As many comments already stated, pumice will vary greatly around the world. There will have different composition, porosity, structural strength, etc. You are not paying for pumice only, your are paying for the convenience of buying it from an Aquarium shop, for consistent sizes and the certainty it is a type of pumice that won't leech heavy metals in the tank. That comes at a cost. Anyone can harvest freshwater form a river, but most prefer to get it from the water company for pretty much the same reasons: The hard job has been done for you. I've had bad experiences with pumice I collected on the beach, it basically dissolved over time in my tank and leeched Aluminium. I also had the same problem with Marine Pure, so there is no guarantee a synthetic and expensive media will be problem free. The one I don't have problems with? Seachem Matrix. It also happens to be the least expensive media where I live.
.The seachem matrix is pumice stone, it is simply well washed and almost equal. I've been using pumice stone for 5 years with perfect results. Here in Greece the pumice stone is too cheap, with 1,90 Euros I buy 12 liters of pumice stone with a diameter of 6-12 mm, I wash it well to drop the dust and put it on my filters
After reading rave customer reviews about Seachem Matrix I decided to try it. I've found it does everything Seachem says it will do. Matrix controls anaerobic bacteria and supports beneficial bacteria without requiring a media bag and does not need recharging. Call it pumice if you like and cost be damned, Seachem Matrix is an EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE bio media. Nitrates are no longer a problem, the fish are thriving. I am delighted with the results!
+Charlee Jay I use the basic aquaclear type, no ammonia or nitrites either. The issue with something like this they're selling a product that should cost alot less, for alot more because they have their name brand on it. It's really stupid.
The Fluval that you were talking about is a : Fluval Pre-Filter Media Inert ceramic rings trap large particles before they can clog the finer sieves of the modules above ( For Example : Fluval Biomax Filter Media ) The surface of the rings support large populations of beneficial bacteria. Pre-Filter Media is permanent and requires only occasional rinsing.
Excellent and often overlooked point. I use fluval layer under the matrix layer. The water hits the larger fluval ceramic rings, then the finer Matrix on the way out.
I looked at pumice under the microscope and compared to matrix, matrix had smaller holes, but many more. It was also less dusty than pumice. I use the pumice in my pond. Also, I am surprised with all your knowledge you still use bio balls when most in the hobby have realized they are far inferior to ceramic, pumice, and other bio media.
You know there is just as many different types of pumice stone as there has been active Vulcanos. Each vulcano give a different sort of pumice depending of what the magma and the gases are made up from.
Fredrick SuperAquaMan Johansson True. but unless you're overstocking your tank it isn't going to make a difference really. Although, it may be more efficient in reducing nitrates. Is matrix the same as denitrate?
devisissy1 well read your matrix manual. its less efficient in a wet/dry system, bioballs works better in wet dry specially for fresh water fish. same with ceramic ring their efficiency work in submerge filter. so i think media also depends on the type of filtration you are using.
I know this video is old - but just to clear things up. It is pumice. But there are a few differences from the organic pumice you buy at the garden center and what you get from Seachem. First off, not all pumice is equal. Some is better for aquarium filtration and is more porous then others - it's mined all over the world and has different variations. Matrix is selected pumice that works best in aquarium filtration. Secondly, seachem treats it's pumice - first to make sure it's not dusty, and secondly to make sure it won't alter Ph. Thirdly, it's absolutely great for good bacteria - both nitrifying and de-nitrifying. I don''t work for seachem - I just had the same concerns of whether I bought $5 worth of pumice for 5 times the cost- and decided to do some research. The proprietary part isn't the rock itself, it's the processing they do to it to make it more viable for your filter. Yes, you can get the stuff at the garden center and it will work. But it's not guaranteed to not alter your water chemistry significantly and it may or may not be as porous as what you get with Matrix (so may or not be as effective). The choice is yours.
I just bought a shit ton of pumice and couldn't use half of it because it was too tiny and would kill my filter, bigger pieces cost more, should have bought this stuff
Purigen deff works... I have had fish tanks with new driftwood in them and the water got dark very quick... it looked like dark color tea.. using one little bag of purigen and in 2 days the water was very clear.... Its deff a lot better then carbon... As for it removing ammonia and nitrites and so forth... Im not sure on that... and as for seachem claiming it doesn't remove trace elements for plants... If it removes color and odors and ammonia and so forth.. then it will remove trace elements.. I know because while it did clear up my tank with the tannins... I noticed my plants started to suffer.. when I stopped using it.. they came back. Seachem is a good company but they are very sketchy I have noticed.. they lie a lot about products and they don't tell you what the ingrediants really are... Like the Paraguard medicine of theirs... Its actually excel with malachite in it. lol Now as for the matrix... I have used it, and I still use it.. and it does work for bio media... I use it in conjuction with those ceramic rings.... Honestly surface area I would say the matrix has a lot more surface area... You can have a ton of matrix in a say 12 oz container but those ceramic rings you cant put many in there.. However due to how fucking expensive matrix is... I will never buy it again.. I bought 2 like 500ml bottles for I think $24 each and that's way too much money.. If you guys want some cheap BIO media that's very porous I would honestly recommend going to lowes or home depot and getting one of those 50lbs bags of crushed lava rock... I garuntee you that will have way more surface area for BB then anything you can buy in fish stores
+Kirsten Wilkinson This, right here^^^^ Seachem makes products that work. Like prime, I won't use anything but that for a dechlor. However, they are kinda dodgy in a way. Alot of their products, like you mentioned with paraguard basically being excel with an added medicine, are just rebranded things they already use. Or in the case of prime, they never even knew it had a positive effect on helping remove ammonia and nitrite, it was just something people stumbled across using their product back in the early days, and now they use that idea to sell their product. A marketing strategy that basically fell into their lap. And yes, matrix is basically just pumice that sinks. Seachem's products work, that's for sure, but they like take basic stuff that you can buy cheap and slap their logo on it. Speaking of excel, all it is is glutaraldehyde. They use the stuff in OTC wart remover, as a bacterial cleaner in many professions. Just look it up. You can usually buy the stuff for dirt cheap in large quantities.
