# Bio Balls vs Ceramic Rings



## IWANNAGOFAST

I think so, but they're a lot more expensive than bio-balls.


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## samamorgan

The theory is that a single ceramic ring has 100 sq. ft. of surface area for bacteria to grow on. I don't think bio balls come anywhere close to that.


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## johnny313

dont bio balls need to be above water with water running over / through them to make them the most efficient? like in a wet / dry sump.


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## GeToChKn

For the filters I got with media, I used the ceramic media, for my eheims that came with media, I used their ceramic tubes and cocopuffs, for my sump, it came with bio balls. For all the rest of my filters, its lava rock (bbq rock) or plastic pot scrubbers and I never noticed a difference really. Before I got my sump and had my eheim on my turtle tank, it was crystal clear water with just plastic pot scrubbers and lava rock and turtles are bio machines. My one turtle was probably messier than 200 fish, and I could go 1-2 months without having to clean the filter or before the water started to get murky.


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## Daximus

I was stressing out about this when I first got my can...I got over that pretty fast. Dollar Store pot scrubbers, cheap plastic "loofa" things from Wal-Mart, ceramic rings...what ever has surface area. I heard a gal on here used Legos in a pinch...after that I gave up buying the "right stuff" and just got what works. 

Now I have 1 tray ceramic (the "right stuff" I had bought), 1 tray filter, 2 trays stuffed with Wal-Mart $1 loofas, lol.


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## NWA-Planted

I am leaning towards the lava rocks!


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## phantom85

ceramic rings do have the best surface area when you first get them but as soon as the filter is turned on the micro pores get clogged with mulm and other dertus. my 4 tray canister filters, both on the same tank, tray 1 course blue filter material, tray 2 pillow floss from soptlight, tray 3 bio balls and plastic pot scrubbers, tray 4 purigen and ceramic rings. this i have found works really well for me, after you first cycle the tank i have found that when i add new fish/shrimp/ect i dont get the ammonia and nitrite spike you can get. i just took all the advice that i found online and mixed the best together. i have no idea if one works better then the other. 

good luck


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## xJaypex

When i was looking up some info on the types of hydroponic media i ran into this video. You can read some of the comments talking about using growstones as media, and i think he used some bioballs in a different set up. Theres a post of him talking about bioballs in comparison to growstones. They seem to work pretty good and i dont think theyre as expensive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z64tfQu-F6I


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## papelboyl1

I saw a site before listing them but its been years and i didnt bookmark it. base on that site, ive decided to use plastic scourers.

http://dm61q01mhxuli.cloudfront.net/images/d59/image2/4364.jpg


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## rbarn

K1 media is the latest and greatest thing to hit bio-media.


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## kevmo911

Mechanical filtration media (sponge, for example) also functions as biological filtration media. In fact, many people (like me - 3 high-tech tanks with one half-basket of bio media between them) don't bother with bio media at all.

Yes, it needs to be rinsed from time to time, but if you're careful about your squeezes and swishes, you won't lose much beneficial bacteria, and gain the advantage of more efficient removal of garbage from the tank (more mech media = better filtration, and/or longer times between maintenance).

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that biological media is a bad thing - just that it may not be necessary for your purposes. It may be a good idea to experiment to see what works for you.

You'll see gorgeous tanks with not a bio-ball to be found. You'll also see gorgeous tanks that have never seen filter floss. Just know that you have options.


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## OVT

I think that for most practical purposes it comes down to half-dozen of this or 6 of those. If you pumper your bacteria too much, they might ask for a raise


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## RukoTheWonderDog

I use Eheim cocopuffs, Eheim/Rena/Marineland/Lee's/Fluval (I think?) ceramic rings, sponges, several different style bioballs, pot scrubbies, and Qulit Batting in different combinations of canisters and my sump. I've collected different media from auctions & Craigslist over the years and have a pretty big assortment at this point.

I use them all because I honestly haven't seen much of a difference in any of them. Anything with good surface area seems to work, and you shouldn't have a problem as long as your flow & media volume is sufficient.


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## bsmith

If I had my choice, all my filters would be fitted like an Eheim classic. But unfortunately (not really since it was way cheaper) I have purchased many used eheim classics that came with no media at all. To fill those up I used seachem matrix. According to their site it has more surface area than any other bio media and since all of the pieces are different shape and different sizes there is no issue with flow or compaction or anything like that. 

