Filtration, Filtration, Filtration - The Aquarium Nitrogen cycle and bacteria in an aquarium filter

[@pondguru]

A very detailed video on the stages of filtration, Nitrogen cycle and beneficial bacteria. BIOHOME FILTER MEDIA, FILTER UPGRADE KITS AND FOAMS HERE: www.filterpro.co.uk Decent external filters: geni.us/2LnO 2.3 litre booster filter for externals: geni.us/2bj1 1.2 litre booster filter for externals: geni.us/1pBh Quiet air pump: geni.us/A6Cfz7S Related links: US Biohome supplier: greatwaveeng.com Biohome Q&A: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3isXqyYhtR9o8k How to set up a canister filter: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqSknoZ6aNyJmMk Invisible aquarium filter: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXrVgpKIjKyFgas The nitrogen cycle in an aquarium or pond is all about the bacteria and how it processes ammonia to nitrite then to nitrate. Most filters stop there and the nitrate is not processed as that relies heavily on anaerobic bacteria which almost all available filter media cannot support. Biohome is different as it allows for good anaerobic bacteria colonisation as well as the more common aerobic bacteria. Therefore it completes the Nitrogen cycle. Biohome filter media has a massive surface area for aerobic bacteria colonisation and also has a great capacity to provide an environment for anaerobic bacteria on the interior of the media. Hugely porous and extremely efficient, the Biohome media converts ammonia and nitrite (as normal media would) but also reduces nitrate due to the anaerobic bacteria which live in it's core. This reduces the need for large water changes so creates a more stable environment in your aquarium (freshwater and marine) and pond. It is inert and will not release any chemicals / minerals into the water but it is advisable to rinse before use as dust may be generated during transit. Types of Biohome media are as follows: 1 - Biohome Standard A compact media suitable for overhead filters, trickle filters, sumps, external and internal filters. 2 - Biohome Plus As above but with additives to ensure much faster colonisation by bacteria. 3 - Biomotion A rounded media with neutral buoyancy. Suitable for moving bed filters, overhead filters, trickle filters, sumps, external filters and internal filters. Has montmonrolite clay coating to condition water. 4 - Biohome Ultra (large) A larger version of Biohome standard with rougher feel. Extremely porous. Suitable for trickle towers, sumps, larger external filters, overhead filters and multi chamber koi filters. 5 - Biohome mini Ultra A smaller version of Ultra, perfect for external filters, sumps, overhead filters, trickle filters and internal filters. Has the ultra porous structure in a more convenient size. 6 - Biohome Ultimate* This is Biohome mini Ultra with added trace elements (as in biohome Plus) which are essential for bacteria to rapidly colonise a filter. Cuts down the already quick maturing time of Biohome media and has the ultra porous structure and convenient size of Mini Ultra. Trace elements in 'plus' and 'ultimate': Silica, Titania, Alumina, Ferric Oxide, Lime, Magnesia, Potash, Soda, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Chromium Sesquioxide, Manganic Oxide, Zirconia, Hafnia, Zinc Oxide, Barium Oxide, Strontia, Stannic Oxide, Sulphur Trioxide. (from XRF analysis) Is this the best filter media ever? Very likely. *In the UK the Biohome Ultimate is my exclusive product and has been made to exact specifications making it the 'Ultimate' filter media and ending my search for the best filter media. Feel free to share this video anywhere you think people may benefit from it - especially on forums as I see so many poor videos on the Nitrogen cycle where they just stop at the Nitrogen production point. **PLEASE NOTE I HAVE CLOSED TYNE VALLEY AQUATICS AND NOW SELL ONLINE FROM HOME. COLLECTING MEDIA IS NO PROBLEM SO GIVE ME A RING OR EMAIL ANY TIME** My number 07772848730 (Richard) My email address [e-mail] Thanks for watching and if you have liked this video please click the thumbs up icon. Check out the hundreds of other videos on my channel.

[@pondguru]

Carbon is useful to remove staining or residual fish treatments but should not be necessary to control ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. A suitable sized filter properly set up will do that but all too often people are running filters which are too small with crap media in there so carbon is used to mask the fact that the filter is not working properly.

[@deepbarman2014]

sir i need medias ....but i need direct from you...plz help

[@irishhiphophead3214]

i was using food to cycle my tank i used so much it now smells i took out all the water fresh water back in and cleaned my filter my filter sponge and carbon smell bad should i replace them my water still smells kinda bad even thougth it cleaned out

[@michael04111986]

im in brisbane ,going to start 2 tanks , 1 with oscars and 1 with orandas . definitely going to get some of your BIOHOME Ultimate . will be 350 L tanks with 1000L canister filters and a pre filter pretty sure i understand the Nitrogen cycle from your videos is just a matter of water testing over time ? will be doing the no fish method with gel filter balls might be a silly question but do i need to do water changes while waiting for the cycle to happen ? thank you very much for your videos

[@johnwatson9881]

Pondguru no

[@patbuckley9180]

I haye bean using biohome media for the last 4 months in a canister filtter . I modified the canister by adding 2 canister boosters to keep the media clean my nitrates in my reef tank where between 30 40 ppm for the last 12 months and have bean strugling to reduce them. Since using biohome media my nitrates are now down to under 5 ppm if you use biohome right you will have amazing results

[@zvonimirpopovic8998]

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU! THE WAY YOU EXPLAIN THINGS AND MAKE IT SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND IS AMAZING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GREETINGS FROM SPLIT, CROATIA!

[@deanlewis7218]

What a cracking video, returning to the hobby after 32 years, things have definitely progressed from my dupla apisto tank in Germany.

[@hpererva]

Beginner Aquarist here. This is the first and only thing I have read or watched. I just thought a bigger tank meant it was easier to maintain and have NO idea about any kind of nitrogen cycle. This video was so helpful to me and I want to thank you for your time in making it and appreciate the effort in trying to help others understand this cycle. I think you did a great job and it was super easy to follow your topics. This will help me a great deal and I am so happy you have a distributer here in the States for you product, Biohome Ultimate. :) I do plan on making your media (one of many new concepts I have learned today) my one and only media I will use! Looking forward to having a beautiful tank with many happy fish!

[@pondguru]

No worries - I like to make videos which help people and throw new ideas into the mix as there's so many out there which just regurgitate the same limited information with no independent thought from the maker. Best of luck with your fish keeping.

[@LowTechTank]

This is one of the most fully explained explanations of the cycle and mechanics i have heard with out all the scientific jibber-jabber. Watching this made me want this Biohome media and i went out and got some. Thank you for making videos that i can watch with my kids in the room.

[@pondguru]

Lowtech Tank The reason that there's no scientific jibber-jabber is that I don't understand that myself, lol.

[@LowTechTank]

haha! i did study biology and chemistry but still would rather listen to more simple explanations.

[@pondguru]

Lowtech Tank Same here - I like to think that the viewers don't want to see yet another clown on KZbin trying to be clever so I keep it simple, lol

[@LowTechTank]

You are funny too so that make it more entertaining to watch than some dry professor dictating the facts.

[@chrisf14cf]

Just watched a more recent video of yours.. made me go back and look at your earlier videos so here I am! I only started keeping fish about a year ago and I'm addicted! Thanks for your videos.. always learning!

[@Chosenorc]

I have seen many of the videos you made and bought 20kg of the Biohome Ultimate Maxi for my pond. It's been aound a week and I already see a huge improvement to the previous setup I had. Will need time to confirm the full cycle in my pond, but I am sure this will be perfect. This being said, I think this is the best explanation for someone new to having fish.