Seachem is on the right track! I myself use lava pebbles from the garden center, (they sell it as a mulch). The key here is a variety of pore sizes! Under a microscope one would easily see a variety of different bacteria colonizing in different micro enviroments. A ceramic surface is going to be limited,(that hole in the center does diddily-squat for microbs) What's even worse is plastic. They all will grow the little critters, just in a very narrow, limited amount of bio species. In direct contrast, the lava has all kinds of surface textures to house the most varied of bio culture. It's like what that old 70's Chiffon Margarine commercial said, "Don't fool with Mother Nature"!...or something of the like.
@CorvusOscen I'm trying to find that "Super Porus" brand of Bio Rings you're showing here but can't find them anywhere. Who is the manufacturer and where did you get those?
Ridiculous. Even if it were pumice - which I'm not stipulating - you realize pumice comes in different grades and from all over the world, right? You think the pumice used by elite bonsai artists is the same grade as the pumice they put in Gojo soap? Of course you don't. If Matrix said "high grade pumice" right on the label, I'd still buy it at that price. But it doesn't say that because, like you said, there's different materials. Stop slandering Seachem because you think you're a geologist.
To send a kilo of anything from UK to US costs around £17 but taking into account the cost of the media and postage combined it still works out cheaper than filling the filter with rubbish media just because it is cheap.
Are you referring to the pumice or lava rocks? Or the plastic bio balls? The pumice and lava rocks are widely available and cheap. From many accounts, they're just as effective compared to the matrix that needs to be shipped across the pond.
An older video I know, but I don’t care what the material is or if you feel it is over priced. The stuff works without question. I mean are you going to rag out on the manufacturer of the bio balls because it’s only plastic?
Are you going to defend a chemical company for selling over priced pumice? Trust me when I say I buy tons of stuff from Seachem, and use a lot of their products. 40$ dollars for a gallon of pumice is nuts.
Matrix has larger pores on the outside and smaller pores on the inside and is able to grow anaerobic bacteria that eats nitrates. You must use a lot though…
I have tried a lot of different media in my 6 tanks. For me nothing works as well as the Matrix product in my canister filters. But everyone's system, stocking etc. is different so your experience may be different. I have seen people using lava rocks on the cheap but I would never feel comfortable using the lava rocks, who knows what they have been in and absorbed etc.
Seachem Matrix is PROCESSED pumice. If you guys throw garden store pumice in your tanks your silicates will go off the charts. I am a nurserymen and I use pumice to break hard clay soils which are rich in nutrients. The pumice is very high in silicates in its natural state. Wouldn't want you guys to hurt your fish and aquatic life. I have never used seachem matrix. I can not attest to its effectiveness however natural pumice is wonderful in gardens when ground small. It harbors an immense amount of nitrobacter. Geotropic activity is off the charts when its mixed in soil. If I had to take an educated guess the processing Seachem puts the stones through would involve removing the silicates and heavy metals. May be worth inquiring about.
I think it's cool that you went out of your way & used your own funds to obtain the required media in order to provide us all with your personal perspective. Most would not do this! comparisons like this( i.e. done with multiple choices at hand), whether it's comparing bio-balls, guitar effects pedals or tools are all usually done by a store and always for commercial purposes. Not here. Done for the love, out of love and for other lovers of aquaria! THANKS!
I added some pond matrix to the wet portion of my wet-dry. Dont like it at all. Luckily i also added some bio max and other ceramic rings. They work much better. Ended up taking half the pond matrix out.
Did you ever use the Seachem pumice stones :-)? Seriously, if you did, what difference did you see in your filtration system. I want to get my hands on that Pond Matrix for my sump. I already have the bio balls but you gave me an idea of using both stones at the bottom and bio balls on top.
@Byron Simpson I've learned so much since this last post of mine. First off I don't run this shit in my reef. I do still run it in the pond and freshwater tank. Your saying large water changes disrupt nature is ridiculous considering tanks are not actually part of nature. I do 50-75%,water changes weekly on my planted tank.
The structure of and elements in pumice vary from place to place. I would assume that Seachem has broken down the properties of many sources of pumice and have found the particular kind that would do best in this application.
You guys a lucky. We cannot get anything in Australia, no plastic pot scrubbers, no pumice stone (except as a beauty product that cost like $5 a stone). We are only really left with matrix etc
It is not pumice as pumice floats. Floating media would be disastrous in canister filters. I don't doubt this is simply just clorinated rock. But it is not specifically pumice. Stuff like this happens all the time. At a pool store, they call 10% sodium hypoclorite in solution (which is water) "Clorine" and sell it for $10/gallon. Same stuff at Walmart in 8% solution is called bleach sells for $3/gallon. Sodium bicarbonate is baking soda, but at a pool store it is called pH down and costs way more. No need to be upset about it. Consider yourselves wolves. It is hard to make money from wolves. Easier to sell to the masses if you can trick them. I mean, they aren't called "sheep" for nothing.
I also ordered a little bucket of Matrix and got random rocks mixed in and even some sunflower seeds, very unprofessional especially when coming from a highly praised company as Seachem. Bought Matrix before in mesh bags that were packaged in small cardstock boxes and rocks in those were a lot bigger and more uniform. I guess Matrix works, it just doesn't do much for nitrates (as Seachem claims) in a canister filter even when understocked.
a great media to use is perlite, its an inert volcanic glass its very poris and cheap. can be bought at lowes/home depot. Cool new tip for crystal clear water
Except..it floats and any bits will get into the aquarium or possibly damage the pumps. I would avoid it cheap media. Crushed lava rocks gravel has always been used..I guess nowadays it's cooler to have bio balls that to me have a tiny percentage of filtering...but looks neat.
