Thinking of getting some bio balls for a canister filter. Looking at all the different makes and models I'm wondering, are there any advantages of one over the other? Thanks!
All bio-balls created equal?
- Thread starter beviking
- Start date
No, they are not all created equal IMHO. I look for hard plastic, total self-cleaning and long life. My personal choice is Dupla's two bioballs, large for W/D, small for canister use. But since Dupla just changed hands, I don't know the availablity. If Hawaiian Marine Imports still has leftover stock, you might get some discounted, as they are no longer to be the importer..
I agree, smaller is better. I've used Lee's BioPin balls, but they work best in larger canisters because the diameter of the bioball is rather large. I place them in fairly carefully, to get as many as possible in the canister, and then I fill any voids with Ehfimech. The bio-pin balls seem to stay pretty clean (at least in my bio-only canisters).
I've also used a product (again, in bio-only canisters) that used to be called Bio-Pak. (I don't know if it's even sold anymore.) It was basically a bunch of interlocking orange plastic pieces, semi-spherical in shape. It tends to collect biofilm a bit more than the other bioballs, but not terribly so. It was awfully cheap, if I remember correctly.
I probably would avoid those bioballs that are essentially hollow except for a piece of sponge inside. Those seem designed to trap gunk, and once that happened, they'd be pretty poor at supporting bacteria, I'd think.
HTH,
Jim
I've also used a product (again, in bio-only canisters) that used to be called Bio-Pak. (I don't know if it's even sold anymore.) It was basically a bunch of interlocking orange plastic pieces, semi-spherical in shape. It tends to collect biofilm a bit more than the other bioballs, but not terribly so. It was awfully cheap, if I remember correctly.
I probably would avoid those bioballs that are essentially hollow except for a piece of sponge inside. Those seem designed to trap gunk, and once that happened, they'd be pretty poor at supporting bacteria, I'd think.
HTH,
Jim
i dont like the lees, i think it sjust because i dont like how they look. in my ponds i use these plastic things its just a bunch of plastic looks kinda like shredded paper but its plastic and you can really pack them into the filters.
I'm not so concerned with appearances... I just want them to have lots of colonizable surface area and to be relatively self-cleaning.
Jim
Jim
yea, i bet 99.9 percent of people arent. my LFS gave me like 5 gallons of bio balls but about a third of it was black instead of blue so i brought a few more gallons and over the course of 2 months or so i converted to blue bio balls only. i know something must be wrong with me :shake:
To be honest, I couldn't care less what they look like. Inside the canisters they are difficult to see at best. I am only interested in functionality - sufficient surface area and self-cleaning are the top of my want/need list. Appearance does not make the list at all. I touch my canisters to confirm that they are operating. I look at my tanks, not the filters. 
Well, Robert, I wouldn't have believed it possible, but we may have found someone even more particular than you about filter media!
Jim
Jim