7 years later, wanted to give update. First of all thanks again to Richard, he knows his stuff! This Biohome Ultimate is the bomb! Turn my tank into a lake! After years of struggling with all sizes of tanks, I came across Richard.. The Pond Guru, and I’m telling you, His set up rocks!! I was down to cleaning tank three times a year, my fish were always healthy, never had a problem. Loved it and then went through divorce and sold it all. Starting over and setting up same way!!
(my other channel) It's embarrassing how long it has taken me to see this comment but in my defence my main channel has been critically shadow banned since early 2020. Thanks for the awesome feedback and best of luck with the tank.
It's saying this video is ten years old but it's still fresh and as important especially for guys like me just starting off in this amazing world of aquariums etc. Excellent I watch you all the time very informative.
(my other channel) I'm glad you see the value in those older videos since the message relayed here has not changed - a full cycle can easily be achieved with enough of the correct media in any tank. As long as you avoid using 'treatments' which claim to control / bind / lock up ammonia, nitrite and nitrate the beneficial bacteria will be free to do what it it does and deliver a perfect cycle.
This is absolutely my preferred media to use. I have been using the Biohome Mini Ultra for three years at this point. The only complaints I have about it is 1) after a couple of years it breaks down. 2) the black bacteria balls will stay in your filter unaltered for a super long time ( up to a year or more) 3) Sellers in the United States charge way to much for this media. $25+ for a pound of media which isn’t very much media. For these reasons I have pumice in many of my filters and only use the Biohome Mini Ultra in my larger cichlid and saltwater aquariums where I can’t use a deep sand bed or grow plants.. If this stuff was longer lasting or was about $5 less per pound of media I would a lot more of it. I still think it’s the best manufactured filtration media I have used and I will continue to use it. I have suggested it for use to the people in the various fish groups I’m in and to those at the pet shops looking lost and confused about what to get. You really can’t go wrong with this media and I will use it until something better comes along.
@@lostmangos I believe there never will be a honest response to any such questions about this product. There will also most likely never be a comparison with the other higher end/higher priced bio-media. But it is what it is and more simply can’t be expected and it’s up to the end user to except it. 🤷🏽♂️
I've had Fluval biomax the large powdered glass type with very small hole in the middle for almost 5 years without need to replace. It doesn't do the full cycle but at £15 for 1.1kg it's good value for money. I use 750g in a tall 3L food container with sponge on the bottom and a 550 lph power head on top. This deals with one block of bloodworm or krill a day for a messy pufferfish I believe you need a very slow flow rate in a lager volume of water than 3L to get a full cycle as the water flow in my DIY filter is just too fast even for biohome ultimate. I'm sure biohome ultimate is good it just probably won't last as long as Fluval biomax and is definitely more expensive. I am considering getting an external filter and would definitely try biohome ultimate in one of the trays though and if it did break down I'd replace with Fluval biomax I'm just struggling to find a big external filter with slow flow rate as restricting flow rate causes motor and impeller damage.
He does talk about it in another video I can't remember the major thing you can do is have filter pad under or top of it to filter the big stuff and so they don't rub alot plus just extra mechanical
I have bio home media in my canister filter , I have NOT done a water change in over 6 months , my water tests fine and my fish are very happy , I have over 50 fish in a 200 litre aquarium , excellent product , thank you very much , I hated water changes :)
+joel Kletke Good stuff indeed. Thanks for the positive feedback. Everyone who comments will aid others making the choice between medias when setting up their filter so all reports back are much appreciated. Tried to comment directly back to you but I am 'not allowed to comment on this post'. Jesus wept, this is my video....
Thanks for the very good service. I just got the Biuhome Ultra for my crayfish tank. It arrived with free gel balls and I just finished the setup. Crayfish are very messy and have a high requirement for water. Will post more after a month as it shows the performance. But one thing for sure, Richard does not leave your comments hanging and provides very detail answers for all the questions. Thanks Richard!!!
That's no problem and I'm glad it arrived in good time. Bear in mind that in a month the ammonia and nitrite should hit zero if you have a suitable amount of media in the filter but the reduction in nitrate (full cycle filtration) may take 4-6 months.
Solid media. Was doubting claims. But first , after putting it on day 15 of cycling, in 2 days, day 17, fish tank fully cycled. Also, was doubting 0 Nitrates . Did not test Nitrates for past 2 months. But, in my freshwater tank, now that its 5 th month, i tested. Guessed what 0 Nitrates with API test kits. Used to be 10 ppm!!! Great Biohome Ultimate
just bought some bio home mini for my biorb life 60 litre tank running a marina cf20 external filter set up, this is my first ever fish tank and found this media by chance, watched his videos about the correct filter sponge set up too, am soooo glad i found this guy.. now its just a waiting game to get my water tested in a weeks time to see if im ready to add fish.. looking forward to happy fish time.. thanks
+glenn shrieves No worries and I'm glad you found the video useful - If you stock the tank gradually the filter will develop in line with the fish stock.
I've been running ultra for about 7 months now and I have very close to 0 nitrates in my (a bit overstocked because a new platy was pregnant) 110Ltr tank. But it is quite heavily planted so that might also be the reason :) I'm running an Oase canister with just one tray of it. The others being ceramic rings.
I watched this video close to a year ago and bought some biohome ultimate for my first tank after about a 40 year layoff from the hobby. Since then I have used it in 2 other tanks and am about to use it on a third. This product is the best thing I have ever used. My nitrates rarely go above 20ppm and my ammonia and nitrites remain at zero. I have told many friends in the hobby about it and those that tried it give the same review. Thank you for sharing this information.
Thant is a great result as 20ppm won't be noticed much by the fish. How much do you use for the volume of water and what is the stock? It should be possible to reduce it further.
All tanks are Nano tanks the largest being 16 gallons, which is a bit overstocked. And because of the small water volume I was told that I would have problems with my water chemistry. But that was resolved after using biohome. I only use about a handful in each tank. (The 2 smaller tanks run between 5 - 10ppm). I will be going a bit larger with my next tank, a 40 breeder after the holidays and will let you know how that works out.
That is an incredible result for 16 gallon tanks if you only use a handful of biohome for the filtration (unless you have huge hands, lol). A breeder tank / tank for growing fry may require more media as the bioload will be heavier.
just received my biohome ultimate. pumped its in my external canister filter cant wait to see the differance. thanks for all the tips and appreciate your time. thank you
I am using Biohome Mini Ultra in my Eheim 2011. I bought 1 kg from Tyne Valley Aquatics. After using coarse and fine filter foam there was room for about 1/2 kg. I also put in half the bacteria gel balls supplied with the media. I ran the Eheim alongside 2 internals for a couple of weeks then removed one of the internals. Though testing daily with an API master kit there was no spike in ammonia or nitrite. I have used sintered glass for over 20 years but this is the best I have tried. Brilliant product, love it.
