[en7jos]

I was reading this website last week:
https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/7-2-3-k1-media/

Instinct tells me to take it with a pinch of salt, but I also admit to being one of those who use Seachem Matrix in all my filters because of how good people (Seachem?) say it is. Then I spotted a couple of bags of ANS K1 media on offer and thought I'd pick some up to investigate and perhaps broaden my filter media horizons.

My tanks either use canister filters or they have internal filters (similar to small sump setups hidden at the back). Sumps are not an option due to small size of tanks (13l shrimp tanks, 50 litre "big" fish tank!) and no space under the tanks.

So what about using a bag of K1 media in place of Matrix in a canister or internal filter for the bio-filter? The above website would suggest that it is waaaaay better:

But is it? Does anyone actually use it statically like this? Any experience or real world results to share please?

Many thanks, James

 

[en7jos]

So no one uses K1 as static media in a filter then?

 

[Somefishguy]

I threw out all my Matrix and just put in 10/20 ppi Poret foam and plastic pot scrubbies in my canister a year ago just like the author of the web site above said. Have cleaned my canister twice in a year and now will go 8 months because the media just does not clog and has great flow. Water has been crystal clear for the first time in 10 years. Non planted tank with all fake plants. It works.

 

[bbroush]

I threw out all my Matrix and just put in 10/20 ppi Poret foam and plastic pot scrubbies in my canister a year ago just like the author of the web site above said. Have cleaned my canister twice in a year and now will go 8 months because the media just does not clog and has great flow. Water has been crystal clear for the first time in 10 years. Non planted tank with all fake plants. It works.

So in your trays you have poret first, then do you overfill with pot scrubbers in subsequent trays? Hope that’s a clear questions


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Somefishguy]

So in your trays you have poret first, then do you overfill with pot scrubbers in subsequent trays? Hope that’s a clear questions
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Yeah. Bottom tray has two 1" 10 ppi Poret foam and one 1/2" 20 ppi Poret foam. Need that last 1/2" space so the next tray will fit inside. Now the next two trays are all pot scrubbers, about 15-16 in each.

 

[ReeferRusso]

Yeah. Bottom tray has two 1" 10 ppi Poret foam and one 1/2" 20 ppi Poret foam. Need that last 1/2" space so the next tray will fit inside. Now the next two trays are all pot scrubbers, about 15-16 in each.[/quote @Somefishguy What filter are you running and where did buy the Poret foam you're using? Thanks!

Sent from my mobile device

 

[Somefishguy]

Yeah. Bottom tray has two 1" 10 ppi Poret foam and one 1/2" 20 ppi Poret foam. Need that last 1/2" space so the next tray will fit inside. Now the next two trays are all pot scrubbers, about 15-16 in each.[/quote @Somefishguy What filter are you running and where did buy the Poret foam you're using? Thanks!
Sent from my mobile device

Sunsun 303B, 370gph.

Swiss Tropicals...

Poret® Foam Shop - SWISSTROPICALS

 

[ReeferRusso]

Sunsun 303B, 370gph.



Swiss Tropicals...



Poret Foam Shop - SWISSTROPICALS

Thanks!

I had a feeling you were going to reply with Swiss Tropicals. Some people go with stuff off of eeeebay but I am usually a little apprehensive about "imitation" stuff.

Sent from my mobile device

 

[Somefishguy]

Thanks!

I had a feeling you were going to reply with Swiss Tropicals. Some people go with stuff off of eeeebay but I am usually a little apprehensive about "imitation" stuff.

Sent from my mobile device

So true. The ppi isn't even correct there either on eBay and definitely not certified aquarium safe.

 

[bbroush]

So true. The ppi isn't even correct there either on eBay and definitely not certified aquarium safe.

Thanks for the info. So I filled the empty space between pot scrubbies in my trays with k1 media, but maybe that was overdoing it. My swisstropicals poret 10 &20 ppi is on the way!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Somefishguy]

Thanks for the info. So I filled the empty space between pot scrubbies in my trays with k1 media, but maybe that was overdoing it. My swisstropicals poret 10 &20 ppi is on the way!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Yeah, I think that may be a little too much. Foam and pot scrubbies is all you need.

 

[PlantedRich]

The idea of bio media seems to be getting way too much attention in this group, for right now on planted tanks. Media choice is always important as it tends to make things go better if we adapt to whatever the tank situation calls for using.
But the idea of needing lots of bio media in most planted tanks is likely to be way overblown if we consider what happens in most of our planted tanks.
If we were running tanks with lots of large messy fish, we might need to consider getting the best performance out of the limited bio media we can get in our filters but that doesn't happen in planted tanks very often. What you have in the tank is what should be the main factor in media choice and there are very few tanks where folks combine a heavy load from a group of large cichlids, etc. with lots of plants! It can be done but not with most of the big guys who require lots of bio filtering as it often comes down to choosing the space for big fish or doing more plants with fewer fish. The big boys like Dempsey tend to rule out lots of plants, so it is a pretty rare combo to find.
So if you do the normal planted with lots of tiny fish who create very little waste, the bio media is pretty much a non factor. The plants do the work of the extra bio media, so go for ease of use.