Although the title is a bit click-baity, what he is saying is essentially true: the biological filter is ultimately the beneficial bacteria that reside in the entire setup. Nitrifying bacteria requires surfaces to thrive. So here comes the commercial biomedia. They facilitate this by having pores or whatever means to allow the beneficial bacteria to live and do their thing to ammonia and nitrites. The biological filter overall is the means to [Nitrogen-] cycle the tank. But what do live plants do to this? Live plants not only consume nitrates but ammonia and nitrites as well. In fact, they prefer ammonia over nitrites and nitrites over nitrates. However, they are NOT as efficient in “consuming” ammonia or nitrites compared to what the nitrifying bacteria “converts.” To remove the need for water changes, a system has to be very heavily planted to be stable. Distinguishing what the plants consume and what the nitrifying bacteria converts is not cut-and-dry either. Live plants also provide surface area for nitrifying bacteria to live on. I think commercial biomedia has a place in the hobby. Not every tank is planted nor does every tank has substrate. This is why this is a hobby: there are different approaches to the different systems being built by hobbyists. The better hobbyists understand each piece of the puzzle, the better they can respond to what their system needs.
This is all theory and lecture - you didn't prove a point with actual test readings. If you really believe what you say ... then start a controlled test. Two identical tanks - one with no bio media and one with.
Thats a good idea. Youd test it out wouldn't you before confirming a theory. Two tanks is perfect idea. Because i hate to say what works for one person might not work for the next person. We all chose different media or filters or whatever we choose.... Doesn't really mean nobody is right or wrong. Yes dude do a experiment please ☺ I do understand what he is saying. And im by no means a expert so compared to me, he is, low tech sounds good aswell. Understanding the cycle and the bacterial stuffis important. Nice hair 💇 aswell. Random!
Show me one single lake or stream that has a biofilter. There's nothing magical about biomedia, bacteria just needs a surface. It's all theory and lecture to say you need media to accomplish what nature accomplishes with dirt.
John Terpack there’s a lot more surface area in a lake for beneficial Bactria than in an aqurium so biomedia will provide a lot of surface area for beneficial Bactria so it is better to have it than not
@@SK-sq5bk my substrate has more surface area than any biofilter I could set up on my tank. I'm sure it has more surface area relative to water volume than any lake too.
John Terpack beneficial Bactria will only grow on the surface where it can get oxygen so it will only grow on the top bio media in a filter has a lot of surface area and is exposed to a lot of oxygen. I’m not saying it’s required to run a successful tank but it is very beneficial and effective
im not sure I can agree with you here. the point if bio media is provide a much larger surface area by using a really porous material. pound for pound your bio media is going to house much more bacteria than a sand bed additionally, if this was true then people wouldn't need filters. I get what youre saying but there's a reason why we use bio-media
Mason's carnivorous plants. how many fish did you have in it? in guessing it was pretty lightly stocked. either way you need surface agitation at the very least
everything grows bacteria. glass, substrate, sponge, biomax, carbon, filter intakes. you can only run a powerhead over your substrate and be fine (to an extent)
Really Good Content...I have a query, In order to grow beneficial bacterial, do we need to add liquid bacteria to it or the bacteria's itself form naturally? I would appreciate if you could help me..
Your sand will only work as a filter if there is waterflow through it. So, unless you have an undergravel filter in there, not so great as a bio-filter as only the top couple of mm of sand will have actively growing microbes. Lower than that it will be anerobic. So really you are wrong on this point.
Those were exactly my thoughts; yes, the sand probably does provide a larger surface area for bacteria to grow than your media in a HOB or canister filter ever could but unless you have water flowing through it there will be no filtration. It would be the equivalent of having the biggest most high tech canister filter available but not turning it on. It matters not how much or how good the media is, if there is no water flow you may as well not have it at all.
So, what is wrong with Anaerobic bacteria in your substrate? Anaerobic bacteria are the ones that metabolize Nitrate. Don't we want them in our tanks too? Nitrate is bad too. And although water changes help, they don't get all of it,....wouldn't metabolizing it be a much better way to go? I think that would create a "Complete Cycle". Not just a partial cycle.
Personally I wan't to do a faux sandbed and completely rely on my sump for biological. I don't like cleaning gravel, also I think this setup can lead to a healthier tank as parasites and what not cant live in the substrate. I do believe the healthiest setup up is bare bottom, bio in the sump, and UV filter on the return. But yeah, I think all that micro pore stuff just gets clogged up quick.
Hey any ideas/suggestions for Diy media. And I use pea gravel in a set up with bare bottom vats. What's the best way for the water to flow. From above down through the gravel, or from the bottom up through the gravel.
Please Please Please dont listen to this. This is only really true in planted tanks and thats because plants eat up the nitrates and ammonia. Its still not the substrate I promise. The amount of bacteria colonizing on your surfaces of the aquarium are minuscule to what you need in a normal application.. This dude has a heavily planted tank with a low low stock level. Your average hobbyist is going to have a regular to over stocked tank with a gravel bed and a crap hang on the back. Filtration is very important. Biological filtration is the most important part of this filtration. And most hobbyists that do have heavily planted tanks still run a good canister filter. Bio media in a sizeable filter comparable to your tank of any kind has triple quadruple the surface area of the rest of your tank thats why its important. Now K1, bio balls, ceramic media. Maybe it isnt necessary, if you are hard up for money there are options out there ALOT cheaper than the substrate you would need for a planted tank. A gallon of k1 is ten dollars a 2 liter is a dollar, a decent airpump and some tubing and some filter floss is another ten to 20. So 30 dollars tops and you already have better filtration than this guy. His sand isnt keeping his fish alive his plants are. Substrate and soil alone for this guys tank cost him minimum 50 dollars and thats if he used potting soil and pool filter sand. Then we get into the 100s for his plants. Again Please dont listen.
Also, it is partly the sand bed that helps keep the tank cycle going, it's all the beneficial bugs, not just bacteria that grow in a thick sand bed,....that help keep things healthy. Go get some GARF.org Grunge and add it to the tank. Then you'll have the same bugs that live outside in the real world in your tank doing their jobs to keep the fish healthy.
for one ...... you don't know how that 125 was set up ........ you didn't see thing in the year of my absence when all the plants died off in the tank, but the substrate kept the fish alive, and kept a healthy nitrogen cycle at all times, even when every single one of my plants died of, and yes they were 100s of dollars, but i like plants almost as much as i like the fish .....my goal with that 125 was an ecosystem that the plants were part of, i made a video called three legs to a table .......this same concept can apply to salt water with a few differences with water flow pourous live rock, and deep sand beds, which is another topic with tons of different opinions. its funny how the 125 has been set back up, and it doesn't have any plants yet, but has a good solid substrate ..... its funny how i have a heavy populated gold fish tank without any plants right now, but i rely on the substrate to keep my nitrogen cycle in check ...... i'm sorry but you are the one who doesn't know what he's talking about ........i mean this respectfully, but go check out fish keeping in the 50s 60s 70s and you'll start to see changes in the late 80s and 90s which has lead to where we are today ..... i'm not saying where we are today is bad, because its not ...... but the new comes probably like yourself aren't learning how things truly work. i not trying to start a fight ..... but your not right, at least not when it comes to my tanks
Just got a 40g tank with my oscar in it and I got a marineland 160? It marineland tho, I didn't know crap about all mechanics behind maintaining a good tank. So what should i be using in my canister? Whats the right setup to keep a balanced healthy tank?
You are correct about BB being everywhere in a tank, but wrong about that filtering your tank. All the water in a tank does not flow around everything in a tank which is why filters are made so the water is sucked into an area where there is BB, thus actually cleaning ALL the water. Which is why people who use HOB filters and ONLY use the filter cartridge have issues, every time they change the cartridge their tank crashes, because there's no bio media to stabilize it. The only time you don't need a filter is in a heavily planted tank. I agree that most of the bio media being sold is a scam, not that is doesn't work, just the opposite, it all works, so does lava rock, and you can get a huge bag at the hardware store for $4.
I'll agree with that with this being said, maybe I should have mentioned flow in the equation. Because water flow IS WHAT DRIVES THE BIO FILTER .... I have a video on water flow, and how it ties into this. But if the aquarium has good water flow it should be good to go
Nope your wrong the “BB” all over tank is just effective and responsible for converting ammonia in the tank . When going through the filter the water doesn’t sit around long enough for it to do something more. BB attaches it’s self to a surface area The area that will be most effective in converting tank ammonia would be the largest surface area in tank witch is the tank itself and substrate. And with the filter media ends up becoming a nitrate factory in long run
Yes, Lava Rock rule!!!!! The best and cheapest. I have them in bio-bags all over my tanks. They are in my HOB, on top of my sponge filters or just sitting or hanging in the corner or a tank. Whenever I need to set up a new tank, or a QT, I have one of these lava rock bags ready to go in that new tank. It's cheap, effective and those rocks last forever.