That's a good point I forgot to mention in the video that the media does help to iron out ammonia and nitrite spikes associated with setting up a new system. Thanks for the great feedback.
The Ultra mini (and Richards' longer filter setup video) changed my filter setup for ever. Ive still got loads left for my little Fluval Edge but I'm already looking forward to trying the Ultimate when I next need to restock. You have to try this stuff. It's awesome.
Thanks for the positive feedback, man. It truly is great stuff and the filter set-up really simplifies the process in external filters (and reduces the cost associated with additives, sachets etc. which aren't needed in 99.9% of filters)
Ovo je klasicna prodaja i marketing.ne budi u zabludi,fluval koristi istu keramiku poreklom iz China.nemoj da ti uzimaju pare,sve je kinesko,kvalitet je odlican
Hi, I brought biohome plus media and have to say, it's works!!! I have a goldfish and my water always was little bit cloudy, I put in biohome plus filter media 3 weeks ago and I couldn't believe, water condition it's much better and clear :) Thank you very much. . .
Richard thanks, got my biohome ultra and bio motion i use for internal filter and the excess i put on my trickle filter and i got zero amonia and crystal clear water on my 230 gallons arowana tank. Aquarium filtration set up for trickle filter
I use BioHome Mini Ultra, and Biohome Ultimate. It's easy to use and very effective. As I am new to fish keeping, I also followed Pondgur's canister filter setup. As a result my tank is very stable and extremely easy to look after. I wouldn't use anything other filter media. I have also fond Pongru great to deal with. He is very helpful and responsive to questions. I have made a number of purchases from his eBay shop and have no issues recommending him as a great supplier.
Hit 'READ MORE' for full video desciption and important links - watch in HD. Biohome filter media and upgrade kits here: www.filterpro.co.uk Decent external filters: geni.us/2LnO 2.3 litre booster filter for externals: geni.us/2bj1 1.2 litre booster filter for externals: geni.us/1pBh Frozen food: geni.us/LNA8 (select type - loads to choose from) This is a detailed video which explains exactly what Biohome filter media is and how it benefits your filter. Biohome filter media has a massive surface area for aerobic bacteria colonisation and also has a great capacity to provide an environment for anaerobic bacteria on the interior of the media. Hugely porous and extremely efficient, the Biomotion media converts ammonia and nitrite (as normal media would) but also reduces nitrate due to the anaerobic bacteria which live in it's core. This reduces the need for large water changes so creates a more stable environment in your aquarium (freshwater and marine) and pond. It is inert and will not release any chemicals / minerals into the water but it is advisable to rinse before use as dust may be generated during transit. Although I supply worldwide from the UK, details of distributors in other countries to follow here.... Types of Biohome media are as follows: 1 - Biohome Standard A compact media suitable for overhead filters, trickle filters, sumps, external and internal filters. 2 - Biohome Plus As above but with additives to ensure much faster colonisation by bacteria. 3 - Biomotion A rounded media with neutral buoyancy. Suitable for moving bed filters, overhead filters, trickle filters, sumps, external filters and internal filters. Has montmonrolite clay coating to condition water. 4 - Biohome Ultra (large) A larger version of Biohome standard with rougher feel. Extremely porous. Suitable for trickle towers, sumps, larger external filters, overhead filters and multi chamber koi filters. 5 - Biohome mini Ultra A smaller version of Ultra, perfect for external filters, sumps, overhead filters, trickle filters and internal filters. Has the ultra porous structure in a more convenient size. 6 - Biohome Ultimate* This is Biohome mini Ultra with added trace elements (as in biohome Plus) which are essential for bacteria to rapidly colonise a filter. Cuts down the already quick maturing time of Biohome media and has the ultra porous structure and convenient size of Mini Ultra. Trace elements in 'plus' and 'ultimate': Silica, Titania, Alumina, Ferric Oxide, Lime, Magnesia, Potash, Soda, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Chromium Sesquioxide, Manganic Oxide, Zirconia, Hafnia, Zinc Oxide, Barium Oxide, Strontia, Stannic Oxide, Sulphur Trioxide. (from XRF analysis) Is this the best filter media ever? Very likely. *In the UK the Biohome Ultimate is my exclusive product and has been made to my specifications making it the 'Ultimate' filter media and ending my search for the best filter media. All of the above filter media will be available from my ebay selling page, plus any new media which I discover works well enough to confidently sell. Link here: www.filterpro.co.uk (also has other suppliers links on website) I deliver worldwide. How to set up an external canister filter (long version): goo.gl/T1OSHl **PLEASE NOTE I HAVE CLOSED TYNE VALLEY AQUATICS AND NOW SELL MEDIA FROM HOME ONLINE. COLLECTING MEDIA IS NO PROBLEM JUST RING OR EMAIL ANY TIME.** My phone number 07772848730 My email address pondguru@btinternet.com Additional tags: Biohome filter media, bio home media, sintered glass filter media, sinterd glass, filter media for sale, best filter media, filter media surface area, filter bacteria, gel balls, filter balls, pondguru, biohome ultra biohome mini ultra, biohome ultimate, bio motion, biohome plus, biomotion, external filter, how to set up an external filter, how to set up canister filter, how to make a filter, biohome media for sale, tyne valley aquatics, DIY filter, sintered glass vs ceramic, aquarium filter media, aquarium filter, sump filter media, tropical fish, marine fish
I've order biohome standard and it's doing a fantastic job. I'm quite new in the fish hobby but I can tell that my nitrites and nitrates were low at the end of one month. Tempted to try biohome ultimate.
That is a great result for a turtle tank as they produce so much waste. To get a 50% reduction means the media is allowing the filter to do a great job.
This stuff works. Fact. I added 500g to a 55 litre tank. Testing with a Master Test Kit. On day one my nitrates were teetering from 5-10ppm ( new set up ). By week four I'm down to 0ppm! The tank is planted so nutrients were added at the same time and also liquid carbon. Thanks again!
No worries, man - the liquid carbon really seems to make a difference to how quickly bacteria sets up on and in good media and we are routinely getting reports back of people achieving full cycle while using liquid carbon - it is something I think I'll have to start selling alongside the media on the website as it really does make a difference.
Just got my first fishtank (350 liters) for oranda goldfish (dirty little fishies) and ordered a fluval fx6, after watching your video's ordered Biohome media and filter(s). Gonna start up the aquarium this week. Thank you so much for shearing this info! Greeting from the Netherlands.
DAVID RIVERA I don't sell any marine equipment so it's not a product I have ever used or sold unfortunately. The newest form of Biohome (Biohome ultimate) is the best media for both freshwater and marine from the reports I'm getting back as it actively reduces nitrates as well as ammonia and nitrite.
