Biohome Ultimate Media??
- Thread starter BigShawn
- Start date
It’s like any other media. Doesn’t do anything special. It would break down a bit but that was years ago.
I don't see anything better about it than other media after using it for the past 4 years or so. I don't see any nitrate reduction, which can be done with any ceramic media when clogged over time with bacterial slime. It's pretty heavy stuff so be aware when lifting canisters filled with water and this media. Maintenance of my canisters haven't lengthened, neither has reduction of water changes. Overall, I'm doing the same tank maintenance I was before using it.
I struggle to get my head round the whole concept of products like these that claim to noticeably reduce nitrate. To really reduce the nitrate level as per their claim you'd have to have a lot of water being processed. But of course this cannot happen with oxygenated aquarium water. The levels of water being processed deep inside these honeycombed products must be minute, hence no noticeable reduction. It's hardly surprising that the comments so far have been negative.
And what gets me even more is, as
Rocksor
quite rightly said, is that the insides of these honeycombed structures must clog very very easily with slime and such. Basically rendering any internal nitrate filtration nigh on impossible.
Even if we could measure nitrate on a really accurate scale, and down to the nearest 0.01 ppm for instance, which the commonly used API kits don't, i still doubt you'd see much swing between using these products and not.
And what gets me even more is, as
Rocksor
quite rightly said, is that the insides of these honeycombed structures must clog very very easily with slime and such. Basically rendering any internal nitrate filtration nigh on impossible.Even if we could measure nitrate on a really accurate scale, and down to the nearest 0.01 ppm for instance, which the commonly used API kits don't, i still doubt you'd see much swing between using these products and not.
I struggle to get my head round the whole concept of products like these that claim to noticeably reduce nitrate. To really reduce the nitrate level as per their claim you'd have to have a lot of water being processed. But of course this cannot happen with oxygenated aquarium water. The levels of water being processed deep inside these honeycombed products must be minute, hence no noticeable reduction. It's hardly surprising that the comments so far have been negative.
And what gets me even more is, as
Even if we could measure nitrate on a really accurate scale, and down to the nearest 0.01 ppm for instance, which the commonly used API kits don't, i still doubt you'd see much swing between using these products and not.
Well Biohome claims to support the growth of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria to allow for nitrate reduction.
You can have anaerobic bacteria grown in a canister filter. Just don't clean it until there less than half the flow output (water bypass of the media happens at this point). Many folks have accidentally done this, and then wondered after 1 week of cleaning their canister media with old tank water, the tank nitrates went from less than 5ppm to over 40ppm.
And they are absolutely spot on, no denying it. Aerobic bacteria on the surface to deal with ammonia and nitrite, and anaerobic bacteria deep inside to deal with nitrate. That's not the issue.
My issue with these type of claims is that they word it like the nitrate reduction is significant, when in reality the reduction is minimal, unmeasurable even, and certainly nothing to write home about.
It's all about flow rate through the media. If you truly want anaerobic bacteria to flourish... less than 50 gph with optimum being about 30. The aerobic strips the water of oxygen and then gives the anaerobic time to convert the nitrates to nitrogen gas.
I used a homemade nitrate reactor and it lowered my nitrates from 40 to consistently less than 5 on a 90 gallon SW tank. I used De*Nitrate, but I imagine any media of the like will work.
I am currently building a large one for a 450 gallon FW tank , hopefully it will work the same.
I used a homemade nitrate reactor and it lowered my nitrates from 40 to consistently less than 5 on a 90 gallon SW tank. I used De*Nitrate, but I imagine any media of the like will work.
I am currently building a large one for a 450 gallon FW tank , hopefully it will work the same.