Lava Rock works, but you can get the same result with much less volume if you use something like Biohome. You just need to make sure, that the pores of the biomedia can't be clogged by muck. Your mechanical filter needs to work well
I think the only reason you would need a bio media in a canister filter or other means is for stocking levels , if you are going to over stock a tank your going to want a bio media to have more surface area etc for the proper bacteria to hold on to and do it's thing. If your stock levels are low for your aquarium size and the bio load of those fish are small you are not going to need anything more then a sand bed.
Wayne I have an issue with extremely high nitrates in my fresh water 55 community tank. I have no clue what I’m doing wrong as a novice can you help me or point me to your video that will help me. I just bought my second bio stone to cover the tank AND power cleaner to clean the bottom real good. I only have rocks on the bottom, no sand!! Thanks!!
Question: filters with bio media. Wouldn't it make more sense to have bio media sitting in the tank itself (e.g. hidden behind a false wall or using it as substrate)? I mean how effective can the bio media be if the water is being pumped in and out within a second? Or am I thinking about it from the wrong perspective. Noob here
I had a feeling this was going to cause a lot of controversy. Here’s the thing, there’s so much information on this hobby on the net. One site will contradict the other and for someone new to the hobby, it can be very confusing as well as overwhelming. In the end, it usually comes down to trial and error.
The best biological filter is the old school under gravel filter. If you are using sand or potting soil, get a role of that landscaping stuff you put down in a flower bed to control weeds, and if you want more of a barrier, lay down rhizomat.
Just a question. If you don't need to have biological media in a filter for aquariums with substrate, then what do you put into the filter? Do you use those filter cartridges that come with the filter, (I've heard that filter cartridges don't last long and have to be replaced often) or something else?
back in the old days of fish keeping their wasn't manufactured biomedia ...... if you have enough substrate to the ratio of livestock in your tank you will be fine
so let’s say I have plants in my fresh water aquarium and I use filtration for surface agitation to produce oxygen and god forbids it stops working over night and my plants continue to use up the excess oxygen in the aquarium at night (respiration) how long would u say my fish will have to survive ? I have a 75 gallon about 4 plants and 6 fish ... 3 4-5 inch fish and 3 smaller ones like 2 inches
I just run Aquaclear HoB's and air filters that I build at home out of ABS pipe, with a small coarse sponge and rings inside of the pipe. Then the tanks get driftwood and lots of live plants. Seems to keep my tanks virtually bullet proof. I do use bio media in the Aquaclears. However, I feel like I need to add that regular filter maintenance, including rinsing of the bio media, is very routine. About twice a month the coarse foams are getting squeezed out in old tank water. The medium foam is changed about every 6 weeks, and the polyester filter floss is being changed every two weeks. Then about every 3-4 weeks I'm lightly rinsing the bio media in old tank water. Simply by submerging it, rattling it around gently, then pulling it out of the water to let it slough off, repeating 3 or 4 times. But this method seems to be working really, really well.
I've successfully kept Walstead style aquariums for years. All were heavily planted, well lit and I never experienced "tank crash" or mass fish die offs. Quite the contrary: I frequently had to find homes for fish when I wanted to update my aquarium. There is one downside to this style of fishkeeping: If you decide after years to majorly change up your aquarium, you will experience lots of release of built up mulm into the water column. and most likely: green water will result. On the whole, fish are good for plants, and plants are good for fish. Plants act as a natural filter as well as a myriad of other benefits for fish. Great upload.
Could you please help me? I recently got duckweed in my tank but it keeps getting pulled under by the waterfall thingy from my hob filter. Any way to keep it out because i saw your planted 125 planted tank and you have duckweed out of your hob filter. Please reply.
The fish in my 120 are doing fine and growing large and the filter for my 120 is a canister. Now in my 55 my fish keep passing on every time a I do one little water change I have a hang on filter for that why is it that my fish keep dying when i do a water change or clean one filter bag?
I have a heavily planted discus tank and still rely on my home made sump filter. I've had pumps fail before and it didn't take long for the water to eventually turn cloudy, but as soon as I get the sump pump up and running again, it immediately goes back to being crystal clear. With past experiences like that, I'd have to be crazy to stop using my bio media filter.
Wayne's Fish World found this vid interesting, going to look at your backlog. Can you name any OGs I should check out? Just to be clear external canisters best for mechanical media the tanks surface areas handle biological?
my ol under gravel filter fr early 90's hooked up to powerheads still looks and performs, no problems at all. In other tanks I have experimented with H.O.B , Canister filters, Sumps, Sponge filters also over the years. All comes down to preference, maintenance, & fish load from my experience they all perform well enough.
@@andrewp4722 ,.. use a gravel vacuum. Place nozzle over the under gravel nozzels,.. it will pull all detritus out. Well that's how I did it, instead of trying to raise the under gravel up and makin a mess,. Hope this helps u out..
100% agree with Wayne.. Best video on filtration in UA-cam.. Ppl he's not saying don't run bio media, he is stating a fact that benifitial bacteria colonises on every single peice of surface area in the tank.. Obviously if you have it in your filter it's more compact, ect.. But it's just surface area... It doesn't just only magically inhabit media lol
the reason i have over 200 dislikes is simple, people hear one thing they don't like and get offended, and then their mind is stuck on me preaching something bad. also all the old schoolers see where i'm coming from, back before aquarium keeping was so advanced we were forced to figure out how and why things worked, and in the end the best result was try to mimic nature as close as possible ......never said bio media was bad, even gave cases on where it might be best ...... but in MOST cases its just simply not needed
I totally agree. These products probably cost cents to produce and turn around and charge a mint. That is the case here in Australia. 1 litre of biohome costs $80, but in the UK it costs them $20. Still my go to biological filtration is plain old washed lava rock and it cost is so low and it works very well if you use it right. I have a crate filter I made for my little pond full of it and some sponge and it works perfectly. I think you need to keep it simple and use lots of it. But I only use canisters or home made sumps. I have 4 different types of substrate in my new rack and it is crystal clear. I used cheap biological filter balls and rods from China, plus my crushed up lava rock and sponge, but I also have two refugiums with substrate. But something you did miss is not to clean all your biological filtration at once. I clean 1/4 ever two weeks in a rotation. So one time I clean half the sponges, the next time half the porous stuff. I also don't tend to bag any of my porous material. Bagging just clogs things up. Before I forget great video.
crazy shrimp lady biohome provides the full nitrogen cycle, has a huge amount of surface area, supports both anaerobic and aerobic bacteria unlike lava rock.
Whats up people. Sorry if I look a little tired in this video, this week I was doing a lot of early bird shifts going in at 4am, but I still bought you guys a video. notice the 4k? ...... Anyways......TAKE SOME GUESSES ON WHAT THIS TANK IS GOING TO BE!!
Crushed lava rock works better than most of those expensive media, its somewhat porous, has enormous surface area and will last forever. I've also used small pieces of small diameter PVC pipe in a trickle filter and it worked very well but not as good as lava. Anything non toxic, lots of surface area and doesn't degrade over time will work.
@@fabianines6112 Indeed it is a lot like lava rock and should work great. High surface area and doesn't break down over time. I operate on a shoestring budget so cost is a big factor for me, that's why I experiment a lot.
Nice notes mate and really well said. I like the bare bottom part. I haven’t heard having a moving media bed is preferred for bare bottom... I’ll look into that. I’m using matrix in bags, washed regular though...
a bio media bag in a aquaclear filter is your best bet. you can exchange filters , help a friend seed a tank and its basically fool proof, just keep it wet when cleaning the filter. Deep ceramic bio balls also tend to clear nitrates as the water flows around and not through them. Yes live rocks help and certain beds too but dont discount bio media balls blocks or bricks. They work with the least trouble.
agreed, I think it is the same principle with airlift system. my filtration system now are all DIY. thank creators like you share there ideas here in youtube
Hey, this is a great point for people who can use substrate. I have a common map turtle. He is five inches long living in a seventy five gallon tank. Turtles will eat sand and gravel. My tank has ceramic tile across the bottom, so it doesn't look so naked. I absolutely have to use bio media as well as mechanical filtration. He is a messy dude, live plant destroyer, needs a big open space to swim, and requires filtration for a tank double the size of his. So, it is nessicary in certain situations. Aquatic turtles do need it.
you are right on. I've Been looking into bio media for a new tank that i intend to set up. That is how i came across this vid. Everything that i have seen so far said i should use bio media. The tank will be a shallow (maybe 9-12 inches deep) salt water, bare bottom, anemone tank. Based on what this video say, it seems that Wayne would agree, i should be using bio media. and it sounds like in your situation, it is the same.