Excellent media, but you need the correct amount for the tank. With my 40 litre and 500g of biohome mini ultra. It stabilised my ammonia and nitrite to 0 in 2 weeks. Don't think of it as a miracle product, just a very good media. It's an excellent place to grow BB In my new 125, the 500g wasn't enough. I had ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 100 at the end of the week. With the addition of another kilo of biohome, the nitrate has reduced to 50. Highly recommended!!
Yes I always tell people it's not a magic bullet but when a suitable amount is used it will work wonders. The anaerobic bacteria responsible for reducing the nitrate can sometimes take 4-6 months to develop to the point where nitrates fall but if not enough media is used that fall will not occur. There is a guide to how much media is required to achieve full cycle filtration (reduction in nitrate) for various stocking scenarios in the Q&A section of my website www.filterpro.co.uk
Iv bought some BioHome media. It should arrive next week. I'm setting up a new canister filter with it, but on a newly "established" tank. The filter that its replacing is a plastic ball, and sponges on top system. I will put the new canister in the order you taught on other vids, and I have the black food bacteria balls coming as well. I will simply put the plastic balls at the bottom of the canister, then course, medium and then fine pad sandwich and then the BioHome Media. I understand it takes 6 months approx for the nitrates to fall then.......but I will give a update at the 3 month mark anyway.
Sounds good to me and a full cycle could take anywhere from 1-6 months but it is normally between 4-6 months. Using liquid carbon plant food like Flourish Excel seems to speed up development of anaerobic bacteria.
i love watching your videos which is why i run 3 all pond solution filters with biohome mini in 1 and biohome ultimate in the other 2 my aquariums are spotless with 0 ammonia and nitrite and very low nitrate i do water changes weekly but my nitrates are still really low just before i do it. i am setting up some more tanks soon so i will get a couple more aps filters and will order some more ultimate from you then. keep up the good work and keep the biohome coming. also what is your personel view of all pond solutions filters
Nice video, only just discovered the biohome media, but better late than never right 😀. Question is, where would be the best place to house biohome ultimate in a redsea reefer 250 sump, would it be OK to bag it place it under a filter sock? I want to use it for mostly for Nitrate, not Ammonia or Nitrite reduction.
Richard, we LOVE your fish videos AND your metal detecting ones as well! You are a natural at making videos and making them interesting to boot. Our question is once Biohome Ultimate has done its work in cycling a new tank, are the trace minerals no longer needed? In other words, won't Biohome Mini Ultra do essentially the same thing as the Ultimate but just initially takes longer?
The trace elements aren't lost into the water and are there to make the tasks performed by bacteria easier and quicker. It's like them being in a fully furnished office with the fastest computers and all the gear they need to get the job done. That stuff is not used up but it is there to work with. A sterile media takes time to build that up but can still support a nation of bacteria once all the necessary elements have settled within the media so yes it will end up doing the same job eventually but ma not do it as efficiently as the ultimate for quite some time.
Thanks for the second lot of filter media. I used the mini ultra for my fluval canister filter. Then I was inspired to upgrade my pond filter. I re-routed the oase filtoclear into a home made filter made from a plastic lidded box, through course-medium then fine foams, onto a bed of Biohome ultra, flowing back into the pond. Excellent, thanks for the inspiration and great service.
Groovy, thanks very much. Just got the orders through and refunded postage on the food. I will be doing an aquatic related give away soon so look out for that video.
Pondguru Usual fantastic service Richard, thanks. I've got your media in my pond and 3 tanks. My water parameters are always constant whether the media is in a external canister, trickle tray or moving bed. It also shows no sign of decay, so I'll guess it'll run for years? I look forward to the give away video. Thanks again.
Although lifespan will depend on application and water flow, disturbance, protection from dirt etc. a god 6-10 years should be easily achievable at high efficiency. After that the successive generations of bacteria will clog up the internal structure and efficiency will decrease but it will still be better than 99% of new ceramic or plastic media, lol
I received my media today I'm so excited. I have a Aqueon 55/75 Quiet Flow. Has extra space in for extra media if needed. I wanted your expertise in the total amount needed. I know not to completely change out media but to slowly replace. I know you said 1kg for 100 litters. Hopefully you might get a kick out of figuring out this situation and hopefully my answer is same as yours. Thank you.
Without knowing the size of the tank I am clutching at straws unfortunately. 1kg per 100 litres to see a good reduction in nitrate is a good guide and if you can get the suitable amount into the HOB filter its all good. I have a new media which is perfect for HOB so that will hopefully be shown in a video this weekend if I can edit all the footage down in time.
Hi, my name is George and I'm from Romania. I start watching your videos a month ago. I like how you explain about filters, I learn a lot from you. I want to know how to buy biohome media from Romania. Thank you very much.
Hi Richard, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. I've watched many of your videos and setup my canister filter to how you recommended and I am very happy with how it's been working so far. Since at the time there were no suppliers of biohome in the US, I had to settle for less. I'm super excited to see that Biohome is now available here in the states and I plan on making the switch very soon!
Michael Hingston I didn't invent the biohome but suggested the size and porosity of the mini ultra which turned out to be perfect for external filters. To have a media capable of supporting aerobic and anaerobic bacteria is great as the nitrogen cycle can be completed in the system.
Hi Richard. I purchased the Ultra (larger media) my mistake. However, I was able to use it all in two baskets in my Hydor 450 canister. Is that ok still? I set my filter up as you did in your "pimp my filter" video for my 75g. Thanks again for all your efforts and sharing of knowledge.
First and foremost, you are VERY knowledgeable...I've been watching your videos for years, but never said anything because someone always mentioned what I was going to ask you. So...I have 8 Peacock and Hap tanks, what media can I use to reduce Nitrates and Nitrites? Someone told me Seachem Matrix, but I wanted to ask The PondGuru. 😊 Any and All information will be greatly appreciated 👍🏾. (I run FX6's on all eight 90 gallon tanks)
(my other channel) If there is 1 x FX6 on each 90 (US?) gallon tank that will not be enough to get the required media into the system to reduce nitrates. We recommend around 2kg of Biohome media per 100 litres (26 US gallons) for a heavily stocked tank / cichlid tank and if you've got 90 (US?) gallon tanks that equates to 342 litres. Therefore the recommendation would be to get 7kg into the system. The FX6 will hold around 5kg of media so operating the system under the known parameters for a full cycle would be futile and deliver results which would be unwelcome if you're trying to achieve a full cycle (reduction in nitrate). A reduction in nitrate (full cycle) is perfectly achievable on any tank with any stock but the level of filtration has to be realistic. Unfortunately the manufacturers of canister filters vastly over-estimate the size of tanks their filters will handle. They also fail to recognize anything beyond the nitrite being converted into nitrate, telling the user to do large (unnecessary) water changes to maintain good water quality. I see channels on RU-vid telling people that their filtration is perfect while doing 80%-100% water changes every week which only serves to illustrate that their filter is either grossly inadequate or biologically dead due to the chemicals they use (usually Seachem Prime which starves bacteria). If bacteria is allowed to prosper then any tank can easily achieve a full cycle with minimal water changes every week (to clear up and freshen the water). I did a video a few years ago which has been censored from most of the 'sponsored' (controlled) forums and internet group pages and it is titled 'Looking inside filter media'. It can be found here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QTtAUYR67Eg.html It features a good quality pumice which is way better then the dense low quality pumice which is being sold as 'matrix' - when you see the good quality pumice compared to the Biohome the pictures tell their own story but considering that the shills promoting 'matrix' are paid 'brand ambassadors' for seachem it is no wonder that so many people are using poor quality rock, buying unnecessary treatments and doing huge water changes to maintain the health of their fish. Hopefully you can see sense from the above and thanks for watching. Regards, Richard
@@ThousandYardStare....Thank you so much for responding, I know you are a busy guy and I appreciate you taking the time to get back to me. Looks like I have some rearranging to do with my filter media...Lol...I will watch your video link that you sent me. I was thinking about adding FX4's to the 90's to boost up the cycle....just a thought. Thanks again and take care 👍🏾.
