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Bio rings - need or not?


Harpsandfish
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Bio-Rings are just ceramic rings that provide a home for the nitrifying bacteria. They aren't needed, but loosing them would reduce the amount of bioload your tank can handle. This soon after replacing the filter cartridge might also cause a crash since a large amount of bacteria that were processing fish waste are now gone so ammonia is likely to build up.

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As long as you replaced the bio rings with course filter media, you still have something for the bacteria to grow on. Some folks run filters with sponge only.

Play around with it and find the sweet spot for your tank.

If and when you do swap out media, only change out 1/2 of it at a time such that it will 'seed' the new media. Also, if you need to clean your media, try to only use tank water. If you use tap water with chlorine, or chloramine, you will kill the bacteria.

Happy Fish Keeping!🐠

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I have the bottom half of my hob filled with bio rings and the top half with sponge.  Then co-op sponge on the filter intake.  This keeps my water very clear and provides lots of area for bacteria.  The rings and sponges are all easy to clean.   I rinse them in aquarium water once a month.  I check the hob water level pretty often to make sure it does not get clogged and overfill.  Just my paranoia.

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Thanks,all, for the thoughtful comments. They confirm what I was already thinking from all the research I’ve been doing. I think I will remove the remaining bio rings at the next water change and replace them with one more layer of coarse sponge; I should still have room for the polish sponge on top. My tank continues to have good numbers and healthy fish and plants, which I attribute largely to the great articles, blogs and vids from the Coop as well as advice here on the Forum and when I go on to the store. 🤗

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