This is probably the best video you have ever done. I disagreed and criticized your video about aqueon filters, and now I understand why. I agree 100% with everything you've said. Unless you have some big fish or heavy waste producers, or both combined, you don't need filters on your tanks. However, I do want to point out that circulation is much more important. If you don't have circulation, you can get into trouble regardless or how established your tank is.
yes water flow is the key ... back in the day people went filter less just water flow and water changes .... their are some rare crazy reefers out their that don't use filters just power heads etc ....... but they'll never show up on youtube because they know whats going to happen to them
I kept healthy Oscars in the 70s with just under gravel filters as that was all we had. I found no difference we I succumbed to adding power heads, but the Oscars loved playing in the streams :)
@@CurieBohr I had 1 tank for convicts which ran a reverse gravel filter as they would dig a lot of nests. Used an external filter that ran the return down the uplifts. This really kept the gravel clean as it would not suck in any dirt making it easy to remove.
Substrate jets are a good idea, works similar to fluidized sand bed filter an gentle upflow keeps debris from setteling, and delivers nutrients/oxygen to plant roots
problem is specially for me I do water changes every two weeks and when I vacuum out my substrate I go Corner the corner and end the whole tank. if you simply rely on your substrate for your bio filtration completely you're pretty much killing half or more . best to user substrate and bio filtration in your filter
can't agree with that, when you siphon it, you just pull out detritus uneaten food waste decaying material etc that is no different then a moving bed filter. bio media is great and i'm all for it. but you don't need it, but its a great addition and back up
Just like I say " no two systems are the same" idk though growing up never using bio media through the 90's and even today, I just have never been won over, bio media is a great thing and if done right there are plenty of posolitive results
everything grows bacteria. glass, substrate, sponge, biomax, carbon, filter intakes. you can only run a powerhead over your substrate and be fine (to an extent) i know i'm not making friends by saying this, but whatever. i really don't care what elitists say.
....but you dont necessarily have to purchase "bio media" at the store. "Bio media" can be any and every surface within the aquarium (the glass, the substrate, even the heater and any fake decor)! At its most basic, bio media is simply the surface on which beneficial bacteria colonize. (not to mention the stuff that companies market as "bio media" is often sold far cheaper under their more common names like "pumice" or "lava rock". Same exact stuff.....but when an aquarium company slaps their name on it they mark it up 1000% just because they can!
Start with one simple filter, mess with it, and see how it changes within a month. This hobby is all trial and error and advice, and definitely patience.
Yes I have seen at my near by aquarium shop that only the substrate of 2 inches in aquarium with just a air stone running for surface agitation for oxygen but due to his laziness he dint change water in it for three months so due to higher nitrates algae formation happen in those tanks but all the fishes are doing good without any problems
Interesting video....I agree on one thing people need to get back to basics...but what basics?...let me ask you this...do you know what kind of bacteria grows in you’re sand bed and what is it doing to you’re water column? This is the basics people should be learning way before they worry about media’s!!! The Nitrogen cycle is the MOST important thing in our hobby but how many people could tell you the steps...not many so if we don’t know that how can we choose the right media to do the right job!....just a thought....
what about holding tanks for food? I eat what i catch, and I always make sure to study the fish for at least a week so i know its not diseased and to flavor it up before I eat it. constantly changing stock, no sand bed, only equipment is what I use.
That is a false statement. The best filter is able to complete the FULL nitrogen cycle (i.e., convert nitrates into nitrogen gas). If you're doing water changes to control nitrates, your tank is NOT fully cycled. A heavily planted tank (with a balanced bio load) can also complete the FULL nitrogen cycle, by having the plants consume the nitrates.
what about replacing nutrients and micro and macro nutrients etc ? ......assuming you don't dose ....... water will run stale and dry of elements fish, plants and other organisms need .....its healthy to do a water change
So basically if you're not diligent at cleaning and being a good and disciplined hobbyist, then things will go bad. I have all bio media in bags etc like lava rocks and such and I wash them two times a week with tank water. They are cost effective and great for biological filtration for all my fish. And I have big crown pearlscale goldfish and other fancy goldfish.... .
Deep sand beds do work. Commercial biological filter media has its uses. I would say premium media like Seachem Matrix, Eheim Subtrat pro and Biohome actually works to maintain stability in the tank. The idea is deep sand beds and commercial media in external filters would complement each other when one of it loses efficiency or fails. I do not worry about washing bio media with a garden hose as I have enough sponges, sand, driftwood in my freshwater tanks to support the nitrogen cycle while the filter bacteria repopulates.
This hobby allows for many many different ways of doing things. None are necessarily right or wrong. Just different. The only thing that is wrong is to try and preach that your way is the right way and all others are wrong. And no, bio media isn't the biggest rip off in an aquarium. Aqua soil is. :)
A very good video, I'd like to focus on one error thogh. Well Amonia turns to nitrite by the bactera, nitrite turnes to nitrate by bactera and nitrate is waterchanged out. But you can grow the bacteria that turnes nitrate in to a gas form that exits the tank by it self, reducing the need for water changes. But then we need to dissregard from two of the factors, Keep i thick layer of subsrate (only vaccuming out the visible dirt) keep porues or dense media in the canister and let it clog a bit. This will be a nitrate factory att first about a yera. when the tank goes in to a new cycle the anoarobic bacteria will start to form eating on the nitrates, but first it will result in nitrate spikes. Your big planted tank is probably fully cycled but you did not see the natrate spike due to the many plants eating away on the nitrates. Still very good video.
EXACTLY!! That's what a good quality filter media, like Biohome for example does, it give the anaerobic bacteria a place to colonize so they can do the final stage of cycling!
I think buying a huge canister filter is a waste, but I made a trickle tower filter for under 50 dollars that does the job great and filters everything with ease, the reason I have this is because I have some big fish and i have less surface area from wood or obstacles in the middle of the tank
OMG I have a 200 gallons gin clear water Because of mechanical and biological filtration. I never have to change my water Only clean my filter. I use tons of biological medium. I never use chemicals in my water. I have a 3000 gallons Koi pond same thing.
Definately african cichlids, you said it was regular sand not live sand, not to mention in your top Five schooling fish video you said you had to choose between a community tank or an african cichlid tank. Also since you did a video on 13 fish which shouldn't be sold in pet stores, could you do one on plants?
True and untrue. It’s true the Decor, plants and substrate can house BB, it’s not as dense in population as bio media. I’ve seen a story where a lady killed her 3 year old BB bio media by accidental washing then with tap water only to find out her tank was no longer cycled. By the look of her video, she had quite a lot of decor and substrate. Think of it this way, the substrate, Decor and plants is like large rural area with a small to average human population. The mechanical/bio media is like the New York. Small area, huge population. The bio/mechanical filtration is at least 5x more efficient than just running substrate, Devore and plants alone.
I respectfully disagree about substrates and bare bottom tanks. I keep very fancy and delicate goldfish, specifically crown pearlscales. They are not tough fish by any means. I have 5 tanks and they are all overstocked. One is a 40 gal and it has seven 5 inch and very heavily bodies crown pearlscales. I have had theses tanks for over two years now. They all have two aquaclear 70's and two sponge filters. There are lava rocks in the HOB filters. The tanks have zero ammonia and nitrite. I do daily water changes to get rid of nitrate. So you can have a very well cycled tank with just bio media like lava rocks in bare bottom tanks. You just have to be patient with the bacteria as they colonize everywhere in the tank. You also need to keep up with the water change (good exercise).
I've been in the hobby for about 50 years. I'm convinced that bio-sponge material is both the best mechanical AND best BIO-FILTRATION media. But your right, there are tons more beneficial bacteria in most substrates than in the filter(s).