I tried the lava rock from Home depot, cut it in small pieces, and work perfect in my 125 gallons, but the Seachem in my other tank work too, in both never get ride of the 20 ppm Nitrate after 10 days.Water change is the only solution but, not worry about ammonia and nitrites.
I order a small jar of the pond matrix and that stuff is weird. Some of those rocks float. The instruction says you can mix it with your gravel "that cause its gravel". I had a PhosBan Reactor 150 by Two Little Fishes and I made a over hang filter with it. On the bottom I put 3 foams coarse-medium-fine and then this media like the pond guru suggest on his UA-cam channel. I use no foam on the top. The idea is to foam before it goes to the media.
If it works and does what it's supposed to then who the hell cares what it's made of. What's the problem if it's made of pumice? It's sold as bio media and it does exactly that. What's the difference in having a man made bio media in comparison to natural pumice media. what's the problem? And it's not expensive seeing how long the stuff lasts. My buddy has his seachum media in his filter for over 6 months now and it's still going strong. 30$ for a tub of the stuff isn't bad considering that tub will probably last well over a year. Oh and the fluval media you were looking at isn't even bio media. It's Pre filter media.
Matrix is not as a common pumice stone. Common pumice stone is alcaline. It has bigger porus than Matrix and floats on water. Matrix is a different kind of pumice stone. It has small and interconnecting porus. Almost all of stones do not float and Matrix has a good granularity to guarantee nitrate's bacterias. Seachem says Matrix does not change pH, being neutral to water. It is not only a pumice stone. If you could test a common pumice stone against Matrix, you should see different results as well.
Seachem matrix is pumice, it’s a higher grade in terms of consistent size. But it’s still a pumice stone. I have 80 ppm nitrates normally so let’s see if this is as good as they say !!
Shame you didn't have any Biohome filter media to test (especially like to see a wick test) The porosity of Biohome ultra and mini ultra will blow your socks off. Check out my video: 'Biohome filter media' to see wick tests from 6:10 which are very impressive indeed. No-one should have to settle for second rate media as you may as well fill the filter with potatoes. Thanks for making this video to expose the crappy ones.
Wow... Cant belive that seachem would do that. I mean, theyre a pretty good, well known company and to do that is just stupid. Great video. Might look in to the oddysea rings. Looks like a good deal.
Eh I don't really care if bio media is $1 or $500. It is a one time investment. Having a 5gallon nano tank stocking 2 extremely expensive and rare fish, all I care about is having the best filtration possible for quality tank health. Quality is the key word when I look for reviews of a product, any product. You can make your opinions and comparisons known about price, but if you let it lead your review and base your opinion on a product because of price you are making a worthless review for your viewers.
Yup you are right...they are using Pumice stones mainly importing from Sri Lanka (city called Anuradhapura). And I gave up on Seachem long ago when they changed their base chemicals/ingredients compound on most products. The only reason a company do that is to advance their products or gain more profit. In this case, later is the reason. I switched back to API fish care as they are still sticking to their main compound ingredients. Simple...cheap base that have being consistent over the years.
+LinuxGuru RHEL Pereira For sure, thanks for getting the point of the video! I know that it is pumice, even the company said so. My issue was simply with the fact they bucketed up pumice with a new label and charged top dollar for it. I still have faith in that company though, as a whole. Most companies will have a few 'sub par' products, lol
Duuuude HAHAHAH Im sorry they got you bro ive peeped into seachem matrix boxes and thought the exact same thing. Regardless of what material they use im a firm believer that yes the amount of pores in the material matters but in terms of making or breaking your system i just dont think material composition matters all that much. Im using aquaclears ceramics and i feel like i can safely make the assumption that my water paramaters wouldnt change drastically if i switch to a different brand. I know i basically said the same thing twice but bottom line we just need some form of media in our filters and i feel like its more than enough.
After someone took some matrix into a lab for analysis and found out what it was Seachem did admit to it being pumice, but at the end of the day it is an excellent bio media. The big tubs of this stuff does not look that great, I bought the smaller tubs and it appeared to be better quality stuff it was all roughly the same size and colour, no odd looking bits of "what's that?". That big tub did look like it came straight from the builders supplies. If you have an external bucket filter I would strongly advise some biohome media. Look up "pondguru" for a good deal on this media and the correct way to have you filter set up.
Start rant; so here's the thing, you CAN NOT "go to the rock yard and buy a 20lb bag for $10" I've tried. At least not on the east coast US. I CAN NOT find pumice anywhere for less than what I can buy seachem matrix for. I just bought 2L of this stuff for $20 for a 40 breeder reef build. The closest thing I could find was a "pumi scowering stick" at home depot/Lowe's for
I have all of that except the hex ones fluval also makes some round ones with a much smaller hole in it. I only had 2 pieces of obsidian in the liter of matrix I got. I also put a couple red lava stones from Walmart in 3 dollars for a 50lb bag rather dusty tho
Understood, but he did purchase the product, and it was not falsely advertised as far as I can tell. Im shtopping for an easy to clean but effective bio media, for a small tank, 2.5 gallons-any recs?
+davo171 Let's keep in mind that this video was uploaded two and a half years ago. Bio Home Ultimate, is what I recommend, otherwise, some simple lava rock will work for cheapest solution.
I wouldn't recommend biohome ultimate for a planted tank though. Plus it costs way more than pretty much everything else that essentially does the same thing.
