Filtration media question

Brad508

Non-member
First I'm still very new in the hobby so I'm just piecing together information as I go.

I've been reading alot about filter media on how it helps out with the tank, and I keep seeing bio balls and global rings(as I'm sure there are more) but as I look into what it made up of, it ceramic with pores for biological grow... my question is could broken down glass "rock" work in replacement of biowheels/fluval rings? The glass rock is basically crushed uo reused glass, heated up and used in aeration in hydroponics, and sinces in glass and has pores all over it didn't know if it would have the same effect as bio balls. Thanks in advance for any feed back!
 

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I think anything with a lot of surface area / pores will do the trick.
I am curious why you’re looking to go that route with bio balls or any of the like. What kind of sump/filter do you have?

Correct me if I’m wrong guys, I think those types of filtration media are less common now and a lot of people are just opting with extra live rock in a refugeum. Or there are porous blocks you can get to save space and have a neat look. These both serve the same purpose and also can host pods, lots of them, or other purposes too.

I used to have a trickle filter with bio balls in a couple different tanks and it worked great, no issues there.
One of my systems only uses live rock in the fuge, filter pad, and skimmer for filtration and no issues with that either.


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I think anything with a lot of surface area / pores will do the trick.
I am curious why you’re looking to go that route with bio balls or any of the like. What kind of sump/filter do you have?

Correct me if I’m wrong guys, I think those types of filtration media are less common now and a lot of people are just opting with extra live rock in a refugeum. Or there are porous blocks you can get to save space and have a neat look. These both serve the same purpose and also can host pods, lots of them, or other purposes too.

I used to have a trickle filter with bio balls in a couple different tanks and it worked great, no issues there.
One of my systems only uses live rock in the fuge, filter pad, and skimmer for filtration and no issues with that either.


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So a little background on my tanks, I have a 28g nano cube had live rock and sand in it when I got it, cycled it, its running good, in the filteration it has sponge, ceramic rings, then carbon, im using this tank as a "show tank" set up over time. Has 2 Clown and a goby with some hermit and snails in it. Feed em clams. With the excess live rock I had, I set up an old 20 g with bare bottom and a marineland hot magnum filter with a marine land biowheel 30. powerheads in both tanks this is my play tank sort of say. So I have no fuge and im looking into building one which got me looking into different filteration methods etc.. that's when all the bio balls, ceramic rings kept popping up. so as I go to build up my fuge I was going to add the glass rock to the fuge as I have 20 1.5cu ft bags of it. so I wanted to use what I have. and that's the sole reason of my interest in it. trying to use what I have in my journey of learning.
 
My concern is if it will affect the chemistry in any way. Glass is silicon dioxide or quartz. The hi porosity is good, but the silicon would promote diatom blooms.


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In the early 2000s there was what sounds like a similar product. I forget who put it out, but I have some in my sump. It is\was basically a very porous glass that was molded into slabs. I think they also had an arch and one other shape. I know, not a lot of info there, but it was awhile ago.
 
At far as I know, as long as it is porous and not soluable it should be fine. Bacteria won't stick to smooth shiny surfaces.
 
At far as I know, as long as it is porous and not soluable it should be fine. Bacteria won't stick to smooth shiny surfaces.

What about those plastic bioballs?

They sell those for bacteria for fresh water and saltwater wet dry’s. But they are smooth surfaces.

Does it just take longer to colonize or easier to lose colonies? Or are those just junk?


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