Just because you aren't running bio media doesn't mean there isn't biological filtration occurring in your tank. Bacteria is filtering your fish tank whether you have media on the tank or not. Beneficial bacteria live on all the surfaces inside the tank; the gravel, the glass, decor, and the plants. The bacteria are obviously in higher quantities on materials that have a higher surface area, because, well they have more surface for bacteria to live on. That's why we utilize high surface area bio media like ceramics and other synthetic materials with high surface areas to efficiently filter the tank.
in my opinion bio media helps with tank crashes like what if you have to wash your substrate for some reason or have to clean everything in your tank? you would be destroying your whole bacteria colony if you didnt have bio media, and vaccuming your tank disturvs the bacteria colony on your substrate
Nitrosomonas are active only in a dark. thats why you need the filter box in a lighted aquarium. but in a pond if theres dark area where sunlight cant reach these theory is perfectly applicable. you just need to build a safe home for the bacteria
The Best i have found over 30yrs keepin fish all kinds too Is a WET DRY > Aire exchange in chambers is so important as it steps up the 02 in turn creates a Super enviro capable of MEGA Nitrifying Bacteria . I Like Real real porous such as Bioballs in chamber along with a Top Pre filter sponge in overflow to weed out scum thatll slow down surface area on biomedia & also a Good clean drip plate with prefilt material that i keep clean but ALIVE by rinsin in only aquar h20.
utsuriman I agree.. Been in the hobby along time now, and have used d every form of filtration on the market from hobs, canisters, in tank aerators ect.. And by far my favourite is my wet dry.. So cheap to make (made mine out of a 5ft tank I got cheap) and it does exactly what you say.. Mega oxygen rich environment for a steroid like benifitial bacteria
I use dirt cheap basic biomedia. My philosophy is - does my ammonia and nitrite get converted to nitrate super quick? Yes! Well then fine. Super expensive biomedia is a con. If it works it works. Its the same bacteria growing on any biomedia, As long as you have an amount of bacteria in your tank system balanced for your livestock/feeding level, then the media type itself is completely unimportant. I like the idea of moving media. I agree that "adult" bb are less efficient than "juvenile" bb at nitrification. Moving media apparently knocks off "adult" bacteria from the media each time the media pieces collide allowing "young/juvenile" bb to grow maintaining an efficient bb population in your system. I guess that the old knocked off "adult" bb die and decay in your system adding to your bioload. Water-changes and plants anyone??
Where I do agree with you Wayne is corporations love to make useless and expensive filter pads with carbon in them, not only do they tell you to throw away the cartridge because of the carbon going bad but the filter floss is full of biomedia as well. I have tried multiple techniques with only changing a single factor at a time and in my best result was to use 1 pound of ceramic bio media for every 10 gallons. I have almost 5 pounds of biological media in my 40 breeder on two seperate aquaclear 70s 2.3 pounds in each and a marineland hob filter with 4 stacks of filter floss and half a pound of carbon. I clean my filters once a month replace the floss every 6 weeks along with the carbon. I prefer to use bio ceramic media on any tank I build as I can cycle a tank using the media in under 72 hours, the only problem is to get my bio ceramic media cycled it takes at least 4 months. Thankfully all my bio media is over 2 years old (approx 10 pounds of cycled media in various tanks)running strong, rather than slowly replacing it I just add more in every tank, when Im out of room I make a mini canister to hold more media
Hi Wayne, this is my FIRST EVER UA-cam COMMENT :D. Good ideas! They explained some things that have recently happened in my tank. But: for an external filter to work as a mechanical filtration engine: it needs to be strong, otherwise all the debris will just go down into the substrate. Am I wrong? My internal filter is pulling in all the poo, so I guess an external one will need to be at least as strong as that (600 l/h for a 150l tank).
I do have to agree. You want surface area. Cram all you can in the HOB, does not matter what. Help yourself more by adding intake sponges on the HOB's. This is why I use mainly sponge filters in most tanks, if electric it lost, you don't lose bacteria.
I have seen many many aquariums both domestic and commercial in India without biomedia and substrates run with just a sponge filter and aeration. Water changes are inconsistent and tanks overstocked. There are certain types of fish that live in such water conditions in a tropical country where the climatic conditions are suitable for the bacteria to grow. This is also one of the scenarios where fish do not grow to their potential die on a regular basis. So is biomedia helpful, only god knows.
Great topic. The DIY person called the manufacturers bio media "BS marketing". So there are a range of opinions out there. The question for me, is what are you trying to grow. If you only want the minimum of aerobic bacteria species in your system, nitrosomonas and nitrobacter, then simple media is great. If you feel that you want the most diverse range of organisms possible, then porous media enables a robust colonisation of the greatest diversity, just like real life.
you talk about bio media being a ripoff but then hype up K1 which is expensive.Growing up we ran bare bottom tanks for all of our operation. Over 100 fish tanks. All sponge filters. i have one bare bottom tank now. with a sponge filter. I don't buy into cartridges or fancy stuff like purigen or zeolite. I use sponges in an HOB. They're cheap and they work.
John Lewis barebottoms look like shit and HOB filters is a recipe for disaster canisters and substrate hold way more beneficial bacteria and will stabilize the tank and make it look more appealing
Please substantiate your claims, or at least respond to the feedback in the comments. Not doing at least that makes you lose credibility, imho. But if you don't care about that, then ......
Unless you are keeping a species where the water needs to be almost pure (maybe salt too) bio media seems unnecessary. Everything in the tank can house bacteria we just use BM to give it an extra kick. 95% of things don't need an extra kick
I have to disagree with this information simply because your method does not provide good conditions for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Your aerobic bacteria may well grow to a relatively healthy number but I doubt you will be able to establish a high enough amount of anaerobic bacteria to achieve the full cycle which is ammonia - nitrite - nitrate - nitrogen gas. A very good Bio-Media such as Bio-Home Ultimate will provide the right conditions for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and will reduce your need to perform such regular water changes. That being said if this method works for you then it stick to it however having an external filter that is set up with the mechanic filtration first to remove the particulates from the water and then a good media before its pumped back into the tank you can halve your tank maintenance. I suspect your method will work if the tank has plenty of plants and low stock but for your average hobbyist fish keeper I would certainly recommend a correctly set up filter and some good media. But like I said if it works for you then don't fix it if it isn't broken!
Although the title is a bit click-baity, what he is saying is essentially true: the biological filter is ultimately the beneficial bacteria that reside in the entire setup. Nitrifying bacteria requires surfaces to thrive. So here comes the commercial biomedia. They facilitate this by having pores or whatever means to allow the beneficial bacteria to live and do their thing to ammonia and nitrites. The biological filter overall is the means to [Nitrogen-] cycle the tank.
But what do live plants do to this? Live plants not only consume nitrates but ammonia and nitrites as well. In fact, they prefer ammonia over nitrites and nitrites over nitrates. However, they are NOT as efficient in “consuming” ammonia or nitrites compared to what the nitrifying bacteria “converts.” To remove the need for water changes, a system has to be very heavily planted to be stable. Distinguishing what the plants consume and what the nitrifying bacteria converts is not cut-and-dry either. Live plants also provide surface area for nitrifying bacteria to live on.
I think commercial biomedia has a place in the hobby. Not every tank is planted nor does every tank has substrate. This is why this is a hobby: there are different approaches to the different systems being built by hobbyists. The better hobbyists understand each piece of the puzzle, the better they can respond to what their system needs.
Wow. Thanks
MV Ye ... Thanks man, you hit it spot on.. I totally agree with you!
This is all theory and lecture - you didn't prove a point with actual test readings. If you really believe what you say ... then start a controlled test. Two identical tanks - one with no bio media and one with.
Thats a good idea. Youd test it out wouldn't you before confirming a theory. Two tanks is perfect idea. Because i hate to say what works for one person might not work for the next person. We all chose different media or filters or whatever we choose.... Doesn't really mean nobody is right or wrong.
Yes dude do a experiment please ☺
I do understand what he is saying. And im by no means a expert so compared to me, he is, low tech sounds good aswell. Understanding the cycle and the bacterial stuffis important.
Nice hair 💇 aswell. Random!
Show me one single lake or stream that has a biofilter. There's nothing magical about biomedia, bacteria just needs a surface. It's all theory and lecture to say you need media to accomplish what nature accomplishes with dirt.
John Terpack there’s a lot more surface area in a lake for beneficial Bactria than in an aqurium so biomedia will provide a lot of surface area for beneficial Bactria so it is better to have it than not
@@SK-sq5bk my substrate has more surface area than any biofilter I could set up on my tank. I'm sure it has more surface area relative to water volume than any lake too.
John Terpack beneficial Bactria will only grow on the surface where it can get oxygen so it will only grow on the top bio media in a filter has a lot of surface area and is exposed to a lot of oxygen. I’m not saying it’s required to run a successful tank but it is very beneficial and effective
Did you have to have the running water I had 5 pisses so missed the vid😭
im not sure I can agree with you here. the point if bio media is provide a much larger surface area by using a really porous material. pound for pound your bio media is going to house much more bacteria than a sand bed
additionally, if this was true then people wouldn't need filters. I get what youre saying but there's a reason why we use bio-media
But when you get down to it, you truely don't need a filter
Exacly, my friend at school had a community tank with only plants and no filter.