+Corvus Oscen I believe a lot of these products not just seachem are overpriced. The majority do not educate themselves in this hobby. I appreciate you educating the fish community. 👍🏽
well who did you order it through sachem doesn't ship out there a whole sale distributor you have to watch who u buy things from now a day the person u bought that from very well could have used the product and loaded up the bucket and ship it to you
awesome review !! very informative as always. proof you cant always go with the hype and every company has its up and down sides...its good and not so good products.
Ya, well I wish I wouldn't have listened to this guy. I tried pumis and then tried matrix. Matrix is alot higher quality and it's pH N. It way way cleaner and has alot more small holes for low flow low oxygen bacteria for removing nitrates.. tried both matrix is far superior
Good video...hope you help to expose Seachem's marketing strategy. Thank you for doing this for other hobbyists to save their money. In Sri Lanka aquariam owners use Lava rock and pumis for Bio media. And, I am talking about serious hobbyist like yourself...these guys export fish all over the world. Lava Rocks are better than Pumis....OR in our case Fancy Seachem Bio Media....hahaha.
I use 2 liters of matrix in my canister filter. The stuff works great but I really wish I would have known that I could get it for about 1/4 what I paid :(
Excellent review! That's surprising Seachem would do that! I guess that's cheap and easy though. It's the same way with "aquarium gravel". Just go down to the garden center and pick up small gravel of your color choice. So much less expensive and easier. I'd be interested to hear what the price of pumice at your garden center was.
I pickup some pond matrix and some of the pieces floats the lighted color ones. The dark ones don't float. that's what I found strange that they float. but wants there in the water for a day or two they sink.
+Jessieee C www.amazon.com/Aquacity-Premier-Ceramic-Aquarium-Filter/dp/B013QGF2CU/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1444664362&sr=8-7&keywords=Aquarium+Ceramic+Rings
+Jessieee C seachem matrix media sucks its not super porous. If you really want a media that's supper porous, Biohome ultimate is my best bet. Its is the best bio media out there on the market right now..
devisissy1 Nope, not even close.. Biohome ultimate you can breath through it.. That's how super porus it is.. I bet you can't do that with the matrix..
How to clean your Hang On Back Filter: ua-cam.com/video/5Y5nAmqwrgI/v-deo.html&index=4&list=PL6DF9853BBD2226F5
As many comments already stated, pumice will vary greatly around the world. There will have different composition, porosity, structural strength, etc.
You are not paying for pumice only, your are paying for the convenience of buying it from an Aquarium shop, for consistent sizes and the certainty it is a type of pumice that won't leech heavy metals in the tank. That comes at a cost.
Anyone can harvest freshwater form a river, but most prefer to get it from the water company for pretty much the same reasons: The hard job has been done for you.
I've had bad experiences with pumice I collected on the beach, it basically dissolved over time in my tank and leeched Aluminium. I also had the same problem with Marine Pure, so there is no guarantee a synthetic and expensive media will be problem free.
The one I don't have problems with? Seachem Matrix.
It also happens to be the least expensive media where I live.
.The seachem matrix is pumice stone, it is simply well washed and almost equal. I've been using pumice stone for 5 years with perfect results. Here in Greece the pumice stone is too cheap, with 1,90 Euros I buy 12 liters of pumice stone with a diameter of 6-12 mm, I wash it well to drop the dust and put it on my filters
After reading rave customer reviews about Seachem Matrix I decided to try it. I've found it does everything Seachem says it will do. Matrix controls anaerobic bacteria and supports beneficial bacteria without requiring a media bag and does not need recharging. Call it pumice if you like and cost be damned, Seachem Matrix is an EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE bio media. Nitrates are no longer a problem, the fish are thriving. I am delighted with the results!
+Charlee Jay I use the basic aquaclear type, no ammonia or nitrites either. The issue with something like this they're selling a product that should cost alot less, for alot more because they have their name brand on it. It's really stupid.
Point is if you just buy pumice stone at a tenth of the price you get the same results.
I think you mean Nitrite. Not Nitrate.
Charlee Jay no media bag needed?
@@eyeonlife it’s supposed to help with nitrate too. It’s supposed to be able to house both anaerobic bacteria and aerobic bacteria
Update as to your thoughts and feelings 4 years later on this subject
The Fluval that you were talking about is a : Fluval Pre-Filter Media
Inert ceramic rings trap large particles before they can clog the finer sieves of the modules above ( For Example : Fluval Biomax Filter Media ) The surface of the rings support large populations of beneficial bacteria. Pre-Filter Media is permanent and requires only occasional rinsing.
Excellent and often overlooked point. I use fluval layer under the matrix layer. The water hits the larger fluval ceramic rings, then the finer Matrix on the way out.
I looked at pumice under the microscope and compared to matrix, matrix had smaller holes, but many more. It was also less dusty than pumice. I use the pumice in my pond. Also, I am surprised with all your knowledge you still use bio balls when most in the hobby have realized they are far inferior to ceramic, pumice, and other bio media.
I gave the bio balls that came with my filter to my cats. lol
You know there is just as many different types of pumice stone as there has been active Vulcanos. Each vulcano give a different sort of pumice depending of what the magma and the gases are made up from.
Fredrick SuperAquaMan Johansson
True. but unless you're overstocking your tank it isn't going to make a difference really. Although, it may be more efficient in reducing nitrates. Is matrix the same as denitrate?
devisissy1
well read your matrix manual. its less efficient in a wet/dry system, bioballs works better in wet dry specially for fresh water fish.
same with ceramic ring their efficiency work in submerge filter.
so i think media also depends on the type of filtration you are using.
