I'd be worried about the toxins the PVC will leech into the water since PVC uses plasticizers that are known hormone-mimickers. But microbes do attach onto the PVC pipes so it should work. I'd stick with ceramic rings, though.
Filter bio media
I just saw a YouTube video where they used pvc pipe, water bottle caps, and canister filter lines as there bio media. They just cut them into small pieces and that's what they used as there media. How good or effective is that or would it be effective than regular bio media at pet store?
Anyone ever tried that before?
Anyone ever tried that before?
1 - 20 of 29 Posts
Yeah, neither of those materials are porous like the ceramic. The porousness of the media (giving it a greater surface area) is what makes it ideal for filter use. I think... 
EB
EB
Anything can be used as media, whether it is completely approriate is the question
As someone suggested pvc can leak toxic materials, though often enough we change the tank water enough to keep the level lows unless you use a whole buttload of pvc.
pvc pipes are commonly used in both freshwater and saltwater tanks for caves and makeshift homes for fish and inverts.
suitable alternative bio that you could have lying around are things like plastic plants. I often use these ugly things as extra media to great success, as that bacteria doesn't care what it lives on.
As someone suggested pvc can leak toxic materials, though often enough we change the tank water enough to keep the level lows unless you use a whole buttload of pvc.
pvc pipes are commonly used in both freshwater and saltwater tanks for caves and makeshift homes for fish and inverts.
suitable alternative bio that you could have lying around are things like plastic plants. I often use these ugly things as extra media to great success, as that bacteria doesn't care what it lives on.
Most house lines are made of pvc. You're getting a nice healthy serving of "pvc leachate" all the time when you drink tap water, shower, wash your hands and vegetables.I'd be worried about the toxins the PVC will leech into the water since PVC uses plasticizers that are known hormone-mimickers. But microbes do attach onto the PVC pipes so it should work. I'd stick with ceramic rings, though.
Your fish get the same in tap water.
I don't think that's a problem.
Anything can be made into biomedia. Bottle caps, pot scrubbies, shredded plastic containers, pillow stuffing, lava rocks etc.
About porousness, if you ever look at the inlet or outlet pipes of the filter, you'll see that it's been colonized by nitrifying microbes. Porousness does not matter as they will adhere even to very smooth surfaces.
I feel like cutting up pvc, your giving more surfaces for the toxins to escape. A pipe used as a home in an aquarium really only has two surfaces from which the toxins can leach into the h2o. By cutting up the pipe, you're making a ton of mini pipes, each able to leach their own?? Idk, sorry lol....:hihi:
EB
EB
While true that bacteria will grow pretty much anywhere, pores in biological media provide additional surface area. More surface area = more space for the bacteria to live. More space for bacteria to live + food = more bacteria.About porousness, if you ever look at the inlet or outlet pipes of the filter, you'll see that it's been colonized by nitrifying microbes. Porousness does not matter as they will adhere even to very smooth surfaces.
Once the bacteria, archaea, et al colonize the surfaces, it will probably leech less of the toxins, kind of like how algae on driftwood slows the leeching of tannins.
Interesting, so if use eveythn else I stated beside the pvc pipe, would I be OK?
The best bio media has a combination of properties.
It is fairly coarse and irregular so there is a good flow of water through it. This keeps it clean and brings a good amount of oxygen and ammonia (and other foods) to the area.
The coarse pieces have smaller holes, passages, pits. This gives the bacteria a LOT more square footage to live on. The microorganisms live on surfaces, so, as noted above, the maximum surface area will allow the maximum bacteria colony.
They live in a biofilm, in combination with many species of organisms. The bio film itself has microscopic passages through it.
So... what makes the best bio media?
Best:
The designed bio media that is large chunks of porous material.
Almost as good, and a lot cheaper:
Lava rock.
Sand, in a specialized filter. (not the filter most people have)
Not nearly so good:
Things that are smooth. They have the coarse aspect, good water flow, but they do not have anywhere near the surface area of the pitted materials.
It is fairly coarse and irregular so there is a good flow of water through it. This keeps it clean and brings a good amount of oxygen and ammonia (and other foods) to the area.