Mason's carnivorous plants. how many fish did you have in it? in guessing it was pretty lightly stocked. either way you need surface agitation at the very least
A 10 gallon beta tank with 3 cherry shrimp.
everything grows bacteria. glass, substrate, sponge, biomax, carbon, filter intakes. you can only run a powerhead over your substrate and be fine (to an extent)
Really Good Content...I have a query, In order to grow beneficial bacterial, do we need to add liquid bacteria to it or the bacteria's itself form naturally? I would appreciate if you could help me..
Your sand will only work as a filter if there is waterflow through it. So, unless you have an undergravel filter in there, not so great as a bio-filter as only the top couple of mm of sand will have actively growing microbes. Lower than that it will be anerobic. So really you are wrong on this point.
Those were exactly my thoughts; yes, the sand probably does provide a larger surface area for bacteria to grow than your media in a HOB or canister filter ever could but unless you have water flowing through it there will be no filtration. It would be the equivalent of having the biggest most high tech canister filter available but not turning it on. It matters not how much or how good the media is, if there is no water flow you may as well not have it at all.
So, what is wrong with Anaerobic bacteria in your substrate? Anaerobic bacteria are the ones that metabolize Nitrate. Don't we want them in our tanks too? Nitrate is bad too. And although water changes help, they don't get all of it,....wouldn't metabolizing it be a much better way to go? I think that would create a "Complete Cycle". Not just a partial cycle.
i didn't know you can run an under gravel filter with sand as the substrate
i see where you are coming from ...... water flow is KEY ... but if you were completely right ....idk how i've been keeping fish these last 20 years
Personally I wan't to do a faux sandbed and completely rely on my sump for biological. I don't like cleaning gravel, also I think this setup can lead to a healthier tank as parasites and what not cant live in the substrate. I do believe the healthiest setup up is bare bottom, bio in the sump, and UV filter on the return. But yeah, I think all that micro pore stuff just gets clogged up quick.
Wouldn't shredded open cell sponge be the best biofilter? Or cut into small cubes? Unless you have horsepower pulling water through it.
Hey any ideas/suggestions for Diy media. And I use pea gravel in a set up with bare bottom vats. What's the best way for the water to flow. From above down through the gravel, or from the bottom up through the gravel.
Please Please Please dont listen to this. This is only really true in planted tanks and thats because plants eat up the nitrates and ammonia. Its still not the substrate I promise. The amount of bacteria colonizing on your surfaces of the aquarium are minuscule to what you need in a normal application.. This dude has a heavily planted tank with a low low stock level. Your average hobbyist is going to have a regular to over stocked tank with a gravel bed and a crap hang on the back. Filtration is very important. Biological filtration is the most important part of this filtration. And most hobbyists that do have heavily planted tanks still run a good canister filter. Bio media in a sizeable filter comparable to your tank of any kind has triple quadruple the surface area of the rest of your tank thats why its important. Now K1, bio balls, ceramic media. Maybe it isnt necessary, if you are hard up for money there are options out there ALOT cheaper than the substrate you would need for a planted tank. A gallon of k1 is ten dollars a 2 liter is a dollar, a decent airpump and some tubing and some filter floss is another ten to 20. So 30 dollars tops and you already have better filtration than this guy. His sand isnt keeping his fish alive his plants are. Substrate and soil alone for this guys tank cost him minimum 50 dollars and thats if he used potting soil and pool filter sand. Then we get into the 100s for his plants. Again Please dont listen.
Zaq G Finally someone sensible. It has to be really heavily planted too. Normally he puts out videos with fairly decent info.
No, plants don't eat up Nitrite and Ammonia, bacteria do, and then the plants use the nitrate that is created by the bacteria as fertilizer.
Also, it is partly the sand bed that helps keep the tank cycle going, it's all the beneficial bugs, not just bacteria that grow in a thick sand bed,....that help keep things healthy. Go get some GARF.org Grunge and add it to the tank. Then you'll have the same bugs that live outside in the real world in your tank doing their jobs to keep the fish healthy.
for one ...... you don't know how that 125 was set up ........ you didn't see thing in the year of my absence when all the plants died off in the tank, but the substrate kept the fish alive, and kept a healthy nitrogen cycle at all times, even when every single one of my plants died of, and yes they were 100s of dollars, but i like plants almost as much as i like the fish .....my goal with that 125 was an ecosystem that the plants were part of, i made a video called three legs to a table .......this same concept can apply to salt water with a few differences with water flow pourous live rock, and deep sand beds, which is another topic with tons of different opinions. its funny how the 125 has been set back up, and it doesn't have any plants yet, but has a good solid substrate ..... its funny how i have a heavy populated gold fish tank without any plants right now, but i rely on the substrate to keep my nitrogen cycle in check ...... i'm sorry but you are the one who doesn't know what he's talking about ........i mean this respectfully, but go check out fish keeping in the 50s 60s 70s and you'll start to see changes in the late 80s and 90s which has lead to where we are today ..... i'm not saying where we are today is bad, because its not ...... but the new comes probably like yourself aren't learning how things truly work. i not trying to start a fight ..... but your not right, at least not when it comes to my tanks
like i told zaq g ....... ive got tanks running now with no plants and tones of fish ....i'm relying on the substrate
Pumice, lava rock, plastic pot scrubbies...
Just got a 40g tank with my oscar in it and I got a marineland 160? It marineland tho, I didn't know crap about all mechanics behind maintaining a good tank. So what should i be using in my canister? Whats the right setup to keep a balanced healthy tank?
You are correct about BB being everywhere in a tank, but wrong about that filtering your tank. All the water in a tank does not flow around everything in a tank which is why filters are made so the water is sucked into an area where there is BB, thus actually cleaning ALL the water. Which is why people who use HOB filters and ONLY use the filter cartridge have issues, every time they change the cartridge their tank crashes, because there's no bio media to stabilize it. The only time you don't need a filter is in a heavily planted tank. I agree that most of the bio media being sold is a scam, not that is doesn't work, just the opposite, it all works, so does lava rock, and you can get a huge bag at the hardware store for $4.
I'll agree with that with this being said, maybe I should have mentioned flow in the equation. Because water flow IS WHAT DRIVES THE BIO FILTER .... I have a video on water flow, and how it ties into this. But if the aquarium has good water flow it should be good to go
Nope your wrong the “BB” all over tank is just effective and responsible for converting ammonia in the tank . When going through the filter the water doesn’t sit around long enough for it to do something more. BB attaches it’s self to a surface area The area that will be most effective in converting tank ammonia would be the largest surface area in tank witch is the tank itself and substrate. And with the filter media ends up becoming a nitrate factory in long run
Robert Lengemann but more way more water goes through a filter
Yes, Lava Rock rule!!!!! The best and cheapest. I have them in bio-bags all over my tanks. They are in my HOB, on top of my sponge filters or just sitting or hanging in the corner or a tank. Whenever I need to set up a new tank, or a QT, I have one of these lava rock bags ready to go in that new tank. It's cheap, effective and those rocks last forever.
Lava Rock works, but you can get the same result with much less volume if you use something like Biohome. You just need to make sure, that the pores of the biomedia can't be clogged by muck. Your mechanical filter needs to work well
I think the only reason you would need a bio media in a canister filter or other means is for stocking levels , if you are going to over stock a tank your going to want a bio media to have more surface area etc for the proper bacteria to hold on to and do it's thing. If your stock levels are low for your aquarium size and the bio load of those fish are small you are not going to need anything more then a sand bed.
agreed and i even covered that point in the video ....good one bud
hi wayne i have question. what is round floss piece on the bottom of whisper air pumps
David Conlin it is a filter to help pull out dust in the air and stop hair getting into the pump
Wayne I have an issue with extremely high nitrates in my fresh water 55 community tank. I have no clue what I’m doing wrong as a novice can you help me or point me to your video that will help me. I just bought my second bio stone to cover the tank AND power cleaner to clean the bottom real good. I only have rocks on the bottom, no sand!! Thanks!!
Kevin Kevin the filtration wont take care of nitrates just do water changes and if you keep having a problem add plants to the tank
Question: filters with bio media. Wouldn't it make more sense to have bio media sitting in the tank itself (e.g. hidden behind a false wall or using it as substrate)? I mean how effective can the bio media be if the water is being pumped in and out within a second? Or am I thinking about it from the wrong perspective. Noob here
Bad Dog Media it wouldn’t be oxygen so not so it won’t house much beneficial Bactria
I had a feeling this was going to cause a lot of controversy. Here’s the thing, there’s so much information on this hobby on the net. One site will contradict the other and for someone new to the hobby, it can be very confusing as well as overwhelming. In the end, it usually comes down to trial and error.
The best biological filter is the old school under gravel filter. If you are using sand or potting soil, get a role of that landscaping stuff you put down in a flower bed to control weeds, and if you want more of a barrier, lay down rhizomat.