Hi thanks for sending the Bio home ultra pellets so quickly, ordered some off ebay and came this morning. Have put them in my Aquastyle 620 filter now comes the fun part seeing how my marine tank gets on with it. But from all the other accounts i've read it should be okay.
Marine fish keepers love the biohome as it actually becomes 'live' like live rock and can be taken from tank to tank to seed more rock or media. A specific form of marine media is in the works but the only difference is that it will have added trace elements specific to marine bacteria to create the ultimate home for saltwater bacteria strains.
I haven't heard of this before, but it seems to cover the whole subject of of water filtration that I tried to to get across to our customers over the years. This medium makes sense, I think, to most who have been in the business long. Do you have list of places in the U.S. that carry this? Great vidios! Keep 'em comin'!
Hi Richard. I just wanted to say if you use Biomotion tumbling over time it wears away and falls to the bottom rendering it useless. This is even with using the best foams and pre-filters. I would say the lifespan of this media is 2 years, unless you use it in a static/vibrating method. Big fan of your channel
Yes the biomotion does best gently vibrating or static. If you can achieve a cyclical motion (where the balls look like they are chasing each other around a track) it lasts a very long time but in chaotic motion in a small container it quickly gets smashed up within a few months or even weeks. A 'donut' shape would be perfect for biomotion but those shape containers are very difficult to find. I have one in the shop and it was pump driven. Worked perfectly so maybe I need to resurrect that idea for the biomotion. The other types of biohome should have a sensible life of between 6-10 years in an external filter (best place for them) and after that the internals will likely be quite clogged although there is a market for second hand biohome in the far east where people sell it after 10-12 years, lol
Hi pondguru i have an fx6 if I put lots of mechanical filtration on the top then bio home the next 2 trays down which tray would I put the balls in...and also would I need a sponge of some sort right after the purigen so the balls dont eventually get blown out in to the tank...thanks mate love you vids
well here go saw ur video taking a small leap replaced media in my two hob filters with biohome media marine . not sure 2 pounds going to make huge test but we will see . if i see benefit in couple weeks . i'll remove last of my seachem media in my canister filter . i was perplexed wear to start so chose put hob filters first use bio marine ball in my canister filter glad watched video before bought wrong set of balls . funny part was forced buy to many guess they sit on the shelf for 2 yrs lol
Hi from Bulgaria. Recentley there are few people from our forum that are using BIOHOME media. The results about ammonia and nitrite are great as per the test that are done. Unfortunatley there are no results for lowering nitrates, especially in discus and cichlid tanks. Do you think it is because it is used without the starting bacteria balls? Thank you and keep up with the great work.
Maybe, but the anaerobic bacteria takes many months before it gets to a big enough population to affect the nitrates. The aerobic bacteria only takes a matter of weeks but anaerobic can take many months. Flow rate will affect the ratio of aerobic to anaerobic populations too. Lesser flow rates will result in more anaerobic bacteria. Higher flow rates will result in more aerobic bacteria. Thanks for the feedback and questions.
Hi Pond Guru! Thank you for your helpful videos! I was wondering if the bacteria balls can get damaged during shipment if they are exposed to freezing temperatures?
Great videos. I was sold on the media and can't wait for it to help with our high waste issue. I'm going to try with our overhead filter. Plus the bio balls are a plus. Thank you for the advice.
My bio home ultimate is on the way from great wave engineering. I’m super excited and cannot wait to get it!!! I have an FX 4 and plan to swap out my current media slowly. I plan to do one tray every 1 or 2 weeks. Do you just mix in the gel balls when you start the media change?
Hi I've been using multi bay and very happy with it ,but I'm using alpha grog in last bay , and for a while been thinking of changing it for biohome would this work And which biohome would you recommend
I just got some Biohome Plus. I have a Hang on the Back filter and am currently using a biobag with some activated charcoal inside. Also have a small sponge filter running. This is a new tank (38L). I have used some Seachem Stability to start the beneficial bacteria. I have a few live plants already and a couple of zebra danios. Would it be good to add some Biohome Plus in a small mesh bag or loose in front of of the activated charcoal bag? There is plenty of room to put your media in front where the water returns to the aquarium. THANK YOU!!
Hey Pondguru, first off I want to say great videos regarding the Biohome media. I had a quick question, I just bought a eheim pro 2236 and I was wondering how I can set up this canister filter with the Biohome media and the foam pads?
+donald garcia That one has a prefilter foam in top of filter so leave that where it is and set up bottom tray with coarse, medium and fine pads as in my externals filter videos. Then trays above that will be for media. The trays work like an ordinary external filter - bottom to top so all mechanical filtration (foams) can be done in bottom of filter with biological trays above (biohome).
I’m from Rowlands Gill but live in Mallorca. I can buy Biohome cheaper from you than the Spanish supplier in Barcelona because his shipping charge is way higher than yours! So I will. Great videos BTW, cheers
Is this media really able to process nitrates to a degree that levels fall even with larger fish or heavy stocked aquaria like Malawi chichlids? If so which one is recommended for a Malawi aquarium? Thanks really enjoy your videos.
+Paul Perriss There isn't anything super special about what the media is made of but the magic happens inside it due to the excellent environment and varied pore space for anaerobic bacteria (which reduce nitrate). Because there are thousands of small pockets of anaerobic zones in the media it supports a good balance of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria making it very effective. You'll need 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres if you have a predator tank or heavily stocked cichlid tank and the best type would be biohome ultimate (for external canister filters) or biohome maxi ultimate which is a larger media more suited to sumps.
Great video , I'm learning alot . I have one question, I'm setting up a Fluval FX6 and I plan to use Bio home media in my canister. What trey should these gel balls go in and should I spread bio home under it ??