I can tell no real difference between the tanks with matrix and the tanks with OE Eheim media and I'll call that a victory. Never have I had any kind of mini-cycle or anything like that and one of the tanks is running below a pH of 5 and I haven't ever had even the slightest hint of a pH crash ( they are like the abominable snow man IMO, fake). 

Never used the Walmart scrubbers or filter batting but that just seems like your asking for flow issues with that stuff to me.


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## samamorgan

bsmith said:


> Never used the Walmart scrubbers or filter batting but that just seems like your asking for flow issues with that stuff to me.


I've never used them either, but i believe they would slightly increase flow. Less surface area and they fill the area so completely like ceramic does, so water should flow through faster. But i think the main flow killers are the floss and pads, not biofiltration.


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## RukoTheWonderDog

bsmith said:


> Never used the Walmart scrubbers or filter batting but that just seems like your asking for flow issues with that stuff to me.


Pot scrubbers no, quilt batting yes. While both will be quick to pick up and retain particulate matter the pot scrubbies don't seem to impede flow at all, even when they are pretty dirty. I run all of my water in the 180 gallon through a 50 gallon W/D sump which uses the pot scrubbies for the media. I only pull out and clean the scrubbies about once a year, and I never have issues with flow, even with 2 x 1000 GPH pumps.

The quilt batting can clog up quick if there isn't other mechanical filtration before it. I used to use this in place of the Eheim white pads and it seemed to start to clog up about 2x faster than the Eheim pad.


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## bsmith

That's what I'm saying. When they build up
Mulm the flow would be lessened quite a bit.


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## scapegoat

i used quilt batting and it takes months before water flow is impeded on my tanks


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## NWA-Planted

I have some filter floss in the first chamber which now pushes out into the main area through some luffas and just loaded up the middle chamber with like half a bag of lava stone from lowes


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## samamorgan

bsmith said:


> That's what I'm saying. When they build up mulm the flow would be lessened quite a bit.


ALL media lessens flow when it builds up mulm. If you have enough mulm in your filter to clog up pot scrubbers, you're doing it wrong.


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## OverStocked

"quilt batting" works in the same way as filter floss or filter pads in an eheim. It won't get clogged up any sooner than a filter pad. 

As for bio media... in a planted tank it barely matters. Seriously. Your plants consume ammonia and nitrate before the bacteria touches it.


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## bsmith

samamorgan said:


> ALL media lessens flow when it builds up mulm. If you have enough mulm in your filter to clog up pot scrubbers, you're doing it wrong.


Like I said, I don't use them. Plus wouldn't pot scrubbers be mechanical media anyway?

My method on media has always been to use whatever bio media I have available or whatever I thin is the best deal (Seachem matrix). For mechanical media I ALWAYS use the filter manufacturers filters for whatever that model may be. I know some people use quilt batting and pot scrubbers but IMO the factory stuff will always fit better/perfect and even though they cost much more than the alternatives, you can rinse/clean them so many times they are likely to last as long as the filter. It would also be my guess that the factory filters would be much more durable than the batting and scrubbers. 

When you are saying pot scrubbers, what exactly are you talking about? Are they sponges or like very thin plastic spaghetti all twisted and looped through each other kind of like an acrylic aquarium cleaning scrubber? If it's plastic I really don't think that they would be very porous and the surface area compared to other traditional bio medias would pale in comparison.


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## bsmith

OverStocked said:


> "quilt batting" works in the same way as filter floss or filter pads in an eheim. It won't get clogged up any sooner than a filter pad.
> 
> As for bio media... in a planted tank it barely matters. Seriously. Your plants consume ammonia and nitrate before the bacteria touches it.


Unless the user jammed it in the filter like an idiot, correct?

Im just saying that for a bit more money you can get a superior product that fits perfectly, is designed for that system, will last as long as the filter (when talking about the plastic filter pads not the cloth ones that I believe Rena markets as a water polishing product) and allows you to know specifically what density your dealing with as opposed to the bating/floss being as dense as you just happen to pack it that day. Plus, there is no risk of putting toxic fire retardant chemicals in your tank (had to put this one in there, the vast majority of members can read and would be safe but there are always those few...).


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## samamorgan

I believe that porosity makes no difference with the rocks/ceramic media, because the pores just get clogged up with filth anyway.

I don't use these because my filter came with all the necessary media. But if hardcore reefers are happy with them, i dont see why i wouldnt be.


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## OverStocked

If the user jammed it in there like an idiot, I don't see them being capable of operating the filter. It isn't rocket science. Cutting a circle really isn't either. 

