# xp3 - ceramic rings or bio-chem stars?



## bigfruits (Mar 17, 2006)

hello kids. i ordered 2 of the rena xp3s with the drs foster smith $110 deal:
search for CK-907364 on the website. i think theres some coupons around for an additional 10 or 15 bucks off total order...

i plan on running them both on my 100 gallon (72"x18"x18"). one will be stuffed with filter wool, the other will be carbon (then purigen or similar) and biological filtration. 

i have two little bags of the bio-chem stars (40 total) and i read that they are reuseable. should i order more of these or should i go with the regular ceramic rings to fill the other compartments?

thanks in advance
-z


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## Stasiu (Sep 9, 2007)

If you're looking to increase surface to promote biological growth, plastic pot scrubbers provide a lot more area in a given amount of space than any of those products. The biochem stars are better than the ceramic rings because they do provide more surface area. That being said it's been shown that plastic pot scrubbers (make sure there's not detergent or chemicals on them) are better and cheaper yet. Also reusable.


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## FSM (Jan 13, 2009)

Stasiu said:


> If you're looking to increase surface to promote biological growth, plastic pot scrubbers provide a lot more area in a given amount of space than any of those products. The biochem stars are better than the ceramic rings because they do provide more surface area. That being said it's been shown that plastic pot scrubbers (make sure there's not detergent or chemicals on them) are better and cheaper yet. Also reusable.


Shown where? Pot scrubbies are about 370 sq feet per cubic foot
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88677

ceramic/sintered glass biomedia, according to the manufacturers (fluval, eheim, seachem, etc) is at least 100 times higher
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Matrix.html


Is all that surface area used/usable? I doubt it. Pot scrubbies will work fine in the filter, but they don't have anywhere near as much surface area.



bigfruits said:


> hello kids. i ordered 2 of the rena xp3s with the drs foster smith $110 deal:
> search for CK-907364 on the website. i think theres some coupons around for an additional 10 or 15 bucks off total order...
> 
> i plan on running them both on my 100 gallon (72"x18"x18"). one will be stuffed with filter wool, the other will be carbon (then purigen or similar) and biological filtration.
> ...


The filstar media is overpriced. If you decide you want "biomedia", get whatever is cheapest. Fluval biomax is easy to find and fairly cheap (sold by weight, not volume, some I'm not sure exactly how it compares). Seachem matrix is also relatively cheap, about $30 for 4 liters.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Those stars drive me batty b/c they float, I never use them.

I happen to like Eheim's Ehfimech, Ehfiflav, and Ehfisubstrat, and I use those in all my filters.


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## NJAquaBarren (Sep 16, 2009)

+1 what Lauralee said. The stars make me nuts. Swapped them all out for Seachem Matrix and the tank sparkles. I currently have Eheim ehfimech in the 1st basket, seachem matrix in the 2nd (from the xp3) and eheim SubstratPro in 3rd. 

Ehiem stuff is expensive. If starting over I'd use any of the ceramic cylinders in first basket and Seachem Matrix for the rest.


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## accordztech (Dec 6, 2004)

I think I used fluvial ceramic bio rings. They are cheaper and have more per box, I think 500 grams @11 bucks compared to renas 300g @30 bucks.

I bought 2 packages and used it for my rena xp3. If its not enough media capacity per bio ring I got enough to make up for it (filled the whole media tray) lol and only spent 20 bucks


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

accordztech said:


> I think I used fluvial ceramic bio rings. They are cheaper and have more per box, I think 500 grams @11 bucks compared to renas 300g @30 bucks.
> 
> I bought 2 packages and used it for my rena xp3. If its not enough media capacity per bio ring I got enough to make up for it (filled the whole media tray) lol and only spent 20 bucks


I bought one box of fluval ceramic bio rings for my XP2, I have to buy a second box to fill up the tray. But like you said, at $11.00 a box it's the cheapest option I could find. Even on Ebay, after you pay shipping from HK or Taiwan the price is about the same.


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## accordztech (Dec 6, 2004)

yeup, and its avalible at the local pets mart.


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