Hi Pondguru - great videos Who is the Australian distributor for the Polymer gel balls infused with bacteria? You stated in this video that an Australia company would be distributing them soon, but the video is dated 2013 so I'm assuming they're now available Thanks again and keep up the great work
very good information, thanks . Would a UV sterilizer that's put on the output of your canister filter for a 90 gal fresh water tank do more harm then good for both bacteria your trying to colonize, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria
Once the media is mature it shouldn't make a difference if you have the UV on but for the first 2-3 weeks leave it off to give the filter the best chance of maturing.
Great video Richard mate just wanted to ask you would bio ultimate be best for nitrate removal really need to find a media which drastically lowers my nitrate levels water changes don't make a flying difference considering the water coming out of my tap is reading 40-50 ppm so it's really stressful for my fish even if I keep up with changes what would you suggest thanks a lot
If you use around 1kg biohome mini ultra / ultimate (best ones for canister filters) you can expect the nitrate to reduce down to maybe 5-10ppm on average. Some people can't measure it who previously had very high nitrates. It will be held back by nitrate producing media (e.g. moving bed filters using plastic media, ceramic rings, plastic balls etc.) so bear that in mind when adding biohome to a filter. If it is the only biological media you will have no problems with nitrates once the anaerobic bacteria get built up sufficiently (4-6 months). All the biohome will reduce nitrate but different types are more suited to different types of filters due to their size.
So basically if I use around a kilo of bio home ultimate and only that for my biological media together with my course medium and fine sponge in my canister that would be all I need to deal with for my high nitrates but I mustn't be using plastic media, ceramic rings, plastic balls aswell otherwise it will effect what I'm actually trying to get done?
Just gone on ebay and brought some mini from you. Sounds like the real deal. Thanks for the info. When swapping out old media should I do a hole tray at a time or mix it with the old stuff? Got 2 trays of bio media in the 305.
No worries, man. Thanks for watching and being impressed enough to try some of the media. If you have 2 trays, well stocked and were feeling cautious you'd replace half a tray weekly so in one month you would have all new media in there. If you were lightly stocked you could go one full tray then wait a couple of weeks before replacing the other one. The biohome media does set up incredibly fast with bacteria, especially in an established system but if you replace all the media in one go in an established system there will be a lag time before the media catches with an eastablished bacteria colony up so best only to do half at a time even under good conditions.
Thought as much. Il do half a tray a week. I watch bolly12345 as I keep malawis and he uses a 'polishing pad' in his filters and reported it to work well. How much of a negative effect would you be having on your media by doing this? Sounds like real trouble from what you said.
***** It depends where the polishing pad is located. If it is the last thing the water hits before it leaves the filter it will concentrate fine muck on the media. If it is in the correct place (just after the other foams in the bottom tray as shown at the end of this video) the polishing will be done before the water gets to the media, extending the life of the media and simplifying the maintenance. Unfortunately most people fail to deviate from the way the filter is set up from the manufacturer which is a shame as that will seriously lessen the life of your media, whatever type you use. But....if the filter is set up with the polishing pad at the top as directed by manufacturer they will sell you media more regularly, stuff in pouches to cope with ammonia, nitrite and nitrate etc. etc. so I can see why they do it. I'd rather take the honest route and see people have a filter which functioned efficiently and protected media from clogging.
***** No worries, man. I suppose you could have two polishing pads, one at top and one where it should be as the last part of the foam tray but I'd rather leave it bare above the media and if any muck does make it past the foams it will be caught on the second time round and not held in the media chambers.
I started using biohome ultra about 9 months ago in my sump and I've never had any issues with ammonia nitrite nitrate spikes since, would defitnely recommend.
HI well i have bought some. i have an fx6 so i bought these to up it to keep my heavy stock of cichlids healthy and alive plus i just received my sun sun so i will have 4kilograms of this stuff so i think i should be ok. another great video
hi my email is not working but it was me that wrote you on ebay. i am having trouble with a seller and i did not realize that you shipped to canada. so if the seller does not get my stuff out on time i will definatelly buy from you that was what i was trying to get at. i am having a very bad expeirience with him. the other seller on ebay that sells this stuff. so if i dont get it on time i will try and get a refund and buy from you if you can just respong to my ebay acounti wrote you earliercuz my pc is messed up i cant log in here or my email when i have to so i can communicaqte with you on ebay. regards Nick
hey Richard love your videos m8 .I was wondering what the shipping would cost to ship the biohome to the states I would love to try some. I have a seasonal Oriental pond business so I would love to try it out I love the design and build different filters that stuff looks like it would be awesome ..again awesome videos. .
Dear Bradley, There is a US supplier here who has all forms of biohome: www.greatwaveeng.com That will save you the high shipping cost on an order from the UK. The larger types of biohome (Ultra and Maxi Ultimate) work very well in shower filters for ponds. It's expensive to set up a decent size filter but water quality is excellent. Regards, Richard
Pondguru. First of all. Thanks a billion for all your great info. I have learned so much from you in short videos than years of listening to bad lfs sellers. By the way, i just got a new cobalt aquatics canister filter and it has 4 trays. First tray i'm placing the coarse, medium and fine pad. What about the other 3? Should i do biohome on all 3?
I'd personally go biohome in remaining 3 as there isn't much point using anything else - you have good mechanical filtration and good biological filtration. Unless you wanted to soak up some treatment or colour from bogwood (with carbon / purigen etc.) you don't need anything else in filter.
Really enjoying the videos, one thing I have heard is that the biohome media disintegrates and needs replacing a lot. How long would you say it lasts for because it's pretty expensive and if it needs replacing a lot then it's not gunna be affordable
Like good quality porous ceramic media, the biohome will not last as long if it is lifted out shaken and washed vigorously every time you clean out the filter but in a well set up filter (where you are maintaining the mechanical filtration on a regular basis and the media is protected from muck) you'll hardly ever need to clean it. I've just processed an order from a guy who has been using biohome in Taiwan for the last 12 years and he just ordered 20kg of the biohome ultimate media as his old stuff was getting worn out. To be honest after 12 years the media was probably well past its best anyway. In your typical external filter you should have all the mechanical filtration done prior to the water hitting the media and only be removing the media trays to get to the foams / pads for maintenance. If the media looks a bit dirty all you would do is (leaving it in the trays) shake it gently in water you've drained off during tank maintenance. That's as much as it will need. Same goes for good quality ceramic media too. This video will show how to set up an external filter to get the most efficient filtration of your water and how to avoid the media clogging: HOW TO SET UP AN EXTERNAL CANISTER FILTER FOR AN AQUARIUM (MEDIA AND FOAM LOCATIONS) Hope that helps. I think I did cover the 'how long does biohome last' question in this Q&A video but as it's so damn long it was quicker for me to write this out again here, lol
just hd my water tested after only a week and and all the tests were zero so they said my water was perfect, really pleased. have decided to add a heater so going to go tropical too, this way i get alot more choice as to what to stock the tank with
+glenn shrieves How are you making out. Was it a new tank? because if it was your Nitrates have to show something or else your tank isn't cycle. It's great stuff I use it in all my tanks but you can't cycle a tank in a week.