[@VMBSSS]

The most comprehensive and technical filtration and bacterial vlog I've come across, I love fish but even this is too much for me, I just want my prized kois to live and grow and have the best life possible. I'm ordering this Biohome bacteria, just need to know how and where to put it in my filter and how much

[@g0fvt]

An excellent video, and a great explanation of the nitrogen cycle. Partly inspired by your videos I built my own filter for our small pond. Not only does it work really well with pretty well zero nitrate levels but it is also is a great source of water for our tropical fish tank. The aquarium is probably extremely overstocked but the fish are thriving. In my experience it seems the very worst thing I can do is to add tap water to either as it kills off the bacteria. The answer seems to be to keep a stock of tap water in an open container to let it naturalise for as long as possible.

[@pondguru]

+g0fvt That all sounds good to me. Tap water does just need to stand for a few days to be good for water changes.

[@marlaspellenberg5132]

Hi Pondguru, My Eheim 388 canister filter, which is almost 40 years old, is going to be my nano tank filter. Yes, it still runs and purrs! I was using it originally on my SW 55 g as a biological filter. Now I want to use it for my BioCube 14 nano, when I set it up as a planted tank. I've been watching your vids, and am so impressed with the research you've done, your passion, and how much you care to share your information with aquarists. My Eheim canister capacity is 1.4 L, motor produces 4 liters/minute. It has two "grates" - one for the bottom, which rests about 1/2 inch above the canister floor just above the intake. The other grate I used for holding media from being sucked into the power head. No baskets. I used to use filter floss on top of the bottom grate and another layer on top of the substrate. The substrate, (crushed coral) was held in an old nylon stocking. The canister measures 3½ inch (ID) and 9 inches tall. I will be ordering Ultimate from the U.S. distributor. I just don't know how much I need. Should I break the sticks in half? I am going to have to put them in some sort of filter bag that rests on top of the last (fine) foam. Speaking of which... I am trying to find foam, and no one makes foam for a 3½ inch diameter canister. I don't mind cutting it then from a sheet. I found a place that would custom cut rectangular sheets of reticulated foam: www.angelsplus.com/FiltersCustom.htm in 15, 30 and 50 pores per inch (ppi). The thinnest sheet they have is 2 inches. Cutting that to 1 inch is easy enough. I looked on Amazon, and am clueless what the porosity is of reticulated foam is, as listed there. I can buy expensive Eheim foam filters, and did order Eheim's fine filter. What do you recommend for foam thickness? Does the US. distributor carry the foam you showed on your other vid, I think it was Oasis (manufacturer). Sure would be easier... I have a Fluval 206 canister filter on my turtle's tank. My plan was to use water from Sami's tank, to jump start the nano. Since it is going to be a planted tank the substrates planned are AquaSoil, topped with Eco-Complete, then decorative small river gravel. I surely don't want soil particles to damage the Ultimate. Any ideas would be very welcome. See, I can be just as long winded! I really enjoyed all the videos you've made. Things certainly have changed having been away from the FW aquarium hobby for 45 years. I am so looking forward to using BioHome, and getting my nano tank up and running! Thank you for your time and answers. Sincerely, Marla

[@crewelocoman5b161]

Hi Richard, Brilliant videos on filtration which make so much sense. I started a tropical 250 litre aquarium 12 months ago and gradually added fish. I played everything by the book and did quite a lot of research, including an external Tetra filter with its next to useless media set up. I even added some zeolite to be on the safe side. I do weekly 25% water changes. Regular water testing indicated that the main parameters were fine. However, six months later an outbreak occurred and I lost 14 fish. Things stabilized and I'm now gradually introducing new fish (two per fortnight). It was at this point that I came across your excellent lucidly produced videos. On reflection, I reckon that the only thing which was giving me good water readings and preventing a total catastrophe was the weekly water changes. I've now set up my filter as suggested by your videos with two baskets of biohome ultra and ultimate. I've still got some carbon and zeolite in the filter as a back up until the new filter material is fully functional. Is this okay? As this has been a steep learning curve I'm now very cautious about water quality and what comes out of the tap. I've come across Seachem Prime which I've started to use to dechlorinate tap water. This product has rave reviews as it is claimed it neutralises ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I've also got Seachem Purigen, but so far not used in my filter. If I use these products (especially the Purigen) will they compliment or negate the the biohome filter media? Many thanks

[@pondguru]

+Graeme Samuel Yes it will be fine to leave the carbon in until the bacteria gets established and does away with the need for it.Not sure about prime but unless you are prepared to replace the purigen with new each time definitely do not use that as the recharging process / buffer added to prevent pH rise seems to destroy the anaerobic bacteria, preventing the filter establishing properly. On the few occasions where biohome users have reported the media failing to establish with anaerobic bacteria (and suffering from rising nitrates) the common factor has been purigen. Once it was removed from filter the media could establish with anaerobic bacteria and nitrates fell as they should.There should be no need for any products to be added which remove ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as the filter should easily cope with that naturally through bacterial action.

[@crewelocoman5b161]

+Pondguru Outdoors Many thanks for this Richard. I will proceed as recommended. I've added the bio-balls bacteria and the biohome has been in the filter for 3 weeks. Would you advise another dose of bio-balls as I have 32 fish (mostly small Tetra varieties) in 250 litres or am I just being a bit on the over cautious side? I'm still sticking to weekly 25% water change. Many thanks, Graeme

[@pondguru]

+Graeme Samuel Just monitor water conditions and change when necessary. There should be no need for adding more balls but if you notice ammonia and nitrite creeping up (which it should not do) then add some balls to bring it down and put more bacteria into the system.

[@crewelocoman5b161]

+Pondguru Outdoors . Thank you so much for the advice. I feel a lot more confident about taking this forward again. I don't mind losing the odd fish now and again (it happens) but taking a hit as I did a month ago when I thought I was doing everything right was a blow. I find it incredible that the manufacturers of external filters can get it so wrong and that the staff in aquarium outlets are non the wiser either.

[@pondguru]

+Graeme Samuel I think the problem is that today many shop staff are either so brain dead that they follow any instruction and simply don't question anything unless there is some facebook campaign they can jump on and head off entirely in the wrong direction. Its very much a herd mentality. The manufacturers don't want to innovate or even consider the simple principles of filtration for the benefit of the end user which is plain sad as they are only interested in follow on sales - just look at the biorb. It has the most ineffective filtration of any aquarium but the filter is the only thing which had been ignored for the many years of 'improvements' with different shaped aquariums, led colour changing lights etc. etc. while millions of fish die in their own waste each year and the biorb wins design awards from people who consider features other than the heart of the aquarium, the thing which keeps the water healthy and fish alive - the filter. It makes me mad to see the wasted products which are sold to paper over the cracks of a failing filter system and the associated problems which result in fish deaths the world over but the great thing is that at least I can try and put out proper information on youtube so its great when viewers who can think for themselves consider the information presented and make the necessary changes to see the benefits and have a better functioning aquarium. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos.

[@pondguru]

+Adrian Reitmaier It will still support bacteria but to make a moving bed filter you need media with a neutral buoyancy - proper moving bed filter media.

[@richardmason8004]

Richard, thanks for this, I've been changing my filter every week....not changing water etc...couldn't understand why the fish was dying... Had no idea what I was doing your vids are great easy to understand and will save me buying new fish every week. Great stuff, have placed order for gel balls..

[@pondguru]

No worries, glad you found the video useful. I've packaged up all orders which came in up to 11am this morning so it will go in the morning.

[@fishtanklover299]

top work, at last a in depth easy to understand video for beginners and experienced fish keepers, I do really rate your videos always a joy to watch.

