the dirt is gone. My filter has a prefilter sponge tray, two sponge trays and two biological trays. The sponges act as biological too so all is good.

Will it be sufficient with one sponge and 1 bio tray? I guess it will have to be.... Also I have a bag of purigen in there in the bottom. If I take it out will that affect anything? That's all surface area. If it is not used up keep it in?

 

Yes remove the purigen. Any of the other bio-media’s will do what it does and long term. Thing with these filters is there’s different ways to do them. Feohw is right on her set up. What I would do different is not go with all those sponges in the bottom layer. I would add a sponge on the end of the intake tube. Than fill that bottom layer with bio media. This is an easier way to clean the filter. See most waste will build up on the intake sponge. Rinse that sponge at every weekly water change and the rest of the filter will stay cleaner longer. The longer between cleaning will make that filter more efficient. Also all those internal sponges will slow down the flow of the filter. These filters flow is rated on an empty filter. Once fill the flow could be as much as 50% reduced. Hope this helps . As I said there are many ways to set canisters up.

 

Yes remove the purigen. Any of the other bio-media’s will do what it does and long term. Thing with these filters is there’s different ways to do them. Feohw is right on her set up. What I would do different is not go with all those sponges in the bottom layer. I would add a sponge on the end of the intake tube. Than fill that bottom layer with bio media. This is an easier way to clean the filter. See most waste will build up on the intake sponge. Rinse that sponge at every weekly water change and the rest of the filter will stay cleaner longer. The longer between cleaning will make that filter more efficient. Also all those internal sponges will slow down the flow of the filter. These filters flow is rated on an empty filter. Once fill the flow could be as much as 50% reduced. Hope this helps . As I said there are many ways to set canisters up.[/QUOt

Never thought of that! What doesn't go in won't stay in......I just always thought a sponge on the intake would slow flow down also? Do you think?

 

Will it be sufficient with one sponge and 1 bio tray? I guess it will have to be.... Also I have a bag of purigen in there in the bottom. If I take it out will that affect anything? That's all surface area. If it is not used up keep it in?

If the filter has been working so far it should be good. My 80g filter didn't have enough flow for my 53g tank though. If yours is fine then that's good. There are people that only have sponge filters, so sponge instead of plastic is completely fine.

As for the purigen, I don't use it. I don't believe there will be negative effects from removing it. However that too is placed wrong. It should be the last thing in the filter the water touches. Order should go mechanical-biological-chemical. So sponge-substrat pro-purigen. You can add it in where the floss used to be.

The sponges and the bio media will slow down the flow. That can't be avoided. The flow won't be as advertised. I prefer my muck to go into the filter rather than stay in the tank personally. I tend to set up my filters as pondguru does. No one way is set in stone though.

 

Well now I'm back to lost.......

 

I was just wondering if removing the purigen would take away bacteria along with replacing the plastic things?

 

Yes you will lose some but not enough to make a difference. And by adding new media you will build up more bacteria. By not opening it as much you will build up anaerobic bacteria. Which eats nitrates and makes the water even cleaner .

Well now I'm back to lost.......

Yes I do under stand . It’s a lot. Watch the pond guru. The thing is since your filter has been running for awhile it’s got plenty of bacteria growing in it. So changing the order will only help to make it more efficient.

 

Yes you will lose some but not enough to make a difference. And by adding new media you will build up more bacteria. By not opening it as much you will build up anaerobic bacteria. Which eats nitrates and makes the water even cleaner .



Yes I do under stand . It’s a lot. Watch the pond guru. The thing is since your filter has been running for awhile it’s got plenty of bacteria growing in it. So changing the order will only help to make it more efficient.

I watched the video and understand. My spraybar flow won't cross my tank now. Will this make it less?

 

Not sure. If your filter is set up the original way and all your doing is removing the purigin and whatever plastic. While adding another bio-media in place of the plastic it should be pretty close in flow. Only setting it up and trying will tell what’s up. Than you go from there.

 

The little brown balls are likely Eheim substrat pro. They are quite good, as are eheim filters. One thing I will say is that I would have sponges in the bottom tray. Course, then fine, then a filter floss pad. That way they will collect debris and stop the bio media from clogging or getting too dirty.

The flow goes through the course sponge at the top, down to the bottom around the sides and then up through the media in the trays. So the bottom would be mechanical and the other trays would be biological. Sponge would also act as biological.

Where do I buy this stuff? None of my lfs have it.

 

Where do I buy this stuff? None of my lfs have it.

The sponges? My LFS sells big sheets of them. Before I got them there, I would order big sheets of pond filter sponge from amazon and then cut them to size. Or I would get sponges designed for various different filters and cut them to size.

 

The sponges? My LFS sells big sheets of them. Before I got them there, I would order big sheets of pond filter sponge from amazon and then cut them to size. Or I would get sponges designed for various different filters and cut them to size.

Seems everyone around here has small tanks. I will check Petsmart later.

 

Seems everyone around here has small tanks. I will check Petsmart later.

This has coarse medium and fine egg crate. Sub fine for floss. Would that work?

 

This has coarse medium and fine egg crate. Sub fine for floss. Would that work?View attachment 584667

That's very similar to the one I bought from amazon. Mine was smaller than expected though. I left out the medium sponge. So coarse, fine, floss. At first I used medium instead of fine but the floss got dirty quicker.

The bumpy side goes on the bottom so that the surface area the water hits is increased.

 

@kensfish is a good site for aquarium stuff.

 

That's very similar to the one I bought from amazon. Mine was smaller than expected though. I left out the medium sponge. So coarse, fine, floss. At first I used medium instead of fine but the floss got dirty quicker.

The bumpy side goes on the bottom so that the surface area the water hits is increased.

Ordered these sponges and TDS meter mattgirl () and a Finnex HPG heater kallililly1973 (seen this recommended on another thread )