# Aquaclear biomax



## jtilley (Mar 18, 2013)

What is the purpose of the aquaclear biomax that came in my filters box? Is it necessary? I have had my tank for a month or so now and it is cycled so should I add them in? Is there any point? What do they even do?
Thanks!


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## TeteRouge (Jul 26, 2009)

Biomax gives important beneficial bacteria a place to colonize. As water passes by and through it, the bacteria eat/neutralize nitrates and so on. I'm sure someone has a more accurate definition, but I have it- or something like- it in all 5 of my filters.


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## mfurufuru (Mar 20, 2012)

That is one of the most important part of the filter in terms of bb. If you didn't have those in during the cycling process and you don't have another fitter running you need to add them before you add fauna. You might want to restart the cycling process too.


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## jtilley (Mar 18, 2013)

I guess I will add them in if all they do is provide a surface for the bacteria to grow on. I just didn't want extra chemicals in my tank. I thought they were something else. Will some of the bacteria grow on there even though it must already have enough in other places to support my fish? I just wanted to make sure all the stuff did was let bacteria grow on it. Where is the best place in the filter for it?


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

I've used AC filters for years. More than 10 years. Never once have I ever used the biomax and I've had dirty fish and I've had tanks over stocked. Never once have I had an issue. I'd recommend a second sponge. Two sponges will 1.) Double your mechanical filteration 2.) Provide way more area for bacteria to grow than you'll likely need.


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

mfurufuru said:


> That is one of the most important part of the filter in terms of bb. If you didn't have those in during the cycling process and you don't have another fitter running you need to add them before you add fauna. You might want to restart the cycling process too.


This is completely wrong. If you cycle your tank without them and you have a filter with media (sponge), you're fine. Even if you want to add them after the cycle, you do not need to recycle the tank. That's completely incorrect. Just add them. In a week or two, the media will be seeded with bacteria and it won't change anything in the tank in the mean time.


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## jtilley (Mar 18, 2013)

So the biomax is optional? If I add it in it will just improve the surface area for bacteria to grow on and potentially make my aquarium able to have slightly more fish or a more stable bacteria colony? I am a little confused at this point.


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## dprais1 (Sep 12, 2012)

Nubster said:


> I've used AC filters for years. More than 10 years. Never once have I ever used the biomax and I've had dirty fish and I've had tanks over stocked. Never once have I had an issue. I'd recommend a second sponge. Two sponges will 1.) Double your mechanical filteration 2.) Provide way more area for bacteria to grow than you'll likely need.


++1, listen to this advice. 

the problem with many of these biomax rings etc is that they _depend_ on water flow through the tiny pores. and because these pores are so tiny they get clogged very easily. When the pores get clogged the only effective area is the surface, so not that great.

foam doesn't generally have this problem, I used to run three foam blocks in my AC and nothing else.

I would recommend using Poret foam instead of the AC foam blocks because the new blocks they sell get very brittle after 5-6 months and need to be replaced. IME. Poret foam seems to last forever.


--and bacteria in your AC will convert ammonia to nitrIte and nitrIte to NitrAte.

You won't find bacteria that convert nitrAte in you filter.


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## dprais1 (Sep 12, 2012)

jtilley said:


> So the biomax is optional? If I add it in it will just improve the surface area for bacteria to grow on and potentially make my aquarium able to have slightly more fish or a more stable bacteria colony? I am a little confused at this point.


So the biomax is optional?
Yes, optional.

If I add it in it will just improve the surface area for bacteria to grow on and potentially make my aquarium able to have slightly more fish or a more stable bacteria colony?
Yes, but it is still a poor choice compared to a second (or second and third) sponge filter.


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## jtilley (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks for all your input. I decided to put it in the filter incase anyone was wandering. I figured it couldn't hurt anything.


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Jan 16, 2013)

I've ran ceramic rings for years on my filters, which i think bio max is too? Anyways, never have i had any clogging issues people talk about. Bio-film buildup to that degree is usually the result of letting biofilm build up which takes a food source per say, which is usually over stocking, under filtration, or not proper weekly maintenance, or a combination of them. You dont specifically need water flow through it, just around it which any filter will obviously do. The whole thing is porous, not just the center. I also use matrix, it's a great bio media, but i also use sponge as well. 