[@pondguru]

No worries, man. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos. With this one I was working from a plan for the first minute or so then I just threw that in the bin and went free style but that resulted in almost 45 minutes of footage to edit down, lol

[@steverabbits]

You explain things excellently Richard! So am I right in assuming that my ceramic rings will eventually get blocked up and I will need to bin them and put new ones in?

[@paddy878mh]

Richard, many thanks for all of your content. I'm happy to be commenting this to say my home aquarium is now performing a full nitrogen cycle thanks to your advice and 3Kg of Biohome Ultimate filter media (180 litre moderately planted tropical community tank). Subscriber for life here, you're a legend mate

[@pondguru]

Nice one - thanks for the positive report. It's just simple Nature but unbelievably there are still people online who think a full cycle is impossible, lol

[@paddy878mh]

@@pondguru I'm a believer mate, been watching the Nitrate test tube bottles once a month willing them to stay yellow, when it happened I did it three times in total just to be sure!

[@ThousandYardStare]

@@paddy878mh (my other account) Groovy, it's a simple case of Terrain theory trouncing Germ theory, lol

[@pondguru]

+Trev Bell I would just stick with what you have as no filter will build up enough bacteria to cope with fish in a few days. You have aeration which is the most important thing so just do a 20% water change every 3-4 days and it should be fine for that stock of fish.

[@pondguru]

***** You would do a minimum of a 10% change every week or even twice a week if ammonia and nitrite show. By the looks of it the filter is maturing OK as you have nitrite and nitrate but as I don't have any previous I readings to compare I can't say for sure. Most filters will take a good 5-6 weeks to mature and unless you have a sensible amount of biohome in there the nitrates should be the only problem as the filter will produce them (which then requires you to do water changes to reduce nitrate)

[@hedgehog3900]

Fascinating.Looking into keeping small native uk freshwater fish and this production laid down some much needed foundations for me.Thank you.

[@pondguru]

No worries, man. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos.

[@craigwoodhull3028]

Richard, An aquarium is a closed system, like you said "no flow". A river is an open system. Moving water. My son is one that thinks water changes are a waste of time. Some people JUST do not "get it". Hence dead fish ! I have had fish for well over 50 years, still have to learn how much W/c's each every differant fish needs. Woody

[@pondguru]

Dear Woody, Yes even in a hyper filtered where all pollutants read zero (full cycle filtration) it is good to change out about 10% a week just to freshen things up and remineralise the water. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos. Regards, Richard

[@joren70]

This has to be one of the easiest and most understandable videos on this subject. When I change my biomedia this year, I'll try the Biohome Ultimate. Grtz

[@pondguru]

It is far and away the best media you can get so I've no problem recommending it, man. Thanks for watching and appreciating the video.

[@pondguru]

Marla Spellenberg There should be no need to snap up the ultimate for that filter as it will fit in fine but may be worth putting in a filter bag to keep it all together. The eco complete and gravel may well keep the pH up around 7.5 so bear that in mind. The foams don't need to be very thick as long as they are graded down from coarse to fine as the face of them takes most of the muck. I think Don at www.greatwaveeng.com (the US supplier of biohome) has foams in now and as he is an engineer so would be able to work out how much media you would need once the thickness of his foams (or ones you have) are taken into account. The coarse and medium foam I do is only about 1" thick but the fine particle mat is around 2" thick but can be torn down to less thickness if needed. I will have a new video being uploaded soon which will have a biorb aquarium being upgraded using a new filter media which can also be used as a shrimp and plant substrate so look out for that one.

[@marlaspellenberg5132]

Thank you Richard. I know I was long winded, but with an old small Eheim, I needed to give you some idea of what I was working with. I will call Don and see if he has the foam.. would be nice to just get everything at once.! I greatly appreciate your quick response, and one day I will jump the puddle and hie to England... Several friends I want to visit as well. :)

[@pondguru]

Marla Spellenberg Just make sure you come in the height of summer as the weather isn't so good for about 10 months of the year, lol

[@marlaspellenberg5132]

Hi Richard, my Hubby, Steve, has visited UK and Ireland, and says "There is no bad weather, just bad clothes". But, I agree, summer is best for any flitting around the globe! :) I got in touch with Don, he is shipping my 1 kilo Ultimate, based on the cu. in, calculation on interior of my wee Eheim 388. Area falls right between the 500g and 1 k, so to have enuf, he's sending the 1 k. (Eheim need 785g) He's also shipping some foam for me to try! Right now Don is at a Koi & Pond Expo, but will get my stuff out ASAP! I sent him pix of my Eheim, he was thrilled, and is making a Customer folder for me! Now, I guess, I have to "live up" to all this attention. hahaha

[@mariamatermia]

Hey Pondguru​​ quick question, can you provide the name of the brand of foam you use in your videos, or even a webpage were we can purchase it from? also the name would be great having a hard time finding it online.

[@pondguru]

***** The link is in the video description for my shop on ebay and the US suppler also in video description. Not sure if The AU supplier of biohome does the foams yet.

[@neilblackshaw3486]

Very informative, thank you. I set up a jewel rio 125, about 10 days ago, with lots of live plants, a powerful internal filter, undergravel filter and air stone. How long should i leave it, before adding a few fish?

[@pondguru]

Ideally the tank would run for a week or so before you start to trickle fish in, adding more every 1-2 weeks until the full stocking level is attained.

[@fishville62]

I've been using the biohome media for a couple of years now works great I love it how often should the media is self be replaced ❓

[@pondguru]

We generally say that in a well set up filter that you can expect a good 6-10 years at high efficiency but many people are still using the same media after 15+ years - as long as you are using enough to achieve a full cycle (reduction in nitrate) a steady rise in nitrate will indicate that it is no longer efficient and at that point you can remove it and put in a hot oven for 45-60 minutes to burn off any organic matter and it should be sterilized and good to go again for a few more years. There is loads of useful information on the Q&A page on my website www.filterpro.co.uk Regards, Richard

[@fishville62]

Pondguru I think this is the best filter media ever thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question have a great day 😁🐠

[@pondguru]

No worries, any time.

[@chulachicachichi]

just purchased some of the ultimate from the US store, i have a mixed reef with a heavy bio load, going to give it a try, cheers.

[@pondguru]

Congratulations, man - you have the best media available. It will not let you down. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos.

[@philschneiderapreciationclub]

I really enjoyed this video and I love the passion you have for filtration and getting the maximum bio efficiency out of the filter system. If anyone was to ask me to explain to them how aquarium filters work then I'd certainly give them this video link. I have found that most commercial filters are designed to look streamline or built as small as possible to look more appealing and tend to use the bare minimum of filter media to accomplish a satisfactory reasonably sized end product. I prefer to build my own sump or over head filter and add as much media as I feel will run my system bio efficiently. My water is pre-filtered through filter floss (100% polyester pillow filling) before being bio filtered.

[@pondguru]

That system sounds perfect as it will allow the biological media to do its job properly. I'm assuming you've got some good media in there so the levels must always be good. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos.

[@Emma-lq7mo]

Really good info, been keeping tanks for about 3 years and recently set up a red bellied piranha tank and cycled my new tank in one week by using 2 filter sponges from my 2 established tanks, sat them in the new aquarium and used Seachem's Stability daily for a week and tank is fully cycled :D and since Piranhas need to be heavily fed, ammonia and nitrite has been at 0. Most bacteria in a bottle don't work but Stability works wonders IF you get a fresh bottle.

[@pondguru]

Yes that is the problem with bottled stuff - if it's fresh its good. I'm assuming that you have either a sump or external filter so if you get problems with nitrate in the future consider swapping the media for biohome ultimate. It takes between 4-6 months for the anaerobic bacteria to mature and reduce nitrate but you can't get a more efficient media.