I added my fish and after a water check my nitrates had gone really high.but after a few weeks and regular water changes I tested the water yesterday and all was normal
Glad things worked out. I'm putting my fish in next week it will be a little over three weeks. It's been 0 0 0 for the last 7/10 days but I wanted to wait and give the Bio balls more time. After testing I fully expect the Ammonia and Nitrite to be 0 and if the Nirates are in the 60/80 range I will do a large WC which should knock them down right away. Nice talking to you and glad your buddies are doing well.
Forgot to add it's some great stuff have it in two canisters and will be in the 3rd shortly. Just foam and Bio Home Ultimate Media and that's all you need although was thinking about Seachem's Matrix in the top basket because it also takes nitrates down.
this clip is very informative and the presenter is very sympatic on top. Got it, now I try to get these filter medias for my new eheim external filter. Thanks and pls continue this way!
Wow Wish I had came across this channel sooner its brilliant. Richard can you help please. I Have an Aqua one tank 28 litres with one goldfish I have had her for over five years. The pump I use is an Aqua one 101F capable of up to 55 litres filtration if I am correct and an Air pump with Air stone.. My question is can I use any of the Bio home products with my filter as its an internal filter inside my tank. Sorry if I missed anything in your video as I am new to this Hobby.
If you cut the foam in half you will have space for some biohome but to be honest the filter you have will easily cope with 1-2 goldfish in a 28 litre tank. I will be having a video coming up in the next couple of weeks showing a new media specifically for small filters and hidden air driven filters (in ornaments) so look out for that as that would be a good option.
Pondguru Excellent I look forward to your future videos thanks for the reply its much appreciated. I Was also shocked after watching one of your videos regarding cleaning the filter. Anytime I did this I completely cleaned away all of the foam and scrubbed the whole unit in hot tap water its a wonder my fish is still alive. I Thought I was getting rid of gunk but wasn't aware I was also getting rid of the good bacteria at the same time. Can you give me any tips on the correct procedure please as I am worried about any harm I may have caused to my goldfish. Its actually my daughters goldfish but I look after it as she is Autistic. I Look forward to more of your excellent videos thank you once again Richard.
jodonbaker43 There's not much more to say really, just clean the foams and any media in the water you've drained off during tank maintenance whenever they need cleaning. If you have an external filter it can be set up to be super efficient and will go much longer between water changes and cleaning sessions: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lsAmSD3wVbg.html
Pondguru Thanks Richard. Another question is can you use still water sparkling water or mineral water if you run out of a conditioning agent like tap safe. Someone said you can but is it safe.
jodonbaker43 Not sure about using sparkling water since it is infused with CO2 but other bottled water is fine - it may raise the pH and mineralise the water which is no good if you are trying to keep a low pH soft water set up.
can't wait been watching the videos for a week and just got my cascade 1500 canister filter in the mail today so I ordered a kg of bio home ultimate for my 55gallon cichlid tank I can't wait to get this set up going also I loved your canister setup up video it taught me a lot thank you
+Bryant Smith Glad you enjoy the videos. Adding 1kg in 55g(US?) will help but it probably won't impact on the nitrates if it is overpowered by nitrate producing media making up the rest of the biological media. Ideally you would use around 1kg per 100 litres to achieve full cycle filtration (reduction of ammonia, nitrite AND nitrate) but that may rise to 1.5kg or even 2kg per 100 litres if the tank is heavily stocked, large cichlid tanks, marine tanks etc. where bioload is much greater than a normal community tank. See how it goes and if the nitrate has not moved after 4-6 months it may be time to swap out some of the other media for more biohome.
+Pondguru Outdoors Ok might have to order more I have about a 5 inch dovii with a common plec and a sand floor my tank is pretty minimal for the most art my canister has five smaller trays compared to eihimes 3 large trays so would it be a good Idea to set that up like your video with the 3 layers of foam on the bottom tray and fill the other four with bio home? as good as the stuff is I didn't see a need for any bio balls or rings
+Bryant Smith Yes if you have 5 trays then the bottom one would be for foams and the rest for biological media. Always better to have a big filter and not need it than need it and not have it.
Good video pal, u got a website to purchase items or is it just paypal/ebay? Thanks for advice might throw some bio media in my oase pressurized filter. I clean it manually so my media wont get broke.
Spoke to you since about ordering products, no worries. Apologies for not getting round to this one. The Oase Filtoclear has nowhere for the media to go since the really heavy muck collects in bottom of filter and then hits foams. if media is added in void under foams it will become clogged and useless in a matter of hours or days.
Glad you like the media. It is indeed the most effective media on the market so I'm proud to have had a hand in the development of some of the forms it takes.
I was wondering have you seen or used Brightwater Aquatic bio media? It's a ceramic sphere and absorbs water much like Bio Home. It claims to help with nitrates as well. I have a little over a pound of it and I have 3 pounds of Bio Home so I was wondering if I could use them together for a complete cycle in my 55 gallon using your calculations.
thank you so much for that amazing explanation, after keeping african haps for ten years im still learning from amazing people like you, 1 question do i still need to put the black carbon sponge in my 2217 classic ehiem canister or no need once i have BIOHOME ULTRA FILTER MEDIA?
So you mentioned in the video the biohome wont last forever but a long time provided the filter is setup correctly, and slightly less in an external filter. I was wondering so in an external filter specifically an APS 2000ef how long would it last roughly provided the proper mechanical media was in place? Thanks for another great video! Im subscribing
I'd imagine at least 6-8 years as all it would need is taking out (in the trays) to get to the foams while maintaining. As with ceramic media if it is shaken hard on a regular basis it will wear away quickly but under normal circumstances it will last long beyond the point where bacteria population starts to decline (when internal structure is eventually becoming blocked by successive populations of bacteria). Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos.
Richard, I have biohome in a few of my externals and planned to put some purigen in them as well. However, I read a comment on another video saying that purigen shouldn't be used with biohome, could you shed any light? Is this true? Thanks
Hi! Your video are really great and I really appreciate the time you take to explain everything! I would have some questions tough... I plan to set up a 60L tank and add (appart from the fish) many plants in there. So I was wondering if I should get biofilter like Biohome Ultimate or Biohome Mini Ultra, or if Biohome Plus would do the trick since there would be plants (wich would need nitrates). Also, I've seen a lot of moving bed filter wich use air bubbles to filter, and even your very last video with that amazing filter with so tiny bubbles! I was told that too many bubbles isn't great in a planted aquarium as the bubbles would also release the CO2 from the water into the air, is that a concern when you have a planted aquarium? Anyway, keep going with your video, it's very instructive!