@@Vinylknaster that would give more credit to seachem. Try both ,seschems matrix is alot better at removing nitrates
It works perfectly for me and it last forever keeps my water cristal clear
I know this video is old - but just to clear things up. It is pumice. But there are a few differences from the organic pumice you buy at the garden center and what you get from Seachem. First off, not all pumice is equal. Some is better for aquarium filtration and is more porous then others - it's mined all over the world and has different variations. Matrix is selected pumice that works best in aquarium filtration. Secondly, seachem treats it's pumice - first to make sure it's not dusty, and secondly to make sure it won't alter Ph. Thirdly, it's absolutely great for good bacteria - both nitrifying and de-nitrifying. I don''t work for seachem - I just had the same concerns of whether I bought $5 worth of pumice for 5 times the cost- and decided to do some research. The proprietary part isn't the rock itself, it's the processing they do to it to make it more viable for your filter. Yes, you can get the stuff at the garden center and it will work. But it's not guaranteed to not alter your water chemistry significantly and it may or may not be as porous as what you get with Matrix (so may or not be as effective). The choice is yours.
It is pumice. Thank you.
I just bought a shit ton of pumice and couldn't use half of it because it was too tiny and would kill my filter, bigger pieces cost more, should have bought this stuff
Purigen deff works... I have had fish tanks with new driftwood in them and the water got dark very quick... it looked like dark color tea.. using one little bag of purigen and in 2 days the water was very clear.... Its deff a lot better then carbon... As for it removing ammonia and nitrites and so forth... Im not sure on that... and as for seachem claiming it doesn't remove trace elements for plants... If it removes color and odors and ammonia and so forth.. then it will remove trace elements..
I know because while it did clear up my tank with the tannins... I noticed my plants started to suffer.. when I stopped using it.. they came back.
Seachem is a good company but they are very sketchy I have noticed.. they lie a lot about products and they don't tell you what the ingrediants really are... Like the Paraguard medicine of theirs... Its actually excel with malachite in it. lol
Now as for the matrix... I have used it, and I still use it.. and it does work for bio media... I use it in conjuction with those ceramic rings.... Honestly surface area I would say the matrix has a lot more surface area... You can have a ton of matrix in a say 12 oz container but those ceramic rings you cant put many in there.. However due to how fucking expensive matrix is... I will never buy it again.. I bought 2 like 500ml bottles for I think $24 each and that's way too much money..
If you guys want some cheap BIO media that's very porous I would honestly recommend going to lowes or home depot and getting one of those 50lbs bags of crushed lava rock... I garuntee you that will have way more surface area for BB then anything you can buy in fish stores
+Kirsten Wilkinson This, right here^^^^
Seachem makes products that work. Like prime, I won't use anything but that for a dechlor. However, they are kinda dodgy in a way. Alot of their products, like you mentioned with paraguard basically being excel with an added medicine, are just rebranded things they already use. Or in the case of prime, they never even knew it had a positive effect on helping remove ammonia and nitrite, it was just something people stumbled across using their product back in the early days, and now they use that idea to sell their product. A marketing strategy that basically fell into their lap. And yes, matrix is basically just pumice that sinks. Seachem's products work, that's for sure, but they like take basic stuff that you can buy cheap and slap their logo on it.
Speaking of excel, all it is is glutaraldehyde. They use the stuff in OTC wart remover, as a bacterial cleaner in many professions. Just look it up. You can usually buy the stuff for dirt cheap in large quantities.
Here from the future...Is Lava Rock better?
Seachem is on the right track! I myself use lava pebbles from the garden center, (they sell it as a mulch). The key here is a variety of pore sizes! Under a microscope one would easily see a variety of different bacteria colonizing in different micro enviroments. A ceramic surface is going to be limited,(that hole in the center does diddily-squat for microbs) What's even worse is plastic. They all will grow the little critters, just in a very narrow, limited amount of bio species. In direct contrast, the lava has all kinds of surface textures to house the most varied of bio culture. It's like what that old 70's Chiffon Margarine commercial said, "Don't fool with Mother Nature"!...or something of the like.
@CorvusOscen I'm trying to find that "Super Porus" brand of Bio Rings you're showing here but can't find them anywhere. Who is the manufacturer and where did you get those?
Thanks for sharing!
I was researching about biohome media and going through all different types of bio-media for my filters. Nice to see your vid.
Ridiculous.
Even if it were pumice - which I'm not stipulating - you realize pumice comes in different grades and from all over the world, right? You think the pumice used by elite bonsai artists is the same grade as the pumice they put in Gojo soap? Of course you don't. If Matrix said "high grade pumice" right on the label, I'd still buy it at that price.
But it doesn't say that because, like you said, there's different materials.
Stop slandering Seachem because you think you're a geologist.
Geologist standing next to me in the making of this video. It's pumice, as confirmed by seachem.
Fan boi responce. Geologists have confirmed it's just plain old pumice with a mega price tag to fool the idiots.
To send a kilo of anything from UK to US costs around £17 but taking into account the cost of the media and postage combined it still works out cheaper than filling the filter with rubbish media just because it is cheap.
Are you referring to the pumice or lava rocks? Or the plastic bio balls?
The pumice and lava rocks are widely available and cheap. From many accounts, they're just as effective compared to the matrix that needs to be shipped across the pond.
here in the u,s now its $24 for 1lb bag of bio home
An older video I know, but I don’t care what the material is or if you feel it is over priced. The stuff works without question. I mean are you going to rag out on the manufacturer of the bio balls because it’s only plastic?
Are you going to defend a chemical company for selling over priced pumice? Trust me when I say I buy tons of stuff from Seachem, and use a lot of their products. 40$ dollars for a gallon of pumice is nuts.