[@selman259]

Great video. I have 1 question. Will lava rock work to? I have large outdoor koi ponds. And use a pump pumping to a water fall tank filled with green weenie sponges with lava rocks in the bottom that flow back into a pond slowly.

[@pondguru]

As surface area is critical, there are much better media than lava rock but it is way better than plastic. Effectiveness would rank lava rock then alfagrog then biohome.

[@philschneiderapreciationclub]

I have the synthetic filter floss as the pre filter. In chamber one I have a litre and half of K1 being turned over before the water runs into the 2nd chamber which houses a couple of bags of ceramic bio rings, 1kg in total. The water runs through the outlet back into tank causing additional aeration. I'm disappointed I bought the ceramic rings having watched your videos in Biohome media. When my media needs replacing I'm certainly gonna give the Biohome a go :)

[@pondguru]

Ceramic rings certainly aren't the worst media you could use but for soaking up nitrates the biohome reigns supreme. I made a decision that any of the products I sell will have an advertising budget of nil and just be promoted through positive reports and good information videos. It is going better than I could ever imagine which is great.

[@jodonbaker43]

Brilliant my fish would have died hadn't it been for this wonderful video. What a brilliant guy to share his knowledge. Thank you so much Richard.

[@pondguru]

No worries, knowledge should always be free I reckon.

[@degan9403]

2 questions. How do you clean your bio media? I rinse with tank water. 2nd question...I do weekly water changes of 30 to 40% on my 55 gallon tank. I cannot get my ph lower than 7.5. I'd love to get some discus

[@pondguru]

Yes rinsing in tank water you have drained off is best way. 30-40% water change is a very large amount and could be reduced way down with effective filtration a mentioned in this video. If you have gravel, silver sand or rocks in your tank the pH may have no chance of reducing but ordinary sand coupled with bogwood and sensible water changes should allow the pH to be reduced.

[@degan9403]

Thank you. I have gravel and a piece of drift wood. I'm thinking of changing to sand. I'm doing the large water change due to such high nitrate levels. I'm also going to fix my canister filter the way you have it in your video with the course then medium then polishing pad. I have two trays of Matrix bio rocks and a tray of black plastic bio balls

[@pondguru]

Dan Egan Gravel will be keeping the pH up and the filter will be producing mad nitrates. By switching to biohome (mini ultra or ultimate) you will effectively reduce nitrates (after 4-6 months of use) resulting in less water changes as explained in this video - thus allowing you to reduce pH.

[@jaysaquariums6399]

I made a filter with 2 barrels 1 with normal sintered glass media and it gets pump to the other barrel it has 4 diy bottle moving bed in there then it gets pumped into a box and then pumped into the tanks

[@naushad26100]

this is the best video regarding filtration from this i had completely know about nitrogen cycle.......thanks for the upload and upload more videos

[@pondguru]

No worries, man. Most people usually forget about the last part of the cycle which is the reduction of nitrate. This is probably because they haven't used biohome media. It really is awesome stuff for keeping the water sweet for fish. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos.

[@scottmetevier2229]

Great video, I would watch a two hour vidio of yours . You give the information need and not chopped up into ten different videos. Couldn't come at a better time. I've been having troubles with nitrates changing water three times a eeek at times. Going to check out the US supplier. Im from Shelburne Vermont USA. A big fan of your videos thanks for taken the time to make such great videos.

[@pondguru]

No worries, man. Thanks for watching and enjoying the videos. I do try not to have the same topic in loads of videos as seeing that bugs me too. Many of the more popular channels will have update after update with no new information in there but I prefer to learn stuff then use that to come up with new ideas. The US supplier has all types of biohome.

[@patcarr3028]

this video is fantastic, it tells you stuff i had no idea about ive sent away for most off the s things, , thank you

[@magzire]

Does all the bacteria in my pond shower filter die during the winter? So come spring it's like a new cycle?

[@pondguru]

If a filter is left running the bacteria will survive but if a filter is turned off (and the food supply for the bacteria stops) the bacteria will die or go dormant. It will fire up quite quickly next spring but if its been off all winter it will have to start again, yes.

[@sedaquatics7277]

Pond Guru really does know his stuff. The Biohome ultra I used with the bioballs amazed me. No lie, I've cycled many canisters and sumps accross various sized tanks, I was amazed how well these products in conjunction work. Great work Mr Guru, love it. Now I'm going to need 10kg for the fish room. Ouch it's gonna hurt the wallet but really no comparison with other products.

[@pondguru]

Great to hear that you appreciate how good it is and yes it is relatively expensive until you take into account how much you could have spent on chemicals and large water changes (regularly) to keep the water right. The media is very labour intensive to produce as there are many stages before it goes in the kiln but it definitely is worth the effort as attaining 0 ammonia, nitrate and nitrate is like finding the holy grail, lol

[@sedaquatics7277]

Pondguru Yeah I 100% agree, it is well worth the money, In my opinion you've developed a product that quite literally has no comparison. I'll be ordering the bulk load soon. Just trying to stabilise the drip auto change system that currently has a mind of its own and then get these growing Discus fry some new filtration. Even when I take into account the cost of the media I'm sure in water and RO cartridges alone It will have paid for itself in a matter of weeks. I'll have to take a trip up to your store.

[@pondguru]

Groovy - all sounds good to me. I closed the shop a couple of years ago to concentrate on working from home but collecting is no problem as I'm not far from where the shop was at DH8 9JA 07772848730

[@dontaylor8451]

Cannot understand the "not likes" you and Ben Ochart receive, you both great information to the hobbyist.

[@pondguru]

On this video it has over 140k views and only 39 dislikes so I'd say that is pretty good, lol I know in my situation much of the information I put out about how to size filters correctly, set filters up properly, achieving a full cycle etc. etc. contradicts what many of the 'big' aquatic channels are saying and that accounts for a few early 'dislikes' from some of their many their fake channels or ardent followers when a video is uploaded but I'm more than happy with the quality of viewers I'm getting on the channel as my typical viewer is intelligent and is here to learn more about filtration / fish keeping for the sake of their fish. From my position that's a great situation to be in as the comment section of each video tends to become a useful place for extra questions and good answers from people who have experience in different areas of the hobby as opposed to endless hollow comments about nothing useful. No matter what a few channels would have you believe nobody is an expert in everything and pretending to be so just causes genuine people to desert the channel in favor of sycophantic time wasters who simply want 'reality' TV with no value. I'd never swap my viewer base for the millions of viewers some of the money driven fake characters are getting on their channels and I guess that's why I'm drawn toward genuine channels like Ben's too as it is a real breath of fresh air compared to the daily fake nonsense Google / KZbin would rather have us watching in the 'recommended' section of KZbin. Sorry I went on a bit there but I'm passionate about getting good information out there and will always support channels who are genuine - If you haven't found him already one of the best for information and a really genuine character is 'Mark's Aquatics'. He puts videos out almost daily but they aren't the fake 'reality' type of cash grabs favored by many channels, they are properly useful videos about all aspects of the hobby - a real nice guy. There are plenty of similar channels but finding them is getting harder and harder - thanks for watching and appreciating what I'm doing on mine.

[@dontaylor8451]

I have a 125 gal. African cichlid tank with a sump filter system that I am new to. Question is in the 70's we always added a small hand full of rock salt to the aquarium with each water change. will the salt harm the bacteria in the sump or a canister filter. Thanks for your kindness and great information, from Texas-"a whole 'nuther country" lol.

