GlennO
Member
I recently read an article which contained this paragraph:
“Biomedia should be cleaned minimally, just enough to remove all visible debris. You can do this under tap water. I know everyone says to rinse it in tank water so that the chlorine doesn’t kill all your bacteria, but I have not found this worry to be justified. I have thoroughly cleaned biomedia in tap water on many occasions, really routinely, and never had this produce a single shred of evidence that it killed any significant amount of bacteria. You can’t take tap water and sterilize your counter tops, it won’t sterilize your biomedia in a couple minutes (which is far longer than the quick rinse to remove visible debris should ever take). In addition, ‘rinsing’ in still tank water in a bucket doesn’t provide the flow and pressure needed to clean the media quickly and effectively. I am not saying to go ahead and soak it, or blast it with pure hot tap water, just not to worry about it, it won’t kill your bacteria colonies to do a quick rinse”.
I agree that rinsing under pressurised flow would be more effective and may help to ensure that porous biomedia doesn't get clogged. Nevertheless I’m hesitant.
Thoughts?
“Biomedia should be cleaned minimally, just enough to remove all visible debris. You can do this under tap water. I know everyone says to rinse it in tank water so that the chlorine doesn’t kill all your bacteria, but I have not found this worry to be justified. I have thoroughly cleaned biomedia in tap water on many occasions, really routinely, and never had this produce a single shred of evidence that it killed any significant amount of bacteria. You can’t take tap water and sterilize your counter tops, it won’t sterilize your biomedia in a couple minutes (which is far longer than the quick rinse to remove visible debris should ever take). In addition, ‘rinsing’ in still tank water in a bucket doesn’t provide the flow and pressure needed to clean the media quickly and effectively. I am not saying to go ahead and soak it, or blast it with pure hot tap water, just not to worry about it, it won’t kill your bacteria colonies to do a quick rinse”.
I agree that rinsing under pressurised flow would be more effective and may help to ensure that porous biomedia doesn't get clogged. Nevertheless I’m hesitant.
Thoughts?