I find sponge tends to pore clog more easily, and you should every month squeeze them in and shake in treated water. I love it though like all my biomedia. Having several media's is always better then one. 

Having more fish will depend all on the tank size, species kept, and lastly filtration yes.


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## Warlock (Feb 28, 2012)

Aq are very flexible to meet ur specs


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## kingjombeejoe (Feb 17, 2013)

I use a pre-sponge on my intake, an internal sponge, 2 bags of biomax, ammonia remover and purigen in my ac20 on a 10 gallon tank. Im sure half of it is not needed but thats the best part of ac filters you can put whatever you want in there. I put the ammonia remover behind the intake tube you can put the biomax there and double up on the sponges.


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## dprais1 (Sep 12, 2012)

kingjombeejoe said:


> I use a pre-sponge on my intake, an internal sponge, 2 bags of biomax, ammonia remover and purigen in my ac20 on a 10 gallon tank. Im sure half of it is not needed but thats the best part of ac filters you can put whatever you want in there. I put the ammonia remover behind the intake tube you can put the biomax there and double up on the sponges.


I really like that idea never thought of putting media in the intake tube chamber. I'll put some K1 in inlaws intake chamber


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## DefStatic (Feb 19, 2013)

Curious, what exactly is in the input chamber of your AC?

Isn't putting in ammonia remover counter-productive? Shouldn't the BB be able to handle this? What exactly is Purigen?


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Jan 16, 2013)

DefStatic said:


> Isn't putting in ammonia remover counter-productive? Shouldn't the BB be able to handle this?


It's exactly that, bypassing the issue, and counter active to their bacteria colony. Actually damages their colony by removing it's food source, plus those removers like zeolite are really only effective for a week like carbon is, and just creates buildups of toxicity in their tanks. It's one of those you dont need products, as a lot of the use's i see people use purigen for.


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## dprais1 (Sep 12, 2012)

DefStatic said:


> Curious, what exactly is in the input chamber of your AC?
> 
> Isn't putting in ammonia remover counter-productive? Shouldn't the BB be able to handle this? What exactly is Purigen?


the chamber on the left. where you wouldn't normally put media.

the plants should soak up ammonia more so than BB,but in a lightly planted tank...


purigen supposedly absorbs organic compounds.


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## kingjombeejoe (Feb 17, 2013)

CrypticLifeStyle said:


> It's exactly that, bypassing the issue, and counter active to their bacteria colony. Actually damages their colony by removing it's food source, plus those removers like zeolite are really only effective for a week like carbon is, and just creates buildups of toxicity in their tanks. It's one of those you dont need products, as a lot of the use's i see people use purigen for.


The only reason the ammonia remover is in there is due to the fact I just planted a lot of emersed grown clippings and I am expecting a lot of die off due to the transition. I usually keep an extra biomax bag in there for cycling new filters, which is why I suggested putting biomax in that spot not ammonia remover. If you notice the purigen is the last thing the water goes through before leaving the filter just to remove any discoloration (which it does a great job) caused by the wood in the tank so the biomedia isnt affected by it. Everyone has different reasons for what they use and how they use it, this is just what I do, all I wanted to do was show another place you can put media not tell you what to use.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

The nice thing about planted tanks is the plants themselves are very effective biological and chemical filters, which means you CAN get away without having any of that media in a filter at all and still have a healthy tank. I always recommend that people focus primarily on mechanical filtration when customizing their own filter media, as debris buildup is one of the biggest problems in a planted tank as it contributes to algae problems.

Myself, I like redundancy, so though I emphasize mechanical media in my own filters (I'm also a huge fan of sponges b/c they're so easy to clean and re-use), I also incorporate lots of ceramic biomedia as well as Purigen.

So... yeah, use the biomax if you want, but you don't have to. Personally, I would.


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

What I do: first layer of filtration (mechanical) is the fluval edge prefilter. This prefilter sponge has smaller holes than the AC block sponge. Having that said you have all the room in the HOB with anything you want to fill. For me I use purigen 100ml bag (bottom layer) then I use seachem matrix for the rest of the space.

The only downside to this is the prefilter sponge need to be cleaned every week.

And unfortunately I don't think HOB can remove nitrates because the whole HOB is heavily oxygenated. The only filter I can think that can remove nitrate is canister because of the vacuum inside and the lack of oxygen in the canister.


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