[@pondguru]

@@dontaylor8451 Rock salt has all sorts of useful minerals so can do good for fish which like mineralized water (e.g. malawi cichlids) but they would normally het that from the suitable rocks in the tank. If you use salt you'll definitely need to check levels as it can build up in concentration if used regularly then fish may have a problem going from those conditions to 'freshwater' conditions. Too much salt isn't good for freshwater fish and can hold the bacteria back in the filter system since it is a natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent.

[@dontaylor8451]

Thank you.

[@danapunte9675]

I appreciate all previous advice that you have given me it helped a great deal. I have a 55 gallon tank my 3 oranda goldfish are missing some scales and have developed at least one blood streak in each of their tails... I do water changes of 75% twice a week... should I use melafix... they are eating great and look very healthy and are active... I'm not sure if I should leave them alone or teeat... the only thing I use in my water is api stress and coat and stress and zyme with aquarium salt... please guide me

[@pondguru]

I assume you have tested the water for ammonia and nitrite? If they are zero it may be worth putting some melafix in but only if the salt content is low. If the filter is working well there should be no ammonia, no nitrite and very low nitrate so there should be no need to use the stress zyme for water changes. The stress coat is a good one to add with the new water but salt really should only be added as an aid to treatment (e.g. for white spot). You don't say if salt is added regularly but if it is and levels are elevated that may adversely affect the fish as it builds up in the water. 75% water changes twice a week are huge and that can't be doing the fish any good - why such big changes?

[@danapunte9675]

+Pondguru Outdoors I had a fungus outbreak about a month ago so I was using salt with huge water changes when it cleared up I was trying to prevent it from coming back... I lessened my water changes now and dosed with a melafix and it seemed to have worked!

[@pondguru]

Sounds good to me - Melafix smells awesome too.

[@helicrashpro]

Have you done much with algae filters? I am a huge fan as they are easy to maintain and do a great job of removing nitrate. I like the idea of anaerobic bacteria as in theory, would be even easier to maintain.

[@pondguru]

helicrashpro I haven't had anything to do with algae filters /scrubbers as I really like the idea of a long term solution offered by the anaerobic colonisation of special media. There's loads of stuff I haven't got any experience of as I like to keep it simple. Manufacturers would have us believe that fishkeeping is difficult but it should be really simple, lol

[@dorianzulic9369]

Well explained, Sir. However, I do have one question. Why do people say that filter media, that turns anaerobic is no longer good?

[@pondguru]

In a deep sand bed or a deep gravel bed which is undisturbed can develop large anaerobic areas of decomposition and that can produce sulphur compounds which are harmful to fish - it is basically down to poor tank maintenance and large areas of rotting organic matter. How that translates to media supporting anaerobic bacteria being bad is something I will never understand as the anaerobic bacteria operates in tiny pockets in the media perfectly safely with no chance of a sudden release of bad stuff like in a deep sand bed or neglected gravel base. The opposition I see against biohome and anaerobic bacteria is sadly down to ignorance of the nitrogen cycle and how a carefully controlled population of anaerobic bacteria has great benefits for water quality. Obviously many companies don't want people to have perfect water or they wouldn't sell as many treatments but I'd rather see people setting something up properly and having minimal spending after that. The bacteria in our guts is 99% anaerobic but it is all in healthy balance - in the biohome it is much less anaerobic than that (maybe 10%-30%? at a guess) but all that activity is spread out evenly and in tiny pockets making it 100% safe.

[@dorianzulic9369]

So, it is a right balance of aerobic and anoxic zones combined that makes it work.. That makes perfect sense to me. If only it was more widely known... Thank you for your further explanation, I very much appreciate it.

[@pondguru]

No worries, any time. I think the problem is there are still some quite high profile channels on KZbin and others online who are strangely respected saying that media can't support a balance of both types of bacteria, anaerobic bacteria is dangerous, only telling people about half the cycle and coming out with other nonsense in order to sell more products or make themselves look like 'experts'. I have always wanted to see happy fish and save fish keepers money and while that may not be a very good business model money has never a motivating factor in my business or KZbin channel so I feel great whenever people find anything I put out useful as it generally helps to increase their own understanding of fish keeping and filtration. Every thing starts with filtration and it is the basis of a successful tank - If I had £1 for everyone who splashed pictures or videos of their tank crammed full of expensive fish online followed by the reports of "my fish are sick" or "I made a huge mistake" attention seeking posts then I wouldn't need to run a business, lol I'd rather help to prevent that sort of nonsense from happening as catastrophic failures generally mean the end of the hobby for the average fish keeper.

[@dorianzulic9369]

Well said... We wouldn't need to add much, if we let the nature do it's own thing. And I think a lot of people are forgetting, that in nature, everything is about balance.. And bacteria is no exception. We sould try to make sure that everything is in harmony, not eliminating something from that process. And nature should do most of the work anyway :))

[@pondguru]

Exactly - many of the products marketed to help a cycle and achieve balance work against natural systems and end up costing much more in the long run.

[@mickshaw555]

wow, that was a Encylopedia Britannica session. Amazing

[@MT-jf1tn]

I have the biohome ultimate media and make weekly water changes and my nitrates are way up my tank is over 5 years. I add the biohome ultimate media for extra and I continue to use my very old and stabilized media and I have plants but I can't control the nitrates

[@pondguru]

How much media do you have and what volume is the tank (and how heavy is the stock in there)? There is a guide to how much media is needed to achieve full cycle filtration for a variety of different stocking levels and other useful information on filtration here: filterpro.co.uk/qa-24-w.asp You can check you have enough there but if you need help just give me details of tank volume, stock, how filters are set up etc. and I will help wherever I can. Without the relevant information I won't be able to help much.

[@MT-jf1tn]

Pondguru: 40gal tank with 10 gal sump abut 20 fish the two biggest are the two angel fish and a severum the rest are no bigger the 3in per fish the media are 6lb with one gal k1micro. Amonia and nitras are 0 just the nitrates are abut 50ppm or higher

[@pondguru]

I'm assuming that is US gallons? so it only equates to around 150 litres which even with a heavy stock should only require 3kg (6.6lbs) of biohome media to achieve full cycle filtration. Have you just added more media or have you had the 6lbs in for 5 years? Also, do you use anything else like chemical treatments in the filter?

[@MT-jf1tn]

Pondguru: yes US gallons, no, I add 3 more pounds of biohome media around year ago, No chemical additives, other the water conditioner wend I do the weekly water changes

[@pondguru]

That all sounds good - what sort of water conditioner do you use? If it is an ordinary dechloirinator I'll be left scratching my head as to why nitrates are high but if it's something like stability which detoxifies ammonia, nitrite and nitrate etc. it seems to starve bacteria so could well be the problem. I looked on your channel for any videos of the tank and filters but unfortunately there are no videos.

[@RezidentZombie]

I purchased your biohome media. I set up my external filter exactly like you explained in your other video. I used the gel balls also. My question is, my tank now is a little cloudy and has things floating on it. Is this normal? I also have a in tank filter still going that I have had from the start of my tank.

[@pondguru]

Did you wash the media prior to use and did you add new media gradually (if the filter was on a mature tank)? If the filter was reset to day one by adding all the media in one go on a mature tank it could be a bacterial bloom but if it was a simple case of not washing the media before adding to the filter then it could be dust generated during transit which will get caught in the foams / fine pad in the filter(s).

[@RezidentZombie]

Pondguru thank you for the reply. It was washed but it was all put in at once. My filter only had what came with it and like you said isn't much of anything. I did have a older in the tank filter that I thought would pick up the slack. It was bacteria bloom but it is all cleared up now and my canister filter is working great thanks to my new media.

