Is filter media a scam

[Chiclid addict]

I have seen a member on this forum I can’t remember his name who says that you don’t need to change your filter media just clean your filters is this true?

[lefty o]

there is a time and place for media in a filter, but in general the pre filled cartridges with carbon in them or whatever are more about the manufacturer making money. in filters that take cartridges, i like refillable ones that i can use what i want , when i want, along with sponge for bacteria growth.

[Steph’s Fish and Plants]

It depends on the type of filter media Youre referring to. I see filter cartridges with carbon that you replace monthly as (mostly) a scam. There’s a time and place to use them. The fine floss is nice for cleaning out particles, and carbon can be beneficial. But you don’t need to always use it in a freshwater tank. The constant replacing of the cartridge means that you’re constantly throwing away at least some of your bacteria as well. Now other media’s like sponge and ceramic media’s that don’t do any chemical filtration, that are just surfaces for bacteria to grow on and take particles out of the water, I don’t believe those to be a scam since it’s a one time purchase and that media will likely last the entire time you’re in the hobby. 

[Will Billy]

I agree with @Steph’s Fish and Plants. Disposable filter media is exactly that, trash. Sorta like a disposable cup from your favorite fast food burger chain. You use the cup for what its worth for all of about 10-25 minutes and then you throw it away. Reusable filter media is like having a yeti cup. After you use it, you clean it and then use it again. 1 yeti cup cost more than a 50 pack of solo cups, but im pretty sure you will get more than 50 uses from your yeti cup. 

[Jungle Fan]

I agre with @lefty oand @Steph’s Fish and Plantsin regards to the disposable cartridges being a scam, and also that the sponges, and ceramic media aren't scams. However you can also use other very effective bio-media to get colonized that have even more surface area than the ceramic such as crushed lava rock, and sintered glass (a.k.a. Siporax). I tend to use the sintered glass in my canister filter, preceded by fine, and coarse sponge, while I also use another pre-filter with sponge. The lava rock does not necessarily be located in the filter, I've got a layer of crushed lava rock under my substrate which I seeded with beneficial bacteria when I installed the hardscape.

The charcoal loaded cartridges are not just a scheme to keep you buying more each month, they are also detrimental if you use fertilizer, as the charcoal will filter out many of the nutrients you are adding. So generally I would advise using either an air driven sponge filter, or a canister filter which you can load as you see fit over a cartridge filter.

[Cory]

Filter media is mostly a scam. There is so my hype marketing around it. Usually it helps to have some form of media. However you can run tanks without it too. As far as type X is 1238123 times better than type Y. This is all marketing mumbo jumbo in any practical application when looking at the average hobbyist aquarium.  Mostly it comes down to preferences. Most media is resuable except for carbon, resins and other absorbers.

[MJV Aquatics]

The serious money is in consumables. Printers are fairly inexpensive while the ink cartridges are often very high priced. Razors are inexpensive, but like $12.00 for a pack of 4 blades!!!

Cartridge filters are the same thing...An on-going revenue source for the Mfg. and any BB gets tossed out. And Manufacturers have all but convinced hobbyists that beneficial bacteria only lives in the filter and in/on their bio-media (which by the way, they recommend replacing half every month or so as a detritus coating renders it less effective...and they don't suggest a reclaim solution - just throw it out and buy new).

So it's not really a scam...just a really big marketing cash cow.

ALL of my filters are completely filled with bio-sponge material. It is every bit the very best platform for BB, cleans easily, and lasts nearly forever and a day. (now having written that, my filters are really just for mechanical filtration - with only a couple of exceptions [being bare bottom grow out tanks], my real bio-filtration happens in the substrate.) 🙂

[Jungle Fan]

@MJV AquaticsI completely agree most of the bio-filtration happens in my tank's substrate as well. One big bag of crushed lava rock 1/2" size from the local nursery for gardening purposes and it has many times the volume of my whole canister filter with just one layer of it. The bacteria colonize every bit of surface in the tank and by adding porous rock you add multiple times the surface of gravel, or simple soil, or sand which can compact and create anaerobic conditions which can lead to rot. It also helps to get better circulation of nutrients around the roots of heavy root feeders like swords and crypts; and it is the reason why the inside of my canister filter is more sponge and just one compartment of Siporax. 

Edited February 26, 2021 by Jungle Fan

[CT_]

IMO the only disposable filter media that are worth it is cut to size floss.  And really that's my preference.  I'll spend 50c on floss a month and be okay with it.  Is my tank better because of it? I think so.  But I'd say there's a good chance the floss just makes me feel better. 

I'd also add the resin/absorbers in there too.  but their time and place I think is very niche and probably only for short term use.  You could easily go your whole life without needing them.

[MJV Aquatics]

4 hours ago, Jungle Fan said:

The bacteria colonize every bit of surface in the tank and by adding porous rock you add multiple times the surface of gravel, or simple soil, or sand which can compact and create anaerobic conditions which can lead to rot.