Matrix has larger pores on the outside and smaller pores on the inside and is able to grow anaerobic bacteria that eats nitrates. You must use a lot though…
One way to test is to get a non soaked bio media completely dry and soak it in a 5ml water and see its absorption rate.
Seachem Matrix = pumice stones X power of branding. Mother Nature should sue Seachem for using the word Proprietary on pumice.
alot people say normal pumice can kill your fish
I have tried a lot of different media in my 6 tanks. For me nothing works as well as the Matrix product in my canister filters. But everyone's system, stocking etc. is different so your experience may be different. I have seen people using lava rocks on the cheap but I would never feel comfortable using the lava rocks, who knows what they have been in and absorbed etc.
Seachem Matrix is PROCESSED pumice. If you guys throw garden store pumice in your tanks your silicates will go off the charts. I am a nurserymen and I use pumice to break hard clay soils which are rich in nutrients. The pumice is very high in silicates in its natural state. Wouldn't want you guys to hurt your fish and aquatic life.
I have never used seachem matrix. I can not attest to its effectiveness however natural pumice is wonderful in gardens when ground small. It harbors an immense amount of nitrobacter. Geotropic activity is off the charts when its mixed in soil.
If I had to take an educated guess the processing Seachem puts the stones through would involve removing the silicates and heavy metals. May be worth inquiring about.
I think it's cool that you went out of your way & used your own funds to obtain the required media in order to provide us all with your personal perspective. Most would not do this! comparisons like this( i.e. done with multiple choices at hand), whether it's comparing bio-balls, guitar effects pedals or tools are all usually done by a store and always for commercial purposes. Not here. Done for the love, out of love and for other lovers of aquaria! THANKS!
I added some pond matrix to the wet portion of my wet-dry. Dont like it at all. Luckily i also added some bio max and other ceramic rings. They work much better. Ended up taking half the pond matrix out.
Did you ever use the Seachem pumice stones :-)? Seriously, if you did, what difference did you see in your filtration system. I want to get my hands on that Pond Matrix for my sump. I already have the bio balls but you gave me an idea of using both stones at the bottom and bio balls on top.
+Jose Lamar I use it on two tanks. Freshwater took 4 weeks for noticeable drop in nitrates, the reef tank took 10 weeks.
@Byron Simpson I've learned so much since this last post of mine. First off I don't run this shit in my reef. I do still run it in the pond and freshwater tank. Your saying large water changes disrupt nature is ridiculous considering tanks are not actually part of nature. I do 50-75%,water changes weekly on my planted tank.
matrix is the best i have used to each there own
The structure of and elements in pumice vary from place to place. I would assume that Seachem has broken down the properties of many sources of pumice and have found the particular kind that would do best in this application.
You guys a lucky. We cannot get anything in Australia, no plastic pot scrubbers, no pumice stone (except as a beauty product that cost like $5 a stone). We are only really left with matrix etc
Pumice floats, Matrix doesn't.
+Wylie Coyote Matrix does in fact float. The smaller non pond Matrix rocks float until debris hold it down.
Negative, the majority of Pond Matrix doesn't float. I've been using it for over two years.
Mark Marshall : i have 2 current bottles of Matrix and many rocks float ... some do some don't. You are not universally right.
After a few days in the water, nothing floats
But as Mark Marshall stated, a majority doesn't float. Of those that initially float, let them sit in water a week or so and some will sink as well.
I'm gonna go get me some pumice.
It is not pumice as pumice floats. Floating media would be disastrous in canister filters. I don't doubt this is simply just clorinated rock. But it is not specifically pumice. Stuff like this happens all the time. At a pool store, they call 10% sodium hypoclorite in solution (which is water) "Clorine" and sell it for $10/gallon. Same stuff at Walmart in 8% solution is called bleach sells for $3/gallon. Sodium bicarbonate is baking soda, but at a pool store it is called pH down and costs way more. No need to be upset about it. Consider yourselves wolves. It is hard to make money from wolves. Easier to sell to the masses if you can trick them. I mean, they aren't called "sheep" for nothing.
Actually baking soda will raise pH, not lower it. Lowering pH results in a more acidic environment.
I also ordered a little bucket of Matrix and got random rocks mixed in and even some sunflower seeds, very unprofessional especially when coming from a highly praised company as Seachem. Bought Matrix before in mesh bags that were packaged in small cardstock boxes and rocks in those were a lot bigger and more uniform. I guess Matrix works, it just doesn't do much for nitrates (as Seachem claims) in a canister filter even when understocked.
dude only 30 dollar per gallon? in our country it's over 300 dollar per gallon :(
The fluval one is actually ore filter media, fluval has their own bio max as well.
a great media to use is perlite, its an inert volcanic glass its very poris and cheap. can be bought at lowes/home depot.
Cool new tip for crystal clear water
Except..it floats and any bits will get into the aquarium or possibly damage the pumps. I would avoid it cheap media. Crushed lava rocks gravel has always been used..I guess nowadays it's cooler to have bio balls that to me have a tiny percentage of filtering...but looks neat.
I tried the lava rock from Home depot, cut it in small pieces, and work perfect in my 125 gallons, but the Seachem in my other tank work too, in both never get ride of the 20 ppm Nitrate after 10 days.Water change is the only solution but, not worry about ammonia and nitrites.
I order a small jar of the pond matrix and that stuff is weird. Some of those rocks float. The instruction says you can mix it with your gravel "that cause its gravel".
I had a PhosBan Reactor 150 by Two Little Fishes and I made a over hang filter with it. On the bottom I put 3 foams coarse-medium-fine and then this media like the pond guru suggest on his UA-cam channel. I use no foam on the top. The idea is to foam before it goes to the media.
Thanks for the heads up.
Nothing wrong with Matrix. Good stuff and cheap for a shit ton that lasts forever.
