Nano-tech Bio-sphere

[sheepdog76]

Id like to share a product I just got to try out.

the Nano-tech bio-sphere by Maxspect
They have two quantities a 2kg and the 1kg which is what I got for $25. The 1kg box has about 44 balls and they claim treats up to 750gal. The awesome thing is they say just 10 of the balls will equal 20lbs of live rock[emoji43] so the box could replace about 86lbs of live rock in a filter set up so if you are lack on space this is big. Also figure the cost of 85lbs of live rock the bio spheres are more economical as well .They work like other bio media in your sump,canister, or other filter. They work for both fresh and marine tanks as well as ponds. I’m going to try them in two of my tanks one will be my bio cube reef in one of the chambers and in my FX4 on my planted freshwater tank.

 

[scuzy]

Looks like marine pure

 

[Ryan Rosales]

You wouldn’t want to put too much of it on your system. Too much surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow on V.S. total water volume may starve your inhabitants of Oxygen.

 

[Forsaken77]

I looked into this stuff. It doesn't say what it's made of at all (at least from online ads), and it doesn't help denitrification at all. It just does ammonia to nitrites to nitrates.

Good luck. I don't put anything in my tank that I don't know what it's made of. I actually prefer Seachem Matrix over any other biomedia even though I have Marine Pure. Matrix is very good for denitrification. You also can't substitute most of your rock because you beed Ph buffering that the media doesn't support.

 

[Forsaken77]

You wouldn’t want to put too much of it on your system. Too much surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow on V.S. total water volume may starve your inhabitants of Oxygen.

I contacted Marine Pure about this very issue. They had said you can add as much as you want because there's only going to be so much bacteria growth as long as it has food. Some bacteria will die off if there's not enough to go around. Don't know if their claim is true, though it makes sense.

 

[sheepdog76]

I looked into this stuff. It doesn't say what it's made of at all (at least from online ads), and it doesn't help denitrification at all. It just does ammonia to nitrites to nitrates.

Good luck. I don't put anything in my tank that I don't know what it's made of. I actually prefer Seachem Matrix over any other biomedia even though I have Marine Pure. Matrix is very good for denitrification. You also can't substitute most of your rock because you beed Ph buffering that the media doesn't support.

I don’t put things in my tanks either I’m not sure of and I looked at these close before I decided to try them. They are made from the same or similar ceramic material as marine pure is.

 

[sheepdog76]

You wouldn’t want to put too much of it on your system. Too much surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow on V.S. total water volume may starve your inhabitants of Oxygen.

I think You are missing the point of these. What you are saying is correct and the point of these. Just 10 balls is claimed to equal 20 lbs of rock meaning you can use less of these giving you more water volume with the same or greater surface area. I wouldn’t suggest filling your system up with them I would rather regain the water volume.

 

[sheepdog76]

Looks like marine pure

I think the material is the same just different how it is put together.

 

[Bpb]

Serious question. Why do they recommend replacing the media every 6 months. It doesn’t get spent. It’s not something with a CEC, it’s not absorbing anything via chemical means. So why replace it. Donthey simply suggest that to keep sales going or is there a real reason behind it?

 

[sheepdog76]

Serious question. Why do they recommend replacing the media every 6 months. It doesn’t get spent. It’s not something with a CEC, it’s not absorbing anything via chemical means. So why replace it. Donthey simply suggest that to keep sales going or is there a real reason behind it?

I haven’t seen that recommendation on this product. In fact the only thing I have seen in that line is it saying the material the balls are made from do not break down. Some products do suggest that though you are correct in some cases I would think it is a marketing scheme but it depends on the product. For example phosguard has been shown that after time it will reverse per say and start leaching the nutrients back into the aquarium. If you have a media that will break down it is going to release what ever it has in it. Also if it is a product that absorbs or holds nutrients you have the chance of it releasing when it is disturbed like sometimes with deep sand beds. As for this product it claim to effectively break down the nutrients in add of the nitrogen cycle and growth of beneficial bacteria. I have not found any instruction on if or when you should remove it .

 

[Bpb]

Right there on the box. Replace every 6 months in increments. Why if it’s a non chemical inert media that only harbors bacteria?

 

[sheepdog76]

Right there on the box. Replace every 6 months in increments. Why if it’s a non chemical inert media that only harbors bacteria?

Good call I had not read that line since I got four products to try out I got interested in the others. I agree with you and would like to know. I’m guessing marketing on this but will have to look into it more.

 

[Ryan Rosales]

Serious question. Why do they recommend replacing the media every 6 months. It doesn’t get spent. It’s not something with a CEC, it’s not absorbing anything via chemical means. So why replace it. Donthey simply suggest that to keep sales going or is there a real reason behind it?

I would say it’s a marketing strategy.
Though little by little they will break down into fine particles (Eheim Substrate Pro).
They also suggest replacing the media every 6months.

 

[Forsaken77]

Good call I had not read that line since I got four products to try out I got interested in the others. I agree with you and would like to know. I’m guessing marketing on this but will have to look into it more.

To be fair, it says "clean or replace every 6 months." That's because they're suggesting it will become clogged up with biofilm or detritus over time and should be cleaned out, or for the lazy folks, replaced.

I just don't get why they put that big circular hole in the middle. My guess is the manufacturing process, but it seems like an awful lot of wasted space.

 

[sheepdog76]

To be fair, it says "clean or replace every 6 months." That's because they're suggesting it will become clogged up with biofilm or detritus over time and should be cleaned out, or for the lazy folks, replaced.

I just don't get why they put that big circular hole in the middle. My guess is the manufacturing process, but it seems like an awful lot of wasted space.

From my understanding the whole creates more surface area ironically. It allows the water To flow through the center and attach bacteria in the center area that could be hard to reach if solid. I could be wrong but that is what I saw on my research on it.

 

[Forsaken77]

From my understanding the whole creates more surface area ironically. It allows the water To flow through the center and attach bacteria in the center area that could be hard to reach if solid. I could be wrong but that is what I saw on my research on it.

That would make sense because they're just going for aerobic bacteria with these. If it were filled in, then it would provide some anaerobic bacteria.

 

[Joe Batt]

They are much harder than the Marine Pure blocks and they have ICP tests showing no leaching of anything at a 4 month point.

 

[Bpb]

That would make sense because they're just going for aerobic bacteria with these. If it were filled in, then it would provide some anaerobic bacteria.

What if you stacked them in a basket like people do siporax to where water can’t flow directly through the middle? Would that help?

 

[Forsaken77]

What if you stacked them in a basket like people do siporax to where water can’t flow directly through the middle? Would that help?

With what? Anaerobic bacteria? I wouldn't think so unless you had a huge stack of these things (like 3 feet) with very slow water movement through it. Its design is to allow water movement. And even if you did manage to fill a large area, the holes will create channelling for the water. Meaning the water will most likely follow the holes anyway and so much of the rings' surface is exposed to water flow. You need the part of the media deep inside that doesn't get much water flow for anaerobic bacteria. Basically if the rings were a full circle with no hole.

If you want to use a media for anaerobic bacteria that doesn't fall apart or leech anything, try Seachem Matrix. You can put these rings on the outer edges, or outside, and put the Matrix under or inside the group of rings.

You could also really use any porous media in a very low flow area of the sump and generate anaerobic bacteria in the middle of the media because water isn't constantly forced through it, not providing much oxygen.

I don't think this would work in a canister filter through. Hope that helps.

 

[gogo66]

Looks like pretty expansive brick with a good marketing on the first sight. On the other hand lately there are many different things enhanced by nanomaterials like these. How was your experience with it? Was it worth the effort?