I don't think there is any practical reasoning to need to know "what density your dealing with". This is an aquarium filter, not a carbon scrubber on the space shuttle. 

So even if the user is an idiot and crams it to thick... what then... it clogs up and they have to clean it out after a few weeks or a month? I guess I don't see the problem. 

As for scrubbies, we're talking about these:









They work just as well as most other bio medias. People talk about these super high surface area bio medias and don't seem to grasp the most important thing.... that there is only SO much bacteria in our system, regardless of how much surface area you have. You could have 100,000 square inches of surface area or you could have 5,000 square inches... but if you only have enough bacteria to colonize 2,000 square inches what is the difference to us? 
On forums like MFK or Cichlid Forum people have been using cheaper things like pot scurbbers or hydroton for over a decade. This gets discussed to the death but I just don't understand how we've made it so complicated. 

I seriously think people over complicate this. It is a filter, there isn't much mystery to how it works. We need not spend 100 bucks to fill it up with media that 15 bucks worth could do the job fine.


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## OverStocked

lol, we used the same pic from google.


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## bsmith

I see. That pic you guys used Looks exactly the same as the prefilter that sits in the collection are of a sweet Eheim prefilter I got from
A member in a trade. I would think that those would do just fine. 

I'm not as anti-those things as I am the quilt-pillow batting. The density specifics don't really matter but if one were to pack too much in their filter they would be getting a clogged filter and the resulting loss of flow rather quickly I would think.


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## RukoTheWonderDog

I needed a couple cubic feet of them for the 180 gallon's sump.

Even @ 6 scrubbies for $1, I still spent about $40 to get enough. I wiped out the local dollar stores every week for 2 months:icon_mrgr

My quilt batting has not been a problem but does require periodic cleaning in the same way my canisters need to be cleaned (or at the least rinsed) every 4-6 months.


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## bsmith

That is a very tropical sump you must have!


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## NWA-Planted

Thats a lot of pot scrubbers, you need some neon lights down there too 

Either way my tank is looking a little clearer everyday, I probably have more bio media then I need as of now, but, rather have more then not enough, little filter floss before all of it eleminate some of the nasty.

I still need to rescue an oto that somehow ended up in the sump.. -.-


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## C_Recchia

Can someone post a few pictures of their complete sump set up? For whatever reason, I just can't wrap my brain around how you guys make all of this work. Please and thanks! 

Chris...


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## diwu13

I know most of this talk of ceramic rings vs bio balls vs pot scrubbers are for canister filters, sumps, or wet/dry filters. What do you guys think about HOB filters though? Should I stick with the ceramic rings that come with it even though the micro pores will clog almost immediately? Or would plastic pot scrubbies work just as well in a HOB filter?


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## RukoTheWonderDog

I always used quilt batting, 'Institutional size' Scotchbrite pads cut to size, and/or pot scrubbies in my HOB filters.


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## NWA-Planted

C_Recchia said:


> Can someone post a few pictures of their complete sump set up? For whatever reason, I just can't wrap my brain around how you guys make all of this work. Please and thanks!
> 
> Chris...


 
I will try to get some sometime here, its not the most pretty but it works 

As far as pot scrubbers and such in your HOB, if it has extra room for media storage, should not be an issue at all.


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## diwu13

Well, decided to listen to you two and got scrubbers today instead of getting ceramic rings from amazon! It's funny how no one knows what "plastic pot scrubbers" are even when I asked someone in the sponge isle.


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## RukoTheWonderDog

diwu13 said:


> It's funny how no one knows what "plastic pot scrubbers" are even when I asked someone in the sponge isle.


I noticed that different brands each seem to have a different name for them....I think pot scrubbers are just a generic term for them.


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## diwu13

Seems the dollar store ones are pretty darn cheap. The plastic won't degrade or anything over time? Doesn't explicitly say it's nylon either


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## RukoTheWonderDog

diwu13 said:


> Seems the dollar store ones are pretty darn cheap. The plastic won't degrade or anything over time? Doesn't explicitly say it's nylon either


Never had any problems with the dollar store scrubbies. It is worth mentioning however that some colors fade over time, specifically the yellow, pink, and red ones.


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## pedietz

I vote for using an assortment.
I have a big bowl of eheim rings, ehiem coco puffs, rena stars, fluval rings.

Replace a bunch at filter cleaning time. When the dirty bowl of media fills up, bleach it, dechlorinate, air dry, and reuse.


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