It is pumice, but high grade pumice.
Oh Seachem...such a reliable company. Or maybe it was a reliable company. Still love their Prime water conditioner.
If it works and does what it's supposed to then who the hell cares what it's made of.
What's the problem if it's made of pumice?
It's sold as bio media and it does exactly that.
What's the difference in having a man made bio media in comparison to natural pumice media. what's the problem?
And it's not expensive seeing how long the stuff lasts. My buddy has his seachum media in his filter for over 6 months now and it's still going strong. 30$ for a tub of the stuff isn't bad considering that tub will probably last well over a year.
Oh and the fluval media you were looking at isn't even bio media. It's Pre filter media.
The issue is charging 10x as much for it.
I think you may be on to something there...
If it works, we should pay attention to that fact...
Matrix is not as a common pumice stone. Common pumice stone is alcaline. It has bigger porus than Matrix and floats on water. Matrix is a different kind of pumice stone. It has small and interconnecting porus. Almost all of stones do not float and Matrix has a good granularity to guarantee nitrate's bacterias. Seachem says Matrix does not change pH, being neutral to water.
It is not only a pumice stone. If you could test a common pumice stone against Matrix, you should see different results as well.
Seachem Matrix is pumice stone from Yali Island in Dodecanese en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyali
Seachem matrix is pumice, it’s a higher grade in terms of consistent size. But it’s still a pumice stone. I have 80 ppm nitrates normally so let’s see if this is as good as they say !!
Try pothos, it works wonders, i put lots n i still get 0 in 1 week overstocked. 5 in over 2 weeks. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite of course.
@@crankyboiy how much pothos?
@@DeepikaAditya 2 handfull of pothos roots on each side of my 36 gallon and 135 gallon tanks
@SweetAsHoney can't use in tank plants
Hmmm I would hazard a guess that the fact you have 7 different types of stone in there suggests its not just pumice stone......no?
Someone did a study and it was acid washed pumice lol
i like to use eheim substrat pro. looks like coco puffs and makes me want to add milk when i clean my canisters.
Shame you didn't have any Biohome filter media to test (especially like to see a wick test) The porosity of Biohome ultra and mini ultra will blow your socks off. Check out my video: 'Biohome filter media' to see wick tests from 6:10 which are very impressive indeed. No-one should have to settle for second rate media as you may as well fill the filter with potatoes. Thanks for making this video to expose the crappy ones.
It's not pumice but it has a similar make up, it glass and rock exploded in an oven
It's pumice. It's just acid washed and nicely sorted in size.
Great review vid Joel. Good to know
I have wondered about that stuff. It is great to hear your opinions on the other matrix too.
Wow... Cant belive that seachem would do that. I mean, theyre a pretty good, well known company and to do that is just stupid. Great video. Might look in to the oddysea rings. Looks like a good deal.
Eh I don't really care if bio media is $1 or $500. It is a one time investment. Having a 5gallon nano tank stocking 2 extremely expensive and rare fish, all I care about is having the best filtration possible for quality tank health. Quality is the key word when I look for reviews of a product, any product. You can make your opinions and comparisons known about price, but if you let it lead your review and base your opinion on a product because of price you are making a worthless review for your viewers.
Well, if you don't care about price, I got lots of stuff to sell you!
Thanks for saving me some money, I was about to get a batch of matrix. brb going to the quarry...
How can a natural stone be proprietary?
Good question...
Advertising bollocks to fool the mugs.
Yup you are right...they are using Pumice stones mainly importing from Sri Lanka (city called Anuradhapura).
And I gave up on Seachem long ago when they changed their base chemicals/ingredients compound on most products. The only reason a company do that is to advance their products or gain more profit. In this case, later is the reason. I switched back to API fish care as they are still sticking to their main compound ingredients. Simple...cheap base that have being consistent over the years.
+LinuxGuru RHEL Pereira For sure, thanks for getting the point of the video! I know that it is pumice, even the company said so. My issue was simply with the fact they bucketed up pumice with a new label and charged top dollar for it. I still have faith in that company though, as a whole. Most companies will have a few 'sub par' products, lol
And, in 2019, Matrix is still one of the most expensive available filtering media. It works, but it is expensive.
Duuuude HAHAHAH
Im sorry they got you bro ive peeped into seachem matrix boxes and thought the exact same thing. Regardless of what material they use im a firm believer that yes the amount of pores in the material matters but in terms of making or breaking your system i just dont think material composition matters all that much. Im using aquaclears ceramics and i feel like i can safely make the assumption that my water paramaters wouldnt change drastically if i switch to a different brand. I know i basically said the same thing twice but bottom line we just need some form of media in our filters and i feel like its more than enough.
After someone took some matrix into a lab for analysis and found out what it was Seachem did admit to it being pumice, but at the end of the day it is an excellent bio media. The big tubs of this stuff does not look that great, I bought the smaller tubs and it appeared to be better quality stuff it was all roughly the same size and colour, no odd looking bits of "what's that?". That big tub did look like it came straight from the builders supplies. If you have an external bucket filter I would strongly advise some biohome media. Look up "pondguru" for a good deal on this media and the correct way to have you filter set up.
Start rant; so here's the thing, you CAN NOT "go to the rock yard and buy a 20lb bag for $10" I've tried. At least not on the east coast US. I CAN NOT find pumice anywhere for less than what I can buy seachem matrix for. I just bought 2L of this stuff for $20 for a 40 breeder reef build. The closest thing I could find was a "pumi scowering stick" at home depot/Lowe's for
Stop ranting and go buy some pumice bruh
The Fluval media that was a hexagon or whatever isn’t a bio media lol. It’s a mech media just like Eheim mech
Good video.. I didnt expect that from seachem...