Actually a coarse sand substrate makes for an excellent bio-filter and nothing wrong with an undisturbed substrate with anoxic or anaerobic bacteria that can covert nitrates into harmless nitrogen gas - the key is to not stir organics down under.

[PlaneFishGuy]

I have a planted tank with a thick base of eco-complete substrate. I am thinking about ditching the ceramic bio media that came with my  AquaClear 20 to make more room for mechanical filtration.

My logic is its such a small bag of bio media that its not making much of a contribution to the overall bacteria and it would free up space in the filter for more mechanical filtration. 

Any thoughts? 

[Patrick_G]

My patio pond filter is just a plastic box with some no commercial aquarium media, just some gravel and 3M pads. I had laying around. I intended it to be temporary but it’s worked great and has kept 100 gallons clean for about a year now. 

[tolstoy21]

On 2/26/2021 at 6:07 PM, CT_ said:

IMO the only disposable filter media that are worth it is cut to size floss.  And really that's my preference.  I'll spend 50c on floss a month and be okay with it.  Is my tank better because of it? I think so.  But I'd say there's a good chance the floss just makes me feel better. 

I'd also add the resin/absorbers in there too.  but their time and place I think is very niche and probably only for short term use.  You could easily go your whole life without needing them.

I’m a big fan of floss too. Other than that any inexpensive ceramic bio media or coarse sponge in my go to. My box filters have ceramic media in them really just to keep them from floating. Their main objective is to hold inexpensive polyfill. I rarely clean media, occasionally squeeze out the sponges, and the floss or polyfill I toss when those gets full and look like their doing more harm than good. 

[Gideyon]

I wouldn't say many are a scam.  They just made a profitable way to do it to stay in business.  They still do the job - just not for a long time. 

I have a filter that came with carbon cartridges. It does a great job. But I'm working on replacing the cartridge with a sponge and a little ceramics.  It'll save me money in the long run, and will hopefully do just as good.  The remaining cartridges I have I'll keep in case I need chemical filtration at any time.  

Scam tells me they don't work. At least with carbon cartridges, they do. 

The other types of bio media, based on my research, will all work. But the question is do you really need all of it?  Can cheaper ceramics, or even cheaper lava rocks, do enough?   I have about 2 inches of gravel substrate in a 10g.  That's alot of surface area. Do I need more by adding ceramics? Maybe not. 

Many years ago my brother maintained a 100g tank with only an undergravel filter and two plants with 2 plecos. He never did water tests.   A monthly water change.   And he had a good sized community of fish in there.

Never had a sick fish. 

 

[Simi]

On 3/6/2021 at 9:44 AM, Gideyon said:

I wouldn't say many are a scam.  They just made a profitable way to do it to stay in business.  They still do the job - just not for a long time. 

I have a filter that came with carbon cartridges. It does a great job. But I'm working on replacing the cartridge with a sponge and a little ceramics.  It'll save me money in the long run, and will hopefully do just as good.  The remaining cartridges I have I'll keep in case I need chemical filtration at any time.  

Scam tells me they don't work. At least with carbon cartridges, they do. 

The other types of bio media, based on my research, will all work. But the question is do you really need all of it?  Can cheaper ceramics, or even cheaper lava rocks, do enough?   I have about 2 inches of gravel substrate in a 10g.  That's alot of surface area. Do I need more by adding ceramics? Maybe not. 

Many years ago my brother maintained a 100g tank with only an undergravel filter and two plants with 2 plecos. He never did water tests.   A monthly water change.   And he had a good sized community of fish in there.

Never had a sick fish. 

 

I have a question to add on to this...is there such a thing as too much bio filter media. IDK  why my brain thought it was a great idea to line the bottom of my 75 g tank with small lava rocks from the garden center, then top it with the more expensive substrate. I have 2 sponge filters and a HOB with just sponges in them. Is it overkill?

[CT_]

6 minutes ago, Simi said:

I have a question to add on to this...is there such a thing as too much bio filter media. IDK  why my brain thought it was a great idea to line the bottom of my 75 g tank with small lava rocks from the garden center, then top it with the more expensive substrate. I have 2 sponge filters and a HOB with just sponges in them. Is it overkill?

I suspect the lavarock has mostly stagnant water then, thought it may be acting like a plenum if there's enough space between it.  You'll have to look up aquarium plenums because I don't get why they're good or bad or how they work.

 

I suspect you can't have too much filtration but there's appoint where there's not benefit for the cost.  I suspect most of us are past that point, which I don't think is bad, but more fear of under filtering.

[Gideyon]

21 minutes ago, Simi said:

Is it overkill?

I wonder that too.  I've heard many people say the substrate and all surfaces within the tank have BB.  So there's no need for the extra media surfaces. 

And if you have a planted tank, apparently there's even less need of the extra media for the purpose of BB. 

But I don't think it's hurting either way. And if you went with the more affordable media like lava rocks and sponges, it doesn't hurt much financially either. And the bright side is you have more seeded media to help cycle a new tank for yourself or a friend.