[@robertdrell8530]

I am planning to set up a 60 gallon tank as part of an aquaponic system, with 5 trumpet snails, sand substrate, various tiny tropical fish, external solid waste filter, external bio home ultimate filter and 50 different stages of vegetable growths. Will the vegetation which is grown in a nutrient film technique suffice for complete ecological filtration and will water changes be needed? Thank you.

[@pondguru]

I don't know much about aquaponic system set up but it seems quite straight forward. You shouldn't need to do water changes if everything is in balance but it may take a while to achieve that balance. I'd imagine once your crops were in rotation the cycle will run well enough for you to do without water changes.

[@robertdrell8530]

I'm grateful for your prompt feedback and helpful expertise. The more I read, the more excited I become in creating a complete ecological circuit. I also am planning to include in my shower solid radial filter a platform for red worms with gravel.

[@pondguru]

Robert Drell Maybe should get into aquaculture as that all sounds very exciting. A wholesaler I was speaking to recently was asking if I wanted to look at the necessary gear for aquaculture so I may well take a look at that.

[@adnanaltaf4876]

Hi Great Video, Very useful information. I need some advise, I have a mechanical filter that is filtering the water. I added another new filter to the tank and have taken out the foam and added Sheachem De Nitrate Media only. My question is, is it ok to have a filter running on media only without the foam? I already have a mechanical filter already doing that for me. Thanks

[@pondguru]

Provided the media filter is being fed from the foam filter, yes. If not then the media will quickly become clogged and ineffective.

[@juliehoiwarth6051]

I have an APS 2000ef which has foam, white pads, bio balls and ceramic media at present.....I have just ordered some Biohome ultra plus, which of my current media should I bin first and over what period....?? Thanks....awesome video btw...!!

[@tdub18914]

How do you ensure a good establishment of anaerobic bacteria, other than providing the right media?

[@pondguru]

As the anaerobic bacteria needs a specific environment to exist in the media choice is the best way to get the balance right. That's why most tanks / filters will be regarded as 'nitrate factories' as the processes are all aerobic and media is not supporting a mix of the different bacteria. Biohome allows that mix and balance to be achieved.

[@Skanker0302]

Where are you best putting the gel balls in your filter? amongst the media or before the sponges? Thanks!

[@pondguru]

It can go anywhere in the filter but ideally in with the media as long as you have a guard over the tray to prevent the balls being drawn into the pump.

[@dennisc37]

I'm getting a 55 gallon and plan on putting a Jack Dempsey in it using just a UGF. And a bubble wand. Should I add any type of other filtration? It's only going to be one fish.

[@pondguru]

The Jack Dempsey may mess about with the gravel so you'd probably be better going for an external canister filter and having a sand base to the tank but assuming the JD doesn't destroy the action of gravel as a filter it should work OK.

[@jonstfrancis]

Should I place sintered glass in a filter after the fluid medium? In that way nitrites would be converted and then the nitrates would feed the anaerobic bacteria in the 2nd filter space?

[@pondguru]

+jonstfrancis Yes that would be the order to set it up. Only possible problem would be the balance between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria as the moving bed media tends to only support aerobic bacteria so you may not see the reduction in nitrate you are hoping for unless a good amount of biohome was used - maybe as much as 2kg per 100 litres?

[@jonstfrancis]

Pondguru Outdoors Thanks!

[@alfieslattery371]

Hi i was looking at those gel filter balls on ebay, the ones you dont use do you just store them in a cupboard for next time?

[@pondguru]

Ye they can be kept for around 18 months or more in a sealed bag or container.

[@omkarsurkutla]

Hi Pond Guru can you tell me the name and brand of internal filter you had in you hand while explaining ammonia cycle, in the beginning of the video. Would really appreciate it.

[@Wrighty]

Hi, like the video. In a pond of two thousand five hundred gallons, how much of the biohome would you recommend, and where would you put it. I have a three 45 gallon tub DIY filter system. Two mechanical with K1 and the other with K1 Micro and a third tub with K1 moving bed. Because the filter is working so well at converting everything to nitrates I have a pond with thriving algae. What do you suggest. Thanks for any help.

[@pondguru]

A shower filter is probably the most efficient way to reduce nitrates and can easily be made from a water butt. While the biohome ultra or maxi ultimate may be the most effective media for a shower filter with all that plastic media in your system the nitrate production will be very high so I'm not sure how much you would need. In a 2500 gal pond with only a shower filter (which would reduce ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) I would go for around 60kg of biohome ultra. The other option would be a 'vegetable filter' between the outlet of the last filter and the pond but in the UK the effect of them can be quite seasonal since most pond plants die back and are dormant from late autumn to early spring. If your first filter was for mechanical, second was moving bed and the last one was filled with biohome or even alfagrog you would get: 1 - clear water 2 - aerobic bacteria reducing ammonia and nitrite 3 - anaerobic bacteria reducing nitrate That way you wouldn't have to build anything else in addition to your existing filter. I would really like to see filter manufacturers make filters with integrated shower filters for ponds or slow flow areas filled with proper media which will reduce nitrate as a filter which only supports aerobic bacteria is only ever doing half a job and simply acts as a nitrate factory. Feel free to ring me any time on 07772848730

[@Wrighty]

Pondguru My filter is here on KZbin or my website is diypondfilters.com. I would appreciate your thoughts and comments if you have the time please. Terry.

[@pondguru]

Wrighty Yes checked out the videos a while back and you've made a decent website too. As I mentioned in the last comment I would personally go with a 3 defined stage approach with mechanical, aerobic and anaerobic to do a full filtering job and reduce the need for pond water changes.

[@Wrighty]

Pondguru Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately 60kg of biohome ultra would cost around £700 and not a viable proposition in my case. Thanks for your comments and love the video's. Terry.

[@pondguru]

Wrighty At full retail price, yes it would be way too expensive but price goes down for quantity so I could quote for that if you want: [e-mail] Alternately you could fill the last section with alfagrog which is way cheaper and should make an impact on the nitrates quite easily. I will be doing a new filter media video in the next week or so and while it may not be of use for pond projects it will probably be of interest as it is a very unique media with a variety of uses. It solves a huge problem with the Biorb type of fish tanks too. I went and bought a used Biorb specifically to make the video so I'm really looking forward to shooting that one as it is a tank I have wanted to fix the filtration in for years and I reckon everyone who has one will think the same. We used to call them the 'ball of death' when I had the shop and wouldn't stock them. This new media and way to upgrade it into a properly filtered tank is a game changer.

[@kirksinclair6088]

loved your show. i have a 3 stage filtering system. stage one is the 1.5" of gravel at the bottom of my 120 gallon shallow tank that is about 6 feet long. i have plastic plants that algae is allowed to grow on. stage two, water siphons down to a 1x2x1.5 foot plastic box with plastic bio spheres. the water is "T" off several times to distribute the water evenly over the spheres (aerobic). the water trickles down the spheres to a catch basin where the water is siphoned to the third stage (anaerobic). the anaerobic stage uses a 1x2x1.5 plastic box that has a sack of garden landscaping lava rock. the water enters the box on one side of the pile of lava rocks, flows thru the lava rock to the pump that pumps it back up to the aquarium. the water enters the aquarium on one end and exists the aquarium on the other end 6 feet away. i rarely have to do anything to system but add water from evaporation.

[@pondguru]

Sounds like you have all the components of a successful system there - groovy.