Just a question. If you don't need to have biological media in a filter for aquariums with substrate, then what do you put into the filter? Do you use those filter cartridges that come with the filter, (I've heard that filter cartridges don't last long and have to be replaced often) or something else?
I use poly fabric
Wayne's Fish World Would a sponge also work as filter media?
back in the old days of fish keeping their wasn't manufactured biomedia ...... if you have enough substrate to the ratio of livestock in your tank you will be fine
so let’s say I have plants in my fresh water aquarium and I use filtration for surface agitation to produce oxygen and god forbids it stops working over night and my plants continue to use up the excess oxygen in the aquarium at night (respiration) how long would u say my fish will have to survive ? I have a 75 gallon about 4 plants and 6 fish ... 3 4-5 inch fish and 3 smaller ones like 2 inches
what is your opinion on using the scrubbies for a bio media?
just make sure that they don't have chemicals and they don't clog
I just run Aquaclear HoB's and air filters that I build at home out of ABS pipe, with a small coarse sponge and rings inside of the pipe. Then the tanks get driftwood and lots of live plants. Seems to keep my tanks virtually bullet proof. I do use bio media in the Aquaclears. However, I feel like I need to add that regular filter maintenance, including rinsing of the bio media, is very routine. About twice a month the coarse foams are getting squeezed out in old tank water. The medium foam is changed about every 6 weeks, and the polyester filter floss is being changed every two weeks. Then about every 3-4 weeks I'm lightly rinsing the bio media in old tank water. Simply by submerging it, rattling it around gently, then pulling it out of the water to let it slough off, repeating 3 or 4 times. But this method seems to be working really, really well.
i agree thats good house keeping
I've successfully kept Walstead style aquariums for years. All were heavily planted, well lit and I never experienced "tank crash" or mass fish die offs. Quite the contrary: I frequently had to find homes for fish when I wanted to update my aquarium.
There is one downside to this style of fishkeeping: If you decide after years to majorly change up your aquarium, you will experience lots of release of built up mulm into the water column.
and most likely: green water will result.
On the whole, fish are good for plants, and plants are good for fish.
Plants act as a natural filter as well as a myriad of other benefits for fish.
Great upload.
Could you please help me? I recently got duckweed in my tank but it keeps getting pulled under by the waterfall thingy from my hob filter. Any way to keep it out because i saw your planted 125 planted tank and you have duckweed out of your hob filter. Please reply.
keep duck weed out is hard.......good luck buddy only way it to get every piece out
What tank right where?
links to the different filters please
The fish in my 120 are doing fine and growing large and the filter for my 120 is a canister. Now in my 55 my fish keep passing on every time a I do one little water change I have a hang on filter for that why is it that my fish keep dying when i do a water change or clean one filter bag?
do you have substrate, are you doing too much of a water change, is the water parameters the same going in as coming out ?
Thanks for the videos
Do you vacuum your sand bed in a salt tanks some people say yes some say no what's your tank on it
If it is shallow either be fresh or salt it needs to be vacuumed. If I is deep .... MOST OF THE TIME NO, you can do Light skimmer of the top
can you just lay bio media rings on the surface of your aquarium?
I have a heavily planted discus tank and still rely on my home made sump filter. I've had pumps fail before and it didn't take long for the water to eventually turn cloudy, but as soon as I get the sump pump up and running again, it immediately goes back to being crystal clear. With past experiences like that, I'd have to be crazy to stop using my bio media filter.
a sponge filter will clean the water. not what this guy is talking about.
Great video again man!
Congratz on 23,000 subscribers! I have 1,043 lol!
_Keep up the good work!_
*Thumbs up!*
Sweeet i will ans You too
Dude, you gained 500 subscribers after this comment, 501 now!😃
good to see your still at it Wayne! much love brother !
whatttt uppp there is an OG right there haha
not many of us left....and the ones that are left are fake as hell now haha
Wayne's Fish World found this vid interesting, going to look at your backlog. Can you name any OGs I should check out? Just to be clear external canisters best for mechanical media the tanks surface areas handle biological?
my ol under gravel filter fr early 90's hooked up to powerheads still looks and performs, no problems at all. In other tanks I have experimented with H.O.B , Canister filters, Sumps, Sponge filters also over the years. All comes down to preference, maintenance, & fish load from my experience they all perform well enough.
how do you remove the detritus with an under gravel filter
@@andrewp4722 ,.. use a gravel vacuum. Place nozzle over the under gravel nozzels,.. it will pull all detritus out.
Well that's how I did it, instead of trying to raise the under gravel up and makin a mess,. Hope this helps u out..
How about a planted SALTWATER tank?! And, what depth do you consider a deep sand bed for saltwater?
Dépends on The size of the granules of sand
Wayne's Fish World gotcha, I haven't picked out the sand yet, it's for my 29 gal bio cube. My first saltwater tank.
100% agree with Wayne.. Best video on filtration in UA-cam..
Ppl he's not saying don't run bio media, he is stating a fact that benifitial bacteria colonises on every single peice of surface area in the tank.. Obviously if you have it in your filter it's more compact, ect.. But it's just surface area...
It doesn't just only magically inhabit media lol
the reason i have over 200 dislikes is simple, people hear one thing they don't like and get offended, and then their mind is stuck on me preaching something bad. also all the old schoolers see where i'm coming from, back before aquarium keeping was so advanced we were forced to figure out how and why things worked, and in the end the best result was try to mimic nature as close as possible ......never said bio media was bad, even gave cases on where it might be best ...... but in MOST cases its just simply not needed
so if i fill my pond with enough gravel i can keep goldfish in it so i only need air pump and heavy planr it
I totally agree. These products probably cost cents to produce and turn around and charge a mint. That is the case here in Australia. 1 litre of biohome costs $80, but in the UK it costs them $20. Still my go to biological filtration is plain old washed lava rock and it cost is so low and it works very well if you use it right. I have a crate filter I made for my little pond full of it and some sponge and it works perfectly. I think you need to keep it simple and use lots of it. But I only use canisters or home made sumps. I have 4 different types of substrate in my new rack and it is crystal clear. I used cheap biological filter balls and rods from China, plus my crushed up lava rock and sponge, but I also have two refugiums with substrate. But something you did miss is not to clean all your biological filtration at once. I clean 1/4 ever two weeks in a rotation. So one time I clean half the sponges, the next time half the porous stuff. I also don't tend to bag any of my porous material. Bagging just clogs things up. Before I forget great video.
crazy shrimp lady biohome provides the full nitrogen cycle, has a huge amount of surface area, supports both anaerobic and aerobic bacteria unlike lava rock.
Whats up people. Sorry if I look a little tired in this video, this week I was doing a lot of early bird shifts going in at 4am, but I still bought you guys a video. notice the 4k? ...... Anyways......TAKE SOME GUESSES ON WHAT THIS TANK IS GOING TO BE!!
Wayne's Fish World nice vid with your evil twin...
Wayne can you make a video on how to take care of pacu?
yessssss its coming in the future
was this a stingray tank by any chance? i'm just seeing this and i don't have facebook™.
check out my new videos ......i disappeared for a while ...... tank is turning into a planted angel fish tank
Crushed lava rock works better than most of those expensive media, its somewhat porous, has enormous surface area and will last forever.
I've also used small pieces of small diameter PVC pipe in a trickle filter and it worked very well but not as good as lava.
Anything non toxic, lots of surface area and doesn't degrade over time will work.
What don you think about Bio FX ?? You think that’s similar to a lava rock?
@@fabianines6112 Indeed it is a lot like lava rock and should work great.
High surface area and doesn't break down over time.
I operate on a shoestring budget so cost is a big factor for me, that's why I experiment a lot.
Nice notes mate and really well said. I like the bare bottom part. I haven’t heard having a moving media bed is preferred for bare bottom... I’ll look into that. I’m using matrix in bags, washed regular though...
a bio media bag in a aquaclear filter is your best bet. you can exchange filters , help a friend seed a tank and its basically fool proof, just keep it wet when cleaning the filter. Deep ceramic bio balls also tend to clear nitrates as the water flows around and not through them. Yes live rocks help and certain beds too but dont discount bio media balls blocks or bricks. They work with the least trouble.
