lets talk in sump bio media. rock vs matrix vs marine pure

[Devaji]

I would like to start a poll and see what R2R likes and uses.

I would like to add some media to my new tank R 650P man made rock with NSA scape and sand but fell like i could use some bio media in the sump.

what I am looking for is very pours so I dont have the classic pile of rock in the sump like I have had in the past.

I will be getting about 10# of ocean aquacultered LR from KP at some point
I also will l use a few pieces of man made rock ( real reef rock) in the sump but like i said dont want to use to much if I can help it.

they thoughts are:
1. Brightwel bio brick - out of stock for ever now seems like. anyone have experience with this?

2.marine pure bio balls. I have a few in my nano and love em . could get the 1 gallon bucket. do they leach tin & alu. lick the plates? do they fall apart?

3. seachem matrix this it what I was leaning toward natural somewhat cheap and just add to filter bags and good to go. I also have some in my nano that is working just fine.

any others one should consider?

post what you use and why please. pros and cons

 

[Devaji]

looks like most of the marie pure spheres reviews on BRS are from 2016-17 and later. maybe before the ICP testing and the tin and alum. issue came out??

 

[Vette67]

I went the old fashioned way and just put dead rock in my sump. Some of it has been in there a year and a half now, so it should be plenty live. But I have a 150 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank as a sump, so I have less concern about space. If I had my sump under my tank, with a smaller area, I would probably use matrix. I’d worry about the others leaching metals.

 

[Devaji]

I went the old fashioned way and just put dead rock in my sump. Some of it has been in there a year and a half now, so it should be plenty live. But I have a 150 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank as a sump, so I have less concern about space. If I had my sump under my tank, with a smaller area, I would probably use matrix. I’d worry about the others leaching metals.

if I had a large remote sump I would go that way too! I also worry about the leaching that is why i leaning towards matrix. but looking through amazons reviews even tho its supposed to be cleaned you never know what your gonna get?

 

[Klyle]

I have a 50g lps tank with about 30lb of rock and 20lb of sand. I started with the marine pure spheres and I never had any problems with my cycle. About 4 months later I found myself tired of the balls rolling around my sump and trapping detritus so I switched to the 4×8 blocks of marine pure. I have one full block and another half of one. My nitrates never go above 5. I don't know how much you can attribute to the MP and how much to my maintenance. I have a small-ish bioload currently and run a carbon reactor and a skimmer that is unfortunately a little oversized (hopefully not for much longer!) I do a 10% weekly wc and if I miss it then it's 20% biweekly...I definitely over feed. So in my opinion (based on 1.5 years of 2020 reefing and 5 years of 1999 reefing, WITHOUT ceramic biomedias) I feel the larger 4×8 MP blocks definitely help remove nitrates. I've never sent in an ICP so I can't speak to the aluminum but I've never lost a coral that wasn't a goniopora and everything in my tank grows well. I have been considering switching to pond Matrix though. The aluminum thing does worry me but I'm convinced if I didn't have the MP blocks in my sump I would have much higher nutrient levels.

 

[HB AL]

Although I have a ton of live rock in my dt I keep a little live rock in my sump but for the last 4 years I mostly have it filled with matrix and marine pure balls. I have a really heavy bioload and this system works as good as can be for my tank.

 

[Patryk1982]

Hi in Poland, I and my colleagues use
maxspect nano-tech bio-sphere
the balls have a large surface for bacteria

if you have a 3d printer or know someone who does, you can do something like this
remember that you must have very good circulation for each media

 

[JosephM]

I have 2 large mesh bags each with a liter of matrix in my sump. I love it and you can’t beat the price and surface area. Keeping them in bags makes it much easier to rinse out when they accumulate detritus

 

[Devaji]

I have a 50g lps tank with about 30lb of rock and 20lb of sand. I started with the marine pure spheres and I never had any problems with my cycle. About 4 months later I found myself tired of the balls rolling around my sump and trapping detritus so I switched to the 4×8 blocks of marine pure. I have one full block and another half of one. My nitrates never go above 5. I don't know how much you can attribute to the MP and how much to my maintenance. I have a small-ish bioload currently and run a carbon reactor and a skimmer that is unfortunately a little oversized (hopefully not for much longer!) I do a 10% weekly wc and if I miss it then it's 20% biweekly...I definitely over feed. So in my opinion (based on 1.5 years of 2020 reefing and 5 years of 1999 reefing, WITHOUT ceramic biomedias) I feel the larger 4×8 MP blocks definitely help remove nitrates. I've never sent in an ICP so I can't speak to the aluminum but I've never lost a coral that wasn't a goniopora and everything in my tank grows well. I have been considering switching to pond Matrix though. The aluminum thing does worry me but I'm convinced if I didn't have the MP blocks in my sump I would have much higher nutrient levels.

thanks for chiming in.