[@CharlieDwns]

Great video, quick question if you don't mind? I have a PF mini for a 40 litre tank, is there anything I can add to it/ the tank to help with anaerobic bacteria? I am concerned about nitrates in my tank. Cheers again

[@pondguru]

CharlieDwns There's not really much which can be done with such a small internal filter and although it promises to treat up to 40 litres you'd generally get a filter at least 25%-50% bigger than tank size (depending on fish stock - e.g. 50% bigger for goldfish). A hidden filter in a small ornament driven by air may help reduce the nitrates. Use this video as a guide but the best filter media for such a project may be the new biogravel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXrVgpKIjKyFgas

[@CharlieDwns]

Pondguru that's a great idea! any ideas where I could get hollow resin statue of a smaller size? Its a fairly small tank. had a look around the usual places but struggling to find one that would be much use. Thanks

[@pondguru]

CharlieDwns No idea really but if I get stuck I normally do a google image search, highlight the picture then 'visit page' to find the seller.

[@1Dipped]

Can you use any gel filter balls ?

[@ratsaremagic]

You are extremely pleasing on the eye... Any case, fantastic video!

[@sarahwilliams8303]

have found ur vidoes extreemly helpful, especialy the wildlife pond as that is what i'm attempting to do on a much smaller scale, have been doing alot of research and there seems to be a mixed opinion as to whether you need a pump if you're not keeping fish.. wondering what ur advise is, i'm worried that the water will just be stagnant if i don't.

[@pondguru]

If you have a fish pond you will need a pump and filter to guarantee clear water but if you have fish you will only have limited wildlife as they will eat most of it.

[@ab79381]

dear friend, as far as the mechanical filter is concerned (the sponge) should I rinse it with the tank water only when maintained? That's how I do it: since I entirely depend on the biological filter to keep the bacteria colonies and rinse them gently with the tank water, I clean my coarse sponge heavily with tap water and change the cotton pad to ensure that I will have a crystal clear water. Is what I am doing right? Please advise!

[@pondguru]

+Aboud Bakkour Sounds like you are maintaining regularly which is good to remove muck but you would be better cleaning the coarse sponge in water you have drained from your tank during maintenance. That way you will not kill off as much good bacteria on the sponge.

[@stateniland]

I'm using a Aquaclear 110 and wanted to know is it more beneficial to have a bag of charcoal in the filter or a bag of bio balls? I cannot fit both (a sponge and Chemi-pure in there also).. Thanks Joe

[@nathan4wdmad]

hey man, is there an Australian supplier now?

[@bigbear3501]

Can you make a tour on the fish store you have please?

[@pondguru]

I'm sure there are one or two already in the aquatics playlist on my channel.

[@flutterbydragonfly]

Thank you for this great learning opportunity. I’m new to this hobby. Is it possible to put bio material in my hang on the back filters? I currently have Marineland Bio wheel filters. Thank you. 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@pondguru]

Yes although there often isn't much available space for proper media in there. Best types would be the biohome plus, ultimate or biogravel but you may have to use them in a filter bag in a HOB. There is a guide to how much media is needed to achieve full cycle filtration (reduction in nitrate) on the Q&A page of my website here www.filterpro.co.uk

[@niteshmistry2466]

Hi, nice video - however seems like everywhere I look no one talks about using canister filters on a salt water tank, i think 99% of people are using sumps but at the moment I've got a fresh water tank with shubunkins on a eheim canister filter, which I want to turn into a nice reef tank - can i use a canister for this and use biohome inside it??

[@pondguru]

Yes as it works just like live rock. Plenty of people do use canisters for marine but as I don't deal wit marine stock I'm not the best to advise on set up or stocking unfortunately. The most popular choice of media is the mini ultra.

[@bart3877]

hi,, I love your video reviews of filters and the nitrogen cycle. I purchased a fluval 406 canister filter for a new aquarium based on your review of it. I am currently cycling a freshwater tank on a cheap hang-on filter. Its a 40 Gallon tank. I filled with Filtered ROI waster. No ammonia and 0.00 reading on particles. I added Stabilize to the water to start the process and a cap of ammonia as food for them. its been a week now and my ammonia reading is still above 4.0. I did a 50% water change yesterday and its still 4.0. I have no media on the bottom of tank but I did add ceramic tiles to the bottom. Can the ceramic tiles be adding to the problem? I just cannot get the ammonia level down. very frustrating.

[@pondguru]

The bacteria could just need time to build up to process the ammonia and stability should not negatively affect bacteria - what type of water conditioner are you using? If it is the type which 'detoxifies / binds' ammonia, nitrite and nitrate it will effectively starve the bacteria and hold the population at a minimum level which will greatly extend the time it tales to cycle and prevent a full cycle ever completing. A straight dechlorinator like API stress coat is fine as it simply makes water safe for life, nothing fancy.

[@cvern1990]

Well that would mean I would have 3 filters running in the tank,, not sure I have enough plug sockets or space for that! Will I get away with replacing the old one and just doing 25% water changes every few days? My tank will still have one filter in that's already been in there well over a year

[@pondguru]

If that's the preferred option it will be OK, just keep an eye on water quality, no worries.

[@Epic_DaVinci]

Very informative video, thankyou. Just one question though, why dont filter manufacturers supply filter media already populated with bacteria?

[@pondguru]

The could do that but only in a dormant form (a powder added to media?) as living working bacteria needs a constant flow of water and food to stay active. If you take media from an established system it will have from a few hours to a few days of bacteria surviving on and in it depending on type of media.

[@hansswift3141]

Pondguru, I'm trying to figure out how to filter my water in a small, but growing, aquaponics system. I want safe water for the fish, but also feed my crops. I understand I need to mechanically remove the solids (muck) & biologically convert the ammonia & nitrites. The plants are suppose to utilize the nitrates (would low to zero nitrates reduce plant growth?). I have a few available stacked canister filter/pumps that are leftover from past aquariums. Suggested configurations? Canister with bio media vs. intank moving bio filter or both? Sintered glass vs. plastic media? Thanks for the videos.

[@pondguru]

+Hans Swift Plastic media produces a nation of nitrate but often too much for the fish unless you do large water changes. The sintered glass / pumice can reduce the nitrate down to zero but that does not seem to affect the plants since the nitrate is converted into soluble nitrogen which is easily used by the plants. Obviously that last way is better for the fish (you will get better growth) and requires much less water changes but it is more expensive to set up the filter with good media which will naturally reduce nitrates and produce soluble nitrogen. Hope that makes sense.

[@hansswift3141]

Thank you. Sintered glass is the way too go, and is not beyond my budget. I ordered some Eheim sintered glass media (balls). Do you consider the canister filters anerobic? If so, would I need to include an additional aerobic filter? Which setup is recommended after I perform a good mechanical filtration? Canister (I have on hand) Moving filter Wet/dry trickle filter

[@pondguru]

+Hans Swift All filters will be quite an aerated environment due to water being pumped through them and it is really down to the media to offer a suitable environment for anaerobic bacteria. The sintered glass balls are OK and will offer a limited home for anaerobic bacteria but the internal structure isn't ideal - way better than ceramic rings or any plastic media though. I would just go with a canister feeding up to a wet / dry trickle filter as that would offer the best chance of good filtration.

[@twargo1]

I bought it ,it works a treat but do i need to put a bit of carbon into my external filter?

[@pondguru]

Not unless you need to draw in colour from bogwood etc. or have residual fish treatments to pull out of the water.

[@twargo1]

Ok thanks mate

[@MauriceMccomie]

OH WOW!!! Loads of information! Thank you Pondguru!!! Wish this video was out when i started up my tank. I will share in the hope that other newcomers won't loose fish unecessarily.

[@pondguru]

I should have done one like this years ago, lol

[@incrediblehong]

hi guru, question. is there a recommended way to place ceramic rings in a overhead filter? is it recommend to place them neatly side by side?