What sand?
the first filtration I have before at the early 90s is under gravel filter using just aerator and the fish are happy
A lot of mom and pop fish stores will use nothing but undergravel//// reverse flow under gravel
agreed, I think it is the same principle with airlift system. my filtration system now are all DIY. thank creators like you share there ideas here in youtube
Hey, this is a great point for people who can use substrate. I have a common map turtle. He is five inches long living in a seventy five gallon tank. Turtles will eat sand and gravel. My tank has ceramic tile across the bottom, so it doesn't look so naked. I absolutely have to use bio media as well as mechanical filtration. He is a messy dude, live plant destroyer, needs a big open space to swim, and requires filtration for a tank double the size of his. So, it is nessicary in certain situations. Aquatic turtles do need it.
you are right on. I've Been looking into bio media for a new tank that i intend to set up. That is how i came across this vid. Everything that i have seen so far said i should use bio media. The tank will be a shallow (maybe 9-12 inches deep) salt water, bare bottom, anemone tank. Based on what this video say, it seems that Wayne would agree, i should be using bio media. and it sounds like in your situation, it is the same.
This is probably the best video you have ever done. I disagreed and criticized your video about aqueon filters, and now I understand why. I agree 100% with everything you've said. Unless you have some big fish or heavy waste producers, or both combined, you don't need filters on your tanks. However, I do want to point out that circulation is much more important. If you don't have circulation, you can get into trouble regardless or how established your tank is.
yes water flow is the key ... back in the day people went filter less just water flow and water changes .... their are some rare crazy reefers out their that don't use filters just power heads etc ....... but they'll never show up on youtube because they know whats going to happen to them
I kept healthy Oscars in the 70s with just under gravel filters as that was all we had. I found no difference we I succumbed to adding power heads, but the Oscars loved playing in the streams :)
I remember installing under gravel filters, then put the hang on back filters tube into the underground filters up tube. Fish were happy as pie
@@CurieBohr I had 1 tank for convicts which ran a reverse gravel filter as they would dig a lot of nests. Used an external filter that ran the return down the uplifts. This really kept the gravel clean as it would not suck in any dirt making it easy to remove.
Substrate jets are a good idea, works similar to fluidized sand bed filter an gentle upflow keeps debris from setteling, and delivers nutrients/oxygen to plant roots
Sounds like a great idea
To the 5 guys in the world that still use them
sand beds tend to build up harmful gases from lack of flow. Crushed coral as a substrate tends to air-ate itself and prevent this.
I don't use any gravel or sand, just some sponges hidden inside the aquarium :)
How to wash them without damaging them?
Sir Fa wash them with tank water
problem is specially for me I do water changes every two weeks and when I vacuum out my substrate I go Corner the corner and end the whole tank. if you simply rely on your substrate for your bio filtration completely you're pretty much killing half or more . best to user substrate and bio filtration in your filter
can't agree with that, when you siphon it, you just pull out detritus uneaten food waste decaying material etc that is no different then a moving bed filter. bio media is great and i'm all for it. but you don't need it, but its a great addition and back up
bio media is a must have 1000000%
but i run tones of tanks with no "bio media" lol
If it works for you......it works
Just like I say " no two systems are the same" idk though growing up never using bio media through the 90's and even today, I just have never been won over, bio media is a great thing and if done right there are plenty of posolitive results
everything grows bacteria. glass, substrate, sponge, biomax, carbon, filter intakes. you can only run a powerhead over your substrate and be fine (to an extent)
i know i'm not making friends by saying this, but whatever. i really don't care what elitists say.
....but you dont necessarily have to purchase "bio media" at the store. "Bio media" can be any and every surface within the aquarium (the glass, the substrate, even the heater and any fake decor)! At its most basic, bio media is simply the surface on which beneficial bacteria colonize. (not to mention the stuff that companies market as "bio media" is often sold far cheaper under their more common names like "pumice" or "lava rock". Same exact stuff.....but when an aquarium company slaps their name on it they mark it up 1000% just because they can!
Finally, someone else that gets it. Had and old school guy set me up this way, when I started keeping fish.. It does work!!!!
yes because back in the day we were forced to learn why and how things worked, the best thing we could do is mimic nature
Start with one simple filter, mess with it, and see how it changes within a month. This hobby is all trial and error and advice, and definitely patience.
Fail. People do good with bare bottoms, some prefer them.
Yes I have seen at my near by aquarium shop that only the substrate of 2 inches in aquarium with just a air stone running for surface agitation for oxygen but due to his laziness he dint change water in it for three months so due to higher nitrates algae formation happen in those tanks but all the fishes are doing good without any problems
Tumbling media isnt superb. Its still submerged & Very lt weight with Less Porous area /surface to hold nitrify bacterias.
Interesting video....I agree on one thing people need to get back to basics...but what basics?...let me ask you this...do you know what kind of bacteria grows in you’re sand bed and what is it doing to you’re water column? This is the basics people should be learning way before they worry about media’s!!! The Nitrogen cycle is the MOST important thing in our hobby but how many people could tell you the steps...not many so if we don’t know that how can we choose the right media to do the right job!....just a thought....
what about holding tanks for food?
I eat what i catch, and I always make sure to study the fish for at least a week so i know its not diseased and to flavor it up before I eat it.
constantly changing stock, no sand bed, only equipment is what I use.
andrewesquivel 😯
The best filter is a water change
i agree
That is a false statement. The best filter is able to complete the FULL nitrogen cycle (i.e., convert nitrates into nitrogen gas). If you're doing water changes to control nitrates, your tank is NOT fully cycled. A heavily planted tank (with a balanced bio load) can also complete the FULL nitrogen cycle, by having the plants consume the nitrates.
what about replacing nutrients and micro and macro nutrients etc ? ......assuming you don't dose ....... water will run stale and dry of elements fish, plants and other organisms need .....its healthy to do a water change
+wildsprig - yes but what about dissolved organics?
wildsprig u a jumbo dumbo
So basically if you're not diligent at cleaning and being a good and disciplined hobbyist, then things will go bad. I have all bio media in bags etc like lava rocks and such and I wash them two times a week with tank water. They are cost effective and great for biological filtration for all my fish. And I have big crown pearlscale goldfish and other fancy goldfish....
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I'm new to the aquarium hobby, I can tell he's confused 😕
yeah but ammonia will be elevated slightly and this isnt ideal
My favorite is "Aqueon" lol.... 😂😂 Dude also has loud water noise running while he talks. Total noob. Aqueon < AquaClear
Deep sand beds do work. Commercial biological filter media has its uses. I would say premium media like Seachem Matrix, Eheim Subtrat pro and Biohome actually works to maintain stability in the tank. The idea is deep sand beds and commercial media in external filters would complement each other when one of it loses efficiency or fails. I do not worry about washing bio media with a garden hose as I have enough sponges, sand, driftwood in my freshwater tanks to support the nitrogen cycle while the filter bacteria repopulates.
This hobby allows for many many different ways of doing things. None are necessarily right or wrong. Just different. The only thing that is wrong is to try and preach that your way is the right way and all others are wrong. And no, bio media isn't the biggest rip off in an aquarium. Aqua soil is. :)
very good point. but like me i have bare bottom 140 gallon so need as much bio media as i can put in my hob. But really good point.
like i said in the video, you need bio media because the wall of the tank isn't enough surface area
A very good video, I'd like to focus on one error thogh. Well Amonia turns to nitrite by the bactera, nitrite turnes to nitrate by bactera and nitrate is waterchanged out. But you can grow the bacteria that turnes nitrate in to a gas form that exits the tank by it self, reducing the need for water changes. But then we need to dissregard from two of the factors, Keep i thick layer of subsrate (only vaccuming out the visible dirt) keep porues or dense media in the canister and let it clog a bit. This will be a nitrate factory att first about a yera. when the tank goes in to a new cycle the anoarobic bacteria will start to form eating on the nitrates, but first it will result in nitrate spikes. Your big planted tank is probably fully cycled but you did not see the natrate spike due to the many plants eating away on the nitrates.
Still very good video.
EXACTLY!! That's what a good quality filter media, like Biohome for example does, it give the anaerobic bacteria a place to colonize so they can do the final stage of cycling!
I think buying a huge canister filter is a waste, but I made a trickle tower filter for under 50 dollars that does the job great and filters everything with ease, the reason I have this is because I have some big fish and i have less surface area from wood or obstacles in the middle of the tank
OMG I have a 200 gallons gin clear water Because of mechanical and biological filtration. I never have to change my water Only clean my filter. I use tons of biological medium. I never use chemicals in my water. I have a 3000 gallons Koi pond same thing.
ive noticed the same products but marketed to ponds are cheaper
I'd rather have the bio media in the filter, so my aquarium doesn't look messy. You should get a Wayne's world hat, that would be funny.