The coarse pieces have smaller holes, passages, pits. This gives the bacteria a LOT more square footage to live on. The microorganisms live on surfaces, so, as noted above, the maximum surface area will allow the maximum bacteria colony.
They live in a biofilm, in combination with many species of organisms. The bio film itself has microscopic passages through it.
So... what makes the best bio media?
Best:
The designed bio media that is large chunks of porous material.
Almost as good, and a lot cheaper:
Lava rock.
Sand, in a specialized filter. (not the filter most people have)
Not nearly so good:
Things that are smooth. They have the coarse aspect, good water flow, but they do not have anywhere near the surface area of the pitted materials.
one gram of activated carbon has a surface area in excess of 500 m2
Different sorts of clay have surface areas between 45m2/g to 800m2/g.
Montmorillonite clay (Safe-T-Sorb is one example) has a surface area of 800m2/g.
When these materials are clumped together so there can be good waterflow they retain the pores, so there is still a LOT of surface area for bacteria.
By its very nature the other materials you are talking about (bottle caps, toughies, hair curlers, bits of PVC pipe and many other plastics and related materials) CANNOT have effective pore space. They are designed NOT to leak, that is, water MUST NOT pass through them.
This makes them rather poor homes for bacteria where the main goal is for water to pass through not just the coarse bits, but through the pores of the material. These materials have no pores.
One gallon of Bio-Balls has a surface area of approximately 21-1/2 square feet.
Probably the best, cheapest material is lava rock, purchased for landscape use. For example, 3/8" gravel size would include a lot of pits that would increase the surface area. Probably would not have many pores that pass all the way through.
Granted, this link is from a manufacturer with an interest in making their product look good, but it does compare several different bio media including bio balls and ceramic noodles.
http://www.cermedia.com/MarinePure Project Report.pdf
Different sorts of clay have surface areas between 45m2/g to 800m2/g.
Montmorillonite clay (Safe-T-Sorb is one example) has a surface area of 800m2/g.
When these materials are clumped together so there can be good waterflow they retain the pores, so there is still a LOT of surface area for bacteria.
By its very nature the other materials you are talking about (bottle caps, toughies, hair curlers, bits of PVC pipe and many other plastics and related materials) CANNOT have effective pore space. They are designed NOT to leak, that is, water MUST NOT pass through them.
This makes them rather poor homes for bacteria where the main goal is for water to pass through not just the coarse bits, but through the pores of the material. These materials have no pores.
One gallon of Bio-Balls has a surface area of approximately 21-1/2 square feet.
Probably the best, cheapest material is lava rock, purchased for landscape use. For example, 3/8" gravel size would include a lot of pits that would increase the surface area. Probably would not have many pores that pass all the way through.
Granted, this link is from a manufacturer with an interest in making their product look good, but it does compare several different bio media including bio balls and ceramic noodles.
http://www.cermedia.com/MarinePure Project Report.pdf
I'm a big fan of red lava rock. Its like 3 bucks for a big bag of it and it works very well. Plus you don't have to go to the trouble of cutting up plastic parts or drinking a ton of water or soda to get the proper amount of media lol
X3Probably the best, cheapest material is lava rock, purchased for landscape use.
Lava rock works very well! In the past I have just bought the stuff you would throw in your propane barbeque.
The downside of lava rock (it's not really lava rock) is that it takes up lots of volume for very little surface area. Surface area : volume should be higher rather than lower.
That link to th test conducted by that company on bio-media...I love what the results were for the bio-balls...and they still sell them...and theymake a good comparison to the type of material which you spoke of, just a different shape.
http://www.petmountain.com/product/...-512391/seachem-seachem-matrix-bio-media.html
http://www.petmountain.com/product/...-512391/seachem-seachem-matrix-bio-media.html
It's not lava rock?The downside of lava rock (it's not really lava rock) is that it takes up lots of volume for very little surface area. Surface area : volume should be higher rather than lower.
What is it, then?
Lava rock is very porous. There are some high tech media that are better, but I can't see spending just for the sake of spending. I would rather get a slightly over sized filter and use the lava rock, than get an expensive media for an undersized filter.
Lava rock is very efficient. Maybe Solcielo lawrencia got the wrong type?
I've been using lava rock for years in my eheim canister. Never had a problem. Easy to find and cheap.
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