[@pondguru]

It doesn't matter how they are placed in really - as long as the water flows over them they will be fine.

[@Bobbystilz43]

One last question...I received my media yesterday. Should I rinse it in some tank water? Or does it need rinsing? Thanks in advance!

[@pondguru]

Rinse it under the tap if you like as it may have generated some dust during transit. Not essential but advisable, yes.

[@fernselvis]

Very nice video. The video for setting up an external filter seems to be deleted.

[@pondguru]

+elvis fernandes Damn KZbin, the end of the link was deleted for some reason, should work now. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos.

[@Balthazarr81]

I have a terrapin tank with a terrapin in,is it possible to take the one of the filter pads and put it my fish tanks filter just to help the tank cycle some what better?

[@pondguru]

It should help mature the filter faster, yes.

[@Balthazarr81]

Pondguru I dont know what me think about it, it was just a sudden random thought off the top of my head and I thought hmm I wonder if that will work.Lol

[@pondguru]

Luke Glass That's what people commonly do to 'seed' a new filter with bacteria.

[@scottmellard3298]

I keep asking....why do you not recommend Chemical media like chemipure elite?

[@MsStoneiy]

Hi Pondguru, I have two questions. We have an elite stingray 15 and since watching as many as your videos that i could in the last 24hrs; it would seem that the elite is wholly inadequate. I want to take out the kidney shaped carbon/zeolite cartrigdes. 1) Would it be better to replace those cartridges with a denser/medium foam instead? And our tank is now over run with snails and i'm desperate to be rid of them, 2) how can i get rid of them without resorting to chemicals and larger fish? I love tetras and endlers. Thanx

[@pondguru]

If you can get some proper filter media in that cartridge it would be better but I think even the biohome plus would be too large for that. I do have a small filter media which I will be showing in an upcoming video where I make a biorb into a properly filtered tank so look out for that one as it may be the best way to boost that particular filter.

[@pondguru]

Sorry forgot to mention about the snail problem. The best thing to kill them is Assassin snails and they won't breed madly and take over the tank. They will kill off the other snails.

[@MsStoneiy]

Pondguru Thank u

[@Jo-kh1yo]

Hi Pondguru, I have two Fluval 407 external filters, which I have pimped according to your pimp your filter video`s... The new tank is 350 litres, which will be a new home for my goldfish. If I add water from the current active smaller tank to it, which has bacteria in it and add biological gel balls to the media in the new filters, how soon do you think it would roughly be before I can put my fish in the new tank? Any tips? Thanks. :)

[@aequanimitas]

Can you use the biohome media in an internal filter? Like the one shown in the beginning? I purchased mine with the tank, should I scrap it and buy an external filter?

[@pondguru]

Yes we do the media in a variety of sizes and shapes to suit different filters - check out some of the videos in the 'Pimp my Filter' series on my channel as there are a few different internal filters on there as well as a nation of external filters - I've got about 20+ more shot and ready to edit for that series too.

[@aussbasstony9763]

This is an old video I enjoyed watching, have your views changed at all from this or still the same sicence applies. Cheers

[@smiff6720]

Hi Richard, I hope all is well and amazing work on the videos. A few questions if you don't mind. Purchased a 227 litre tank last weekend and I am not starting the Nitrogen Cycle. The filter purchased is an Aqua One Aquis 1200 and I am currently using the standard media provided in the current order detailed in the instructions. (I see you have another video that recommends different). I'm not 100% on this as my local shop says to only use the filter as instructed or it could become clogged up more often. The questions I have are. 1) If I continue the nitrogen cycle with the standard media can I add something like Biohome Ultimate over time or would I need to start again? 2) Is it to late to change the set up of the filter ie rearrange to your recommendation 3) How often should the filter media be changed or rinsed? Currently have a few plants and 10 tetras while the tank is cycling I am sure I will have more questions but will keep going through your videos. Cheers

[@pondguru]

+S miff You can add better media at any point but if the filter is mature you should only change around 25% of old media each week so the change over takes about a month. With regard to the foams and media placement you can set the filter up properly at any time but if it has been set up incorrectly from day one the old media may be clogged and ineffective more quickly. When the media is well protected by decent coarse, medium and fine foams / pads it should hardly ever need rinsing as all the muck will be contained in the bottom of the filter making it much easier to clean. If you do need to clean the mature media just gently shake the media tray in a bucket of water you have drained from the tank. The local shop is talking nonsense about the filter getting clogged up as the amount of dirt drawn in will not increase when the filter gets set up properly. As long as you have water flowing it makes no difference to flow rate where the coarse, medium or fine pads are located as all the water needs to go through all of the foams at some point but it makes a heck of a difference to how effective the media is when the foams are all the first thing water hits in a filter as the media will stay clean allowing good water flow through it and minimal chance of media clogging up with dirt. If the filter is set up correctly and media is well protected by foams then it should last a good 6-10 years at high efficiency so will not need replacing for ages. A well known manufacturer recommends changing the biological filter media every 6 months but by that point it should just be getting fully mature and highly effective. I can't believe the amount of harmful advice from companies out there as it causes filters to be ineffective and encourages problematic water conditions (to force the user into buying more products to rectify the situation which should never have developed?....) Feel free to contact me any time on [e-mail] There are a few useful questions and answers about media and filtration here: filterpro.co.uk/qa-24-w.asp

[@smiff6720]

+Pondguru Outdoors Thank you for the detailed response I have actually watched your videos a few times now and probably could have saved you a lot of typing. Today I received my Biohome Ultimate from Genesis Group International in Sydney, and yesterday I ordered some bacteria balls/foam from you which should hopefully arrive soon. I only started my tank last week so i'll add the media tonight and the balls/foam when they arrive, I presume the standard media will have started to accumulate some bacteria so i'll put it in the bottom of the canister. Then we wait..... Thanks again and if you are thinking of doing any more videos it would be great to hear about what solo fish work well in community tanks. I've started with some black tetras while the tank cycles, then I'm hoping for some cherry shrimp, Congo tetras and from there open to thoughts, suggestions, ideas Cheers mate keep up the good work

[@pondguru]

+S miff Hopefully the balls will arrive soon - I have never had any held by customs in AU who can be very picky and I thought a large order was going to get stuck recently but it was held, examined then released so its all good. They are marked as polymer gel filter balls for aquarium use (inert) on the customs label. As far as recommending fish goes I always used to say to people just come to the shop, see what is available and ask about compatibility, adult size, feeding etc. as there are so many variables. All I'd say is to avoid having high pH fish (e.g. livebearers) in a low pH tank containing tetras, rasboras, loaches etc. and vice versa - always best to tailor conditions to suit all the fish in the tank. Your fish store should have the knowledge to guide you on that but if they do not, find another store. Incompatible fish and wildly wrong water conditions are the main cause of problems in the tank.

[@SgtFoster]

You are awesome! I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and you are a fantastic teacher. Thank you and please keep them coming. PS, something I'd like to see you delve into is DIY filters.

[@pondguru]

+Stacy Foster Glad you enjoy the videos and I wish I got more time for making them. Since late last summer I have been crazy busy so haven't put many videos out but there will be more to come. The DIY filter scene is something I should make more videos about so thanks for the suggestion.

[@perosusinger6239]

Since I'm setting up a new tank, I'm thinking about doing as you say and using about a kilo of BioHome per 100 liters. But there is one thing I don't understand. I've always been told that nitrate (like phosphate) is a type of nutrition for plants. But after the full cycle once works and the amount of nitrate goes near zero, what happens to the nutrition of my plants? Do I then have to fertilize my tank with nitrate? By the