Although I have a ton of live rock in my dt I keep a little live rock in my sump but for the last 4 years I mostly have it filled with matrix and marine pure balls. I have a really heavy bioload and this system works as good as can be for my tank.

cant argue with that beautiful tank!

Hi in Poland, I and my colleagues use
maxspect nano-tech bio-sphere
the balls have a large surface for bacteria

if you have a 3d printer or know someone who does, you can do something like this
remember that you must have very good circulation for each media

that a cool idea not sure I have seen that bio media, i'll look into it.

I have 2 large mesh bags each with a liter of matrix in my sump. I love it and you can’t beat the price and surface area. Keeping them in bags makes it much easier to rinse out when they accumulate detritus

yup that was/is the plan if i go matrix and looking like I just might.

 

[Devaji]

any one else have thoughts one this.

oh and I fond some matrix I had in a rock holding tank that I was trying to get LR live but the house reno took so long I got tired of topping off so I let it dry out.

what do you guys recommend is the best way to clean the stuff. bleach then RODi rinse and air dry?

 

[Jeffcb]

Rock and flow.

 

[LegendaryCG]

Man has yet to perfect what nature has created. Rock for me

 

[Pistondog]

Live rock.
Started with marine pure block, but the high aluminum icp test alarmed me.

 

[Futuretotm]

30-40ppi foam has more surface area than any thing else, there’s a study somewhere and was posted on r2r before

also remember that foam can be cleaned ie in water to get rid of particular, spheres and bricks cannot

 

[polyppal]

Ive heard the Brightwell bricks are far superior to Marinepure and dont break down over time. Anyone use them? Been thinking of getting one myself...

 

[Devaji]

Man has yet to perfect what nature has created. Rock for me

normally I would agree and I do have extra rock but most of it is the man made stuff. I am a naturalist at heart but was wondeing if we can get more surface area in a small foot print with things like bio bricks, matrix and the like.

Live rock.
Started with marine pure block, but the high aluminum icp test alarmed me.

that is was scaring me off from them too. but ppl seems to love the spheres?
anyone done an ICP test with them?

30-40ppi foam has more surface area than any thing else, there’s a study somewhere and was posted on r2r before

also remember that foam can be cleaned ie in water to get rid of particular, spheres and bricks cannot

I did not know what you where talking about I was thinking the spray foam in a can...lol
have to google it. its filter foam PPI = pores per inch: 45 PPI = very fine; 30 PPI = fine; 20 PPI = medium; 10 PPI = coarse. 0.5

do you have a link to the R2R tread? will search after i type this

Ive heard the Brightwell bricks are far superior to Marinepure and dont break down over time. Anyone use them? Been thinking of getting one myself...

that was what I believe too. not sure its fact or not but somehow I have that in my head??
I would have bought one a while back and have it cycled for months now but they have been out of stock.

 

[Pistondog]

normally I would agree and I do have extra rock but most of it is the man made stuff. I am a naturalist at heart but was wondeing if we can get more surface area in a small foot print with things like bio bricks, matrix and the like.

that is was scaring me off from them too. but ppl seems to love the spheres?
anyone done an ICP test with them?

I did not know what you where talking about I was thinking the spray foam in a can...lol
have to google it. its filter foam PPI = pores per inch: 45 PPI = very fine; 30 PPI = fine; 20 PPI = medium; 10 PPI = coarse. 0.5

do you have a link to the R2R tread? will search after i type this

that was what I believe too. not sure its fact or not but somehow I have that in my head??
I would have bought one a while back and have it cycled for months now but they have been out of stock.

Spheres are the same aluminum oxide.
I didn't see any adverse effects.
The icp tests only for elements, not molecules.

 

[Patryk1982]

Hello. which is what is best placed in a sump, something small with a large area. I apologize for grammar mistakes

 

[Stigigemla]

The artificial medias all have very uniform pore size. Thats good fo growing bacteria so they can be very effective. But after some time they will be totally clogged and not so effective.
And then there will be some places where the pH is and aluminium goes out in solution = tank water. So You have to have them placed so You can switch them to new ones before that happens.
A live rock has very different pore sizes fitting everything from bacteria over copepodes and worms to blennies. These will continuously clean the live rock.

 

[Patryk1982]

The artificial medias all have very uniform pore size. Thats good fo growing bacteria so they can be very effective. But after some time they will be totally clogged and not so effective.
And then there will be some places where the pH is and aluminium goes out in solution = tank water. So You have to have them placed so You can switch them to new ones before that happens.
A live rock has very different pore sizes fitting everything from bacteria over copepodes and worms to blennies. These will continuously clean the live rock.

Thanks