Definately african cichlids, you said it was regular sand not live sand, not to mention in your top
Five schooling fish video you said you had to choose between a community tank or an african cichlid tank. Also since you did a video on 13 fish which shouldn't be sold in pet stores, could you do one on plants?
thats a great idea, and you are PARTIALLY RIGHT.....time will tell what i mean by that
True and untrue. It’s true the Decor, plants and substrate can house BB, it’s not as dense in population as bio media. I’ve seen a story where a lady killed her 3 year old BB bio media by accidental washing then with tap water only to find out her tank was no longer cycled. By the look of her video, she had quite a lot of decor and substrate. Think of it this way, the substrate, Decor and plants is like large rural area with a small to average human population. The mechanical/bio media is like the New York. Small area, huge population. The bio/mechanical filtration is at least 5x more efficient than just running substrate, Devore and plants alone.
With an established tank I just use more floss and sponges. for biological filtration.
They serve the double purpose of mechanical and bio filtration.
Discus?
you know i really really want to put them in here....its just if the power goes out and that temp drops..... i mean its still a possibility
U r one critical thinker. Few and far in between.Keep it up.
I respectfully disagree about substrates and bare bottom tanks. I keep very fancy and delicate goldfish, specifically crown pearlscales. They are not tough fish by any means. I have 5 tanks and they are all overstocked. One is a 40 gal and it has seven 5 inch and very heavily bodies crown pearlscales. I have had theses tanks for over two years now. They all have two aquaclear 70's and two sponge filters. There are lava rocks in the HOB filters. The tanks have zero ammonia and nitrite. I do daily water changes to get rid of nitrate. So you can have a very well cycled tank with just bio media like lava rocks in bare bottom tanks. You just have to be patient with the bacteria as they colonize everywhere in the tank. You also need to keep up with the water change (good exercise).
I've been in the hobby for about 50 years. I'm convinced that bio-sponge material is both the best mechanical AND best BIO-FILTRATION media. But your right, there are tons more beneficial bacteria in most substrates than in the filter(s).
and see you've been around the hobby twice as long as i have, these new comers haven't seen what we seen.
Just because you aren't running bio media doesn't mean there isn't biological filtration occurring in your tank. Bacteria is filtering your fish tank whether you have media on the tank or not. Beneficial bacteria live on all the surfaces inside the tank; the gravel, the glass, decor, and the plants. The bacteria are obviously in higher quantities on materials that have a higher surface area, because, well they have more surface for bacteria to live on. That's why we utilize high surface area bio media like ceramics and other synthetic materials with high surface areas to efficiently filter the tank.
in my opinion bio media helps with tank crashes like what if you have to wash your substrate for some reason or have to clean everything in your tank? you would be destroying your whole bacteria colony if you didnt have bio media, and vaccuming your tank disturvs the bacteria colony on your substrate
Wayne you have 26,000 subs dude. I remember when you started. Why no posting?
.....i'll be back soon ..... when i come back shortly i will make a video stating on where i've been.....very soon
i went through some shit, i'm back buddy
Nitrosomonas are active only in a dark. thats why you need the filter box in a lighted aquarium. but in a pond if theres dark area where sunlight cant reach these theory is perfectly applicable. you just need to build a safe home for the bacteria
The Best i have found over 30yrs keepin fish all kinds too Is a WET DRY > Aire exchange in chambers is so important as it steps up the 02 in turn creates a Super enviro capable of MEGA Nitrifying Bacteria . I Like Real real porous such as Bioballs in chamber along with a Top Pre filter sponge in overflow to weed out scum thatll slow down surface area on biomedia & also a Good clean drip plate with prefilt material that i keep clean but ALIVE by rinsin in only aquar h20.
utsuriman I agree.. Been in the hobby along time now, and have used d every form of filtration on the market from hobs, canisters, in tank aerators ect.. And by far my favourite is my wet dry.. So cheap to make (made mine out of a 5ft tank I got cheap) and it does exactly what you say.. Mega oxygen rich environment for a steroid like benifitial bacteria
K1 what?
kaldnes
I use dirt cheap basic biomedia.
My philosophy is - does my ammonia and nitrite get converted to nitrate super quick? Yes! Well then fine.
Super expensive biomedia is a con. If it works it works. Its the same bacteria growing on any biomedia,
As long as you have an amount of bacteria in your tank system balanced for your livestock/feeding level, then the media type itself is completely unimportant.
I like the idea of moving media. I agree that "adult" bb are less efficient than "juvenile" bb at nitrification. Moving media apparently knocks off "adult" bacteria from the media each time the media pieces collide allowing "young/juvenile" bb to grow maintaining an efficient bb population in your system. I guess that the old knocked off "adult" bb die and decay in your system adding to your bioload.
Water-changes and plants anyone??
Where I do agree with you Wayne is corporations love to make useless and expensive filter pads with carbon in them, not only do they tell you to throw away the cartridge because of the carbon going bad but the filter floss is full of biomedia as well. I have tried multiple techniques with only changing a single factor at a time and in my best result was to use 1 pound of ceramic bio media for every 10 gallons. I have almost 5 pounds of biological media in my 40 breeder on two seperate aquaclear 70s 2.3 pounds in each and a marineland hob filter with 4 stacks of filter floss and half a pound of carbon. I clean my filters once a month replace the floss every 6 weeks along with the carbon. I prefer to use bio ceramic media on any tank I build as I can cycle a tank using the media in under 72 hours, the only problem is to get my bio ceramic media cycled it takes at least 4 months. Thankfully all my bio media is over 2 years old (approx 10 pounds of cycled media in various tanks)running strong, rather than slowly replacing it I just add more in every tank, when Im out of room I make a mini canister to hold more media
Yeah like I said I do find it really awesome when you can transfer media over to another tank such as a quarantine.! But glad it works for you
Hi Wayne, this is my FIRST EVER UA-cam COMMENT :D. Good ideas! They explained some things that have recently happened in my tank. But: for an external filter to work as a mechanical filtration engine: it needs to be strong, otherwise all the debris will just go down into the substrate. Am I wrong? My internal filter is pulling in all the poo, so I guess an external one will need to be at least as strong as that (600 l/h for a 150l tank).
I do have to agree. You want surface area. Cram all you can in the HOB, does not matter what. Help yourself more by adding intake sponges on the HOB's. This is why I use mainly sponge filters in most tanks, if electric it lost, you don't lose bacteria.
I have seen many many aquariums both domestic and commercial in India without biomedia and substrates run with just a sponge filter and aeration. Water changes are inconsistent and tanks overstocked.
There are certain types of fish that live in such water conditions in a tropical country where the climatic conditions are suitable for the bacteria to grow.
This is also one of the scenarios where fish do not grow to their potential die on a regular basis. So is biomedia helpful, only god knows.
Great topic. The DIY person called the manufacturers bio media "BS marketing".
So there are a range of opinions out there. The question for me, is what are you trying to grow. If you only want the minimum of aerobic bacteria species in your system, nitrosomonas and nitrobacter, then simple media is great. If you feel that you want the most diverse range of organisms possible, then porous media enables a robust colonisation of the greatest diversity, just like real life.
we're going to be rocking aerobic and anaerobic bacteria ......stay tuned bud
you offer advice that Makes Sense not just spending like crazy for $$$$$$$$ equipement...it takes imagination and willingness to experument
you talk about bio media being a ripoff but then hype up K1 which is expensive.Growing up we ran bare bottom tanks for all of our operation. Over 100 fish tanks. All sponge filters. i have one bare bottom tank now. with a sponge filter. I don't buy into cartridges or fancy stuff like purigen or zeolite. I use sponges in an HOB. They're cheap and they work.
John Lewis barebottoms look like shit and HOB filters is a recipe for disaster canisters and substrate hold way more beneficial bacteria and will stabilize the tank and make it look more appealing
Love your videos Wayne!
Appreciate it :) I love having you guys tune in
Please substantiate your claims, or at least respond to the feedback in the comments. Not doing at least that makes you lose credibility, imho. But if you don't care about that, then ......
Unless you are keeping a species where the water needs to be almost pure (maybe salt too) bio media seems unnecessary. Everything in the tank can house bacteria we just use BM to give it an extra kick. 95% of things don't need an extra kick
ok....................
I have to disagree with this information simply because your method does not provide good conditions for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Your aerobic bacteria may well grow to a relatively healthy number but I doubt you will be able to establish a high enough amount of anaerobic bacteria to achieve the full cycle which is ammonia - nitrite - nitrate - nitrogen gas. A very good Bio-Media such as Bio-Home Ultimate will provide the right conditions for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and will reduce your need to perform such regular water changes. That being said if this method works for you then it stick to it however having an external filter that is set up with the mechanic filtration first to remove the particulates from the water and then a good media before its pumped back into the tank you can halve your tank maintenance. I suspect your method will work if the tank has plenty of plants and low stock but for your average hobbyist fish keeper I would certainly recommend a correctly set up filter and some good media. But like I said if it works for you then don't fix it if it isn't broken!
whare can I get free plants
outside buddy lol
Wayne's Fish World lol