I have all of that except the hex ones fluval also makes some round ones with a much smaller hole in it. I only had 2 pieces of obsidian in the liter of matrix I got. I also put a couple red lava stones from Walmart in 3 dollars for a 50lb bag rather dusty tho
For 35 bucks you can buy 1000 litre of quality pumice from Alibaba. Only problem is that you need to buy 50 cubic meter for that price :)
I see no problem with purchasing that amount lol
It does work, though I would recommend getting the bio rings in mesh bags, much easier to use and cheaper!
The black rocks are obsidian
Is there a follow up to this?
Or is he confusing natural with ineffective?
+davo171 COST is the issue here. A cheap natural product sold at high prices. It does work though.
Understood, but he did purchase the product, and it was not falsely advertised as far as I can tell.
Im shtopping for an easy to clean but effective bio media, for a small tank, 2.5 gallons-any recs?
+davo171 Let's keep in mind that this video was uploaded two and a half years ago. Bio Home Ultimate, is what I recommend, otherwise, some simple lava rock will work for cheapest solution.
Duly noted, and fair assessment.
I wouldn't recommend biohome ultimate for a planted tank though. Plus it costs way more than pretty much everything else that essentially does the same thing.
Thank you for saving me money!
pl that seachem matrix is the best media out there other than aquarium products India's media and bio rio g
Sell a product for more than it's worth. The American WAY! Great observation... Subb you!
Thanks for the Sub! Seachem is a great company, I just felt ripped off here. Which, I still do not recommend this product at this price.
+Corvus Oscen I believe a lot of these products not just seachem are overpriced. The majority do not educate themselves in this hobby. I appreciate you educating the fish community. 👍🏽
J.T Amazing Cichlid Man, agreed. Examples like Betta water, aquarium salt, aquarium silicone, etc.
Aquarium silicone doesn't have anti-bacterial additives.
@@captainwin6333 So does 100% Silicone at half the price.
if you have a good pre-filter sponge the media doesnt have muc
well who did you order it through sachem doesn't ship out there a whole sale distributor you have to watch who u buy things from now a day the person u bought that from very well could have used the product and loaded up the bucket and ship it to you
My preference is the aquaclear bio max.
great vid man , i was gunna try some matrix aswell lol , check out pond-guru's media breakdown vid's
Good video man
I am looking for Odyssea Super Porus Bio Glass. Any tips?
awesome review !! very informative as always. proof you cant always go with the hype and every company has its up and down sides...its good and not so good products.
Ya, well I wish I wouldn't have listened to this guy. I tried pumis and then tried matrix. Matrix is alot higher quality and it's pH N. It way way cleaner and has alot more small holes for low flow low oxygen bacteria for removing nitrates.. tried both matrix is far superior
Good video...hope you help to expose Seachem's marketing strategy. Thank you for doing this for other hobbyists to save their money.
In Sri Lanka aquariam owners use Lava rock and pumis for Bio media. And, I am talking about serious hobbyist like yourself...these guys export fish all over the world. Lava Rocks are better than Pumis....OR in our case Fancy Seachem Bio Media....hahaha.
I use 2 liters of matrix in my canister filter. The stuff works great but I really wish I would have known that I could get it for about 1/4 what I paid :(
Did it lower nitrate in your canister?
hey that fluval is a pre cleaner not like the biomax that they also sell.
Good quality pumice works great. That, is not, good quality pumice. Agree with you. Not impressed.
Overpriced rocks?! Cool now I know where to get them ;)
what is the best circles white or matrix seachem? which do you like?
Excellent review! That's surprising Seachem would do that! I guess that's cheap and easy though.
It's the same way with "aquarium gravel". Just go down to the garden center and pick up small gravel of your color choice. So much less expensive and easier.
I'd be interested to hear what the price of pumice at your garden center was.
Hey I've just though of something , how about small crush lava rocks ? They have a lot of pores ??
Fluval media you have is actually pre filter media*
Seachem products have always been trusted. I'm really disappointed in them. I'll take a close look at stuff i buy from now on. thanks for the info
Does white pumis affect ph
SeachemTripping too lol
In this product, they trippen for sure! I use a ton of other products from them though!
Seachem admits it's pumice..that's not in question.
When was this video posted? It was the question at the time.
Perfect, Corvus! It was a great answer.
I pickup some pond matrix and some of the pieces floats the lighted color ones. The dark ones don't float. that's what I found strange that they float. but wants there in the water for a day or two they sink.
can I make my own then?
Does pumice stone float? I looked it up and some sites says it floats...
Yeah.
Its float
Having hard time to wash it first time
can you give me a link for the odyssey super porus? i cant seem to find it thanks!
+Jessieee C www.amazon.com/Aquacity-Premier-Ceramic-Aquarium-Filter/dp/B013QGF2CU/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1444664362&sr=8-7&keywords=Aquarium+Ceramic+Rings
i thought it comes in a tub?
+Jessieee C seachem matrix media sucks its not super porous. If you really want a media that's supper porous, Biohome ultimate is my best bet. Its is the best bio media out there on the market right now..
+Jerum Distura I have a microscope and while I have not compared Matrix to Biohome, I can tell you Matrix is super porous.
devisissy1 Nope, not even close.. Biohome ultimate you can breath through it.. That's how super porus it is.. I bet you can't do that with the matrix..
I am using ponduru's biohome ultra. So far I am happy with it. I only use seachem for prime.
6 bucks wow in aus wed pay 20 for that
I was about to order a gallon of this stuff. What are your results now that you used this matrix ? Recommend it or No?
Highly recommended. Just solving my ammonia problem with that stuff. Luckily im buying it at nursery. So much cheep
Super big compliment that you watch my vids! I watch your too! Thanks!
that was a fuckin con