Dont know were you get your information from but there are two kinds of ceramic rings. One are pre filter ceramic and the other is ceramic rings for bio. To say ceramic rings are mainly for mechanical filtration is way off.
Ceramic rings and how they work
- Thread starter Nim Dibbley
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Dont know were you get your information from but there are two kinds of ceramic rings. One are pre filter ceramic and the other is ceramic rings for bio. To say ceramic rings are mainly for mechanical filtration is way off.
Any media with surface area will turn into Bio media when Nitrifying bacteria grows on it. Ceramic rings have a lot of surface area , adding an air stone to a sump will increase O2 and therefore help with growing more Nitrifying bacteria. You cannot grow more aerobic bacteria than needed as it will only feed off what NH3 and NO2 is produced.
Trickle systems work better as simply more O2 is available for the Aerobic bacteria.
All Aerobic bacteria needs is a food source ( NH3 / NO2) somewhere to grow ( filter surface Area) and circulation ( Oxygen) , oh and a stable pH etc...
Trickle systems work better as simply more O2 is available for the Aerobic bacteria.
All Aerobic bacteria needs is a food source ( NH3 / NO2) somewhere to grow ( filter surface Area) and circulation ( Oxygen) , oh and a stable pH etc...
there are two kinds of ceramic rings. One are pre filter ceramic and the other is ceramic rings for bio.
Never saw any distinction made in advertising I have seen.
Not a big deal either way.
Am a bit curious as to what would make one style pre filter.
Is one style smooth, as in no craters??
I always wondered at the Eheim literature describing their product.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4136+4150+4334&pcatid=4334
Never saw any distinction made in advertising I have seen.
Not a big deal either way.
Am a bit curious as to what would make one style pre filter.
Is one style smooth, as in no craters??
I always wondered at the Eheim literature describing their product.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4136+4150+4334&pcatid=4334
there are two kinds of ceramic rings. One are pre filter ceramic and the other is ceramic rings for bio.
Never saw any distinction made in advertising I have seen.
Not a big deal either way.
Am a bit curious as to what would make one style pre filter.
Is one style smooth, as in no craters??
I always wondered at the Eheim literature describing their product.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4136+4150+4334&pcatid=4334
bio ceramic rings are poris and rough with little holes all over then. And the one for prefiltering are smooth
Am I correct to assume the more aerated submerged ceramic rings are the better they are sustaining a thriving biological bacteria colony?
Seeing as the majority of bb are aerobic, you would be correct.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/aerobic+bacteria
I run an airpump in my sump for this reason. Keeps 02 flowing through the water column and provides water movement during water changes to keep the bb colony alive.
I dont know how it would be possible to measure how much bb you actuall have in or on your media. The potential for bio media is measured by how much acutal surface area each kind of bio media has. Ceramic or glass rings are exstremely porriss and have more surface area then any other bio media so wheather used submerged or in a trickle, or wet dry filter they are the best option for generating the most surface area i know off. The amount of bb in or on your media will be determined by the bio load of your tank. If i have a hundred gallon tank with one large fish the bb amount will be less then if i have a 100 gallon tank with 10 large fish. Your bio media makes enough bb for the actuall bio load of the tank. So the amount of bio media you need is based on how many fish, size of fish and the bio load needs of the tank not the amount of water in the tank. I dont know if airating submerged media does any thing or not. The media gets plunty of airation through the water current and water movement over around, and through the media. The most bennefit to me would be to have a batterie back up air pump in the submerged part of the sump so if the power goes out your media still gets air. I have been meening to test the air pump theory in my media but havent got around to it. The way i am going to test it when i do. Is to run a specific tank for a month testing the water constantly. And run the tank for another month after doing the same thing but with the media airated. If the time between needed water changes is longer then you have your answer being airated media is more efficent. Maybe this thread will get me off my as- to put it to the test. So in short asking if the media amount you plan on using is enough can not be answered by simply knowing the tank size. We need to know what kind of fish, the size of the fish exct. If you have the money for ceramic it is the best route to go for sure. I have 3 five gallon buckets full of bio balls i no longer use. Allso it depends on if this is a fresh water or salt water set up. to determine what media to use. Bio balls in salt water are useless. Allso bio balls in a wet dry are more effective with a slower amount over them. I have personaully tested that theory on a 75 with different size pumps and flow rates. And the lower the water movement over them the longer in between water changes was needed. Wet drys are designed strictly for bio not mechanical. But alot of people on here have seem to correct that problem by a simple desing of a sump with three chamber first a filter sock for super water polishing = mechanical, secound chamber submerged ceramic = bio and third chamber for the return. I have yet to do this design the next sump i make is deffently going to be set up this way. Low maintence and cost effective only needing new filter socks and them to be cleaned. I think i confused my self. So i hope this makes sence to you
I have done this. Tested a 90 gallon with and without and airpump in the sump. Your ideas are correct but there is one thing that you've got reversed. If the time between water changes is longer, then in effect, your biofilter is NOT running as efficiently. Nitrate levels are generally our indicator for water change schedule and adding the air-pump to my system shortened the time between water changes because the bb was more efficient in creating nitrates more quickly. This is why many reefers yank the bioballs out of their wet/drys. They become very efficient nitrate factories which is a big no no for corals and reef systems in general.
I ran bioballs in a wet/dry for years in a fish only salt system with no troubles whatsoever, but if I had decided to go reef, I would have pulled the bioballs out and replaced them with live rock. The theory behind why this works is simple ...... Live rock has colonies of both aerobic AND anaerobic bacteria, keeping nitrates low. Bioballs only have aerobic bacteria since the dry part of the wet/dry keeps the colony oxygenated. Very difficult to cultivate an effective anaerobic colony with all the 02.
So, the answer is yes, the more 02 in the sump the faster nitrates are produced which shows greater aerobic bb efficiency. Still have to eliminate the nitrates though.....