Violaine Fayolle I don't know about the small bubbles adversely affecting the plants but in a tank with biohome the nitrates are often found to read zero which you would think would affect plants in a negative way. However it seems to have the opposite effect and I can only presume this is because the bacteria in the media converts nitrate to free nitrogen which is more easily taken up by the plants?I really need to get someone scientific into that as plant grow really well in aquariums which read as zero nitrates when the anaerobic bacteria in biohome is processing all the nitrate.
Pondguru As far as I know, and if I remember right, plants can consume nitrate AND ammonia, however a too high concentration of ammonia can still be toxic for the plants. Maybe your plants are doing well with the level of ammonia and nitrate that remains unfiltered by the bacteria ..? That's interesting and encouraging to hear your plants are doing well tough. Thanks for your answer Pondguru!
For the biohome it doesn't really matter due to the varied internal structure offering little pockets of anaerobic zones in any flow but for most media the flow would be greatly reduced if you wanted to encourage anaerobic bacteria.
Hi pondguru, I've just watched a few of your videos about cannister filters and bio media, they are very helpful so thank you! I just had a couple of questions. I'm currently using crushed BBQ lava rock, is this a decent low cost alternative or do you have any better low cost alternatives? How can you tell whether a cannister filter flows from bottom upward or top down? And also what is the difference between a cheap and expensive cannister if you have the same media? thanks :)
No matter what a canister filter costs it will only be as effective as the stuff inside it so a cheap or expensive filter will work well no matter what the cost. The crushed lava rock is OK and will support the aerobic bacteria necessary for processing ammonia and nitrite but chances are you'll still end up with high nitrates. To check if your filter works top to bottom or bottom to top check the fine white pad a day or so after cleaning out the filter and you should see that only one side has collected dirt and they will tell you which way water flows. The majority of filters work bottom to top but the FX filters from fluval work top to bottom. Generally if the pump is on the top the filter works from bottom to top and if pump is on the bottom it works top to bottom. Only ones with pump on top which work top to bottom as far as I know are some of the really cheap ones sold by Maidenhead aquatics but I can't remember their names.
Love this stuff. I have got some in my diy filters and the water is crystal clear and that is saying a lot because it is a hold water goldfish and juvenile koi tank. Great stuff guys keep it up!
Hi Richard I currently use Biohome ultimate which I got from Don at Great wave and I cannot say how happy I am with this media. I have wasted so much money on other biological media and I should have just used it from the start. The main reason I am writing is this... I was wondering if you know how much surface area does Biohome Ultimate have? My aquarium society has had this topic on how much surface area does biological media have. There is a "Marine" one that claims that their box of 1.5 spheres has 132,500 surface volume ft2/ft3. Thanks and wishing you the very best!
I'm sure there are figures out for the biohome and I remember quoting them way back when I first became interested in it. The only one I can find is that 1kg of biohome has 7300 square feet of surface area but I'm not sure which type that was for or if that is even accurate since the manufacture has changed since that was tested on early forms years ago. To be honest I don't ever think about figures for surface area now as the amount of surface area is not too important when compared to the accessibility, variability of structure and overall receptiveness to bacteria. The most popular forms of biohome (mini ultra and ultimate) have those factors in an excellent balance and while some dense forms of pumice (e.g. matrix and some of the marine media) may have more surface area on paper unfortunately the accessibility is severely lacking, structure often differs from piece to piece and it may alter water chemistry (which is good for buffering water for marine or high pH loving fish). Each piece of biohome is the same, the sand it is made from is the most receptive material used for media for bacteria to grow on and it is inert so is suitable for use in any environment. The specific structure of it contains a real variety of pore size so there is an excellent balance of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria supported in each piece. As long as a sensible amount is used the full cycle can be achieved (reduction in nitrate) in any flow which has been proved in every type of aquarium from planted tanks to heavily stocked predator tanks. Carbon has way more available surface area than any of the biological media which is argued about out there in internet land but it is useless as a biological media. That is why it is classed as a chemical media - it acts as a sponge, drawing in pollutants but it clogs very quickly and needs replacing every 7-8 weeks. Good biological media should last for many years as it relies on bacteria to process the pollutants into less harmful products, ultimately into soluble nitrogen if the nitrogen cycle has been completed properly. There are 2 manufacturers out there who actually advise users to replace biological media in their filters every 6 months (one is a decent quality ceramic media and the other is a plastic media) which is just plain crazy and a blatant cash grab exercise. With crappy information like that out there its no wonder people argue endlessly online, lol If a filter is properly set up with good foams and fine pad before the media there is no reason why good quality media won't last 6-10 years in a filter and if has a structure which balances a good surface area, availability, receptiveness, durability, variation in pore size and long working life then it should support aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in a stable environment resulting in excellent water quality. Not sure if that answered the question but there are way more important considerations than what manufacturers claim the surface area to be (most are made up anyway, lol)
Pondguru Outdoors Thanks for the reply Richard! The bottom line is that Biohome Ultimate works for me at keeping my water parameters perfect! This doesn't mean that I don't change water in fact I do weekly water changes. And before every water change I do a water parameter check on all my tanks. My ammonia is always 0, nitrite 0, and nitrate between 10-20ppm. I know that there are people out there that have other opinions but for me Biohome Ultimate is the best biological filter media that I have used! Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to me question and no matter what anyone says I will never change my Biohome Ultimate media! Thank you! Brandon
So many comments to read; hope this isnt down below. Moving to a 110g tank w/canister from 45g HOB. Containing 6 mixed cichilds, 1 clown loach , ...and 2 plecos. All pretty young. Need to know what canitster to use. Your "pimp fluval x6 " w/ upgraded media sounds the right fit BUT my first concern is: my fish hide while the 4 hr circulator/ power head is on. ¿How will they stand a full day of the output pressure of the fx6? Also, you mention that the filter (fx6 ) is costly but the media is only a little bit more. *The media would be 11 lbs x 25$. That's a whole lot of money. More costly than the filters itself. How does the Eheim classic 600 compare to fx6? Only the 2262 seems to be big BUT TOO BIG AND EXPENSIVE. Which canister to get for my tank without too big of an outtake ( that keep my fish hiding) ...and is there a place to buy media for cheaper than Amazon, USA?
Hi Richard, very good and informative video. I am ordering the Bio home Ultimate and the Ultra mini for my Rena XP filters. Since there are 3 trays in one and 4 trays in the other filter, it is turning out to be an expensive affair to change all filter media to Bio home.Firstly, can you advice me which is lighter in weight ; the Bio home Ultra (big) logs or the Bio home Ultra mini as I would rather order the one which is lighter in weight and has more volume to cover my trays in XP filters. Secondly, can I mix any ceramic media along with Bio home media like one tray of Bio home Ultimate and 2 trays of Seachem Matrix. Bacteria will develop on both media over time eventually, on the Bio home much faster due being more porous. But will it affect the water chemistry in any way. Also how can I order extra bacteria gel balls if I need more. Thanks
+Rajesh Mitra Yes you can mix media no problem and the large size of ultra is way too big to use in external filters so I would advise to go for the mini version. As I sell all the media by weight 1kg is 1kg no matter what type it is but as you would hve to pack the parge size of ultra in neatly it would actually take up less volume than if the mini ultra was put in randomly.
Hi there, from what I hear and read this stuff is awesome. Now obviously your not going to know every single filter make and model specs of the top of your head but just thought I would ask as I've got a very common one, Fluval 306, would you know roughly how much bio home ultimate i would need to fill up one tray? Would 500g be enough? Thank you in advance
According to my records the 306 takes approx. 1kg per tray but if in doubt please let me know the tray size. I have them down as being 5" x 5" x 3". I would personally use the bottom tray for the graded foams / fine pad and the other two for media.
The company who will be distributing in US has taken delivery, they have constructed their website but until all the import taxes are calculated they won't have a final price. As soon as the prices are finalized I'll make a video announcing the name of the distributor and show their website as well as having a direct link in the video description to their website.
Thanks for a realy good channel. Love to buy it for my FX6 filters but hard to get here in Sweden. Can I buy it from you? How? Regards from Stefan in Sweden
As hydroton is so cheap compared to biohome it makes the best growing media no question. It would cost a fortune to use biohome as a growing media given that most people will vigorously clean htdroton after every crop. It is smaller, harder and will withstand this treatment better than biohome. Maybe the bio-motion would compare to hydroton? as it is smaller and harder than the other biohome products but as it is buoyant it wouldn't behave properly compared to hydroton?
How does one clean Biohome in the canister? And by clean I mean rinse in tank water, not tap water obviously. Or do we only clean the foam pads and never touch the Biohome?
It really should be used in a filter to ensure that water is flowing over it properly. Unless you're running an under-gravel system I'd advise using it in a proper filter (it will stay cleaner there too)
Hi Richard, great informational videos. I just ordered one, 1 kg package and one 500 gr package of the Ultimate from the U.S supplier (actually shipped yesterday) and after reading through a bunch of comments/questions here I am thinking I may need to order more because your answer has been 1 kg per 100 L. I have a Fluval 406 and a 20 U.S gallon sump on a 75 U.S gallon tank, how much more do you suggest I order? was thinking I need another 1.5 kg. more/less or maybe just get the MAXI or Ultra for the sump? look forward to and trust your opinion, Thanks in advance..
+Steves Channel Yes another 1.5kg would be right for the size of filter as each tray will take around 1kg. That should give you enough to see full cycle filtration for your tank unless you have a load of plastic media in the sump producing a load of nitrates.
Thank You! can't wait until it gets here, I have a all new setup with only coarse, medium, fine foams and gravel from an established aquarium in the sump. The Fluval has also been cycling on that same established aquarium.
Hi Pondguru great video, I placed order of Biohome Ultimate from you today and wanted to know where can I buy extra or more Polymer gel balls as recommended by you ???
I've looked at a lot of the reviews and it, biohome, looks like a good product. What you fail to do is show us how good it really is. The wick test everyone shows is only visible as surface wicking, as shown, you need to show the top end view of the media to show that wicking occurs through the middle of the media as well as the outside surface. One other thing to do is weigh the media dry, wick in water until saturated, no dripping, then weigh again, giving us the total volume and weight of water the media can hold. If it's not as good as you like, just compare it with the competition and it will look even better? This will give us the total volume of the pores in the media. More is better in this case. Doing this will reduce the "snake oil" image of the product. If it's good and worth selling, do it right and sell even more.
I just ordered some of the Biohome Ultimate . I have a Fluval 306 canister filter . How long can I expect this biological media to last ? I do monthly cleanings of the mechanical filter media of my fluval .
+Artie Woo It should last a good 6-10 years at high efficiency in a properly set up filter. Your filter will take approx. 1kg of mini ultra or ultimate types of biohome (best types for an external) and as you have 3 trays in the filter, assuming you use the bottom tray for coarse, medium and fine foams that would leave you needing 2kg for the 2 media trays.
hi loved your biorb tank upgrade video , just one thing could you help me with please . in the video you use only course filter sponge one ring about 1 inch wide around the original filter at bottom , and then a second course filter on top of the first one that covers the hole base area so that's clear , but in the kit there is also a medium filter sheet does this one have to go in as well. I know the fine white one goes where the old sponge went but the video doesn't show you using the medium sponge thanks.
Hey pondguru, I'm in California. Around here we have this product from API called BioChem Stars biological media. It claims to have large pore size (50-70 microns), does not break down, and are larger than ceramic rings. Have you had any experience with these? Just trying to determine if I can use these since they are easy to get, but I do like your biohome stuff too.
The stars are OK but I can't really see the point in them since the material isn't as suited to bacterial growth as sand (which the biohome is made of). The design of a star shape also leads to much dead space in the filter which is not really something you should be aiming for when trying to get as much surface area in there as possible. Anything is better than nothing and people use all sorts of media / additives etc but I like to keep it simple and effective.
Hi Richard, I just received my shipment of Biohome Ultimate and the foam pads. Set up my filter just like your video. I only have two trays in my canister filter, it is a Cascade 700. Will this filter be good enough for my 29 gallon tank? The substrate that I'm put down is ADA Power sand and Aqua Soil and part of the tank will be Sand. I want it moderately planted and have shrimp, and about a dozen small fish. I'm running this filter for about two weeks to get the bacteria started. Then I'm going to drain tank and plant.
Pondguru Yes, when I drain tank I will keep 20 gallons of the water and add the remaining space with fresh water. I've been adding Seachem Prime to the tap water when I add it.
The different types of biohome are really for different types of filters so while the biogravel is perfect for the biorb and very small internal filters it would be an expensive way to fill an external filter. The best media for the external filters would be either the mini ultra or ultimate and the best media for an internal could be either biohome standard, plus, mini ultra or ultimate depending on the available space for media.
Hello there from the USA, I WAS WONDERING WHERE YOU MAY AQUIRE THE MEDIA USED IN THE CANNISTER FILTER REBUILD, AS I ALSO HAVE THE EHEIM PRO 2 AND IT IS, ACCORDING TO WATER TEST IS NOT DOING A VERY GOOD JOB. I HAVEN'T RUN ACROSS THE BROWN FILTER MEDIA AT ALL AN THE ULTRA YOU SAID WOULD ACTUALLY BE IN THE STATES HOPEFULLY SOONER than LATER. THANKS
