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Ceramic rings are biological media that provides a very large surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow and live. This bacteria on your ceramic rings is required to complete the Nitrogen Cycle in your tank, which converts harmful ammonia and nitrite in to the less harmful nitrate.
What does ceramic rings do in aquarium?
Ceramic rings are extremely porous, which provides a lot of surface area for beneficial bacteria Due to its cylindrical shape, water flows through it easily and makes it less likely to clog.
Are ceramic rings better than bio balls?
Bio balls only carry nitrifying bacteria. Ceramic noodles can carry both nitrifying bacteria on the surface and denitrifying bacteria inside. That makes ceramic rings the hands down winner since they can carry both types of bacteria.
Do ceramic rings work?
Ceramic rings can hold a second beneficial bacteria: Denitrifying bacteria. These bacteria eat nitrates and will only survive where there is no oxygen present. Denitrifying bacteria live deep inside rock, ceramic and other porous materials, where oxygen cannot reach them.
What is ceramic media for an aquarium?
Swell Ceramic Bio Media is a very porous biological filter media with an extremely large surface area which encourages bacteria to congregate. It can be used in any external aquarium filters or pond filters. The pieces are around 2-5cm but it can easily be crushed up to fit even the smallest filters.
Are ceramic bio balls good?
Bio balls should only be used for biological filtration only. They simply exist to trap and remove waste. Ceramic rings will ultimately trap more bad stuff, but your bio balls will ultimately do a better job of denitrifying bacteria.
Are bio balls worth it?
Bio balls provide a place for all the good nitrifying bacteria you need in your tank to live. This is why they have grooves and spaces, as this allows more bacteria to cling to the ball, making these more effective compared to simple spheres.
Are bio balls good or bad?
And, plastic bio balls have been designed to provide as much surface area as possible for the bacteria to cling to. The foam is perfect for growing large colonies of nitrifying bacteria. It’s what makes a sponge filter so good at biological filtration – the process of ammonia and nitrites being converted to nitrates.
How long do ceramic filter rings last?
The frequency of replacing your aquarium filter media depends on many factors like the type of manufacturer and how regularly you clean them. Some ceramic rings manufacturers recommend replacing the rings after six months, while others like Marineland claim that their rings should not be replaced.
How fragile are ceramic rings?
The question that most people often worry about when buying ceramic rings is, do ceramic rings break easily? The simple answer is yes. The ceramic is a bit harder and therefore slightly more brittle. If falls on a hard surface, it can easily crack or break.
Can I put ceramic rings directly in aquarium?
Yes, Ceramic rings can be placed in a bag and placed in your tank and beneficial bacteria will also grow on the surface area of the rings.
Where do you put bio media?
Biological media (bio-media) is usually placed after the mechanical media but before any chemical media. The biological media must not become clogged, as it serves as the right substrate for colonies of beneficial bacteria. If clogged, the oxygen flow will be impeded, putting the bacterial colonies at risk of die-off.
How many bio balls are needed per gallon?
Excellent filtration media for bacteria colonization; each bioball is approximately 1.5″ x 1.25″ in diameter. 750 bioballs equal 1 cubic foot, and 100 bioballs equal 1 gallon.
How often replace ceramic media?
Replacing some of the media every year or so can help to keep the filtration efficiency. Never replace more than 1/3rd of your media at one time and wait at least a month before replacing any more in order to keep a healthy population of bacteria.
Which filter media is best?
Let’s move on now, and see what the 5 best bio-media filters are for your aquarium: Biohome Ultimate Filter Media. This is the first pick on our list. Seachem Matrix Biological Media. This is the second item that’s worth checking out. Eheim Substrat Pro. Fluval Biomax Filter Media. BrightWater Aquatic Bio Media.
How long do Bio balls last?
How long do Bio-Balls last? Bio-Balls are made to have a large SA to encourage the growth of marine nitrifying bacteria. Once they have a stable poulation, changing them would leave you without all of the bacteria that had grown there. They should last forever.
Do bio balls need to be cleaned?
If you periodically rinse them off and keep them clean, nitrate and bio-balls woes should decrease, as long as this is the sole source of the nitrate problem in the aquarium. Cleaning them requires only 30 minutes or less.
Do bio balls need to be submerged?
It is also important to remember that bio balls are not meant to stay submerged underwater. They are designed for water to trickle over them so that beneficial bacteria stays wet while the tank water is aerated.
Do you have to replace bio balls?
Bio balls don’t really need replaced. They simply provide a foundation for the helpful bacteria to cling to. In fact replacing them would remove a huge amount of good bacteria that you need.
Where do you put bio balls in a pond?
When To Use The Pond Guy BioBalls filter media can be placed in any pond that requires additional filtration. The BioBalls can be placed in skimmer boxes, waterfall filters, or directly in your pond to increase the available surface area for beneficial bacteria.
Where do bio balls go in a sump?
They are not intended to trap detritus and particles, and if you are using them in the sump, should be placed in the area of your sump least likely to come into contact with detritus, normally closest to the return. Detritus should be removed through other forms of filtration such as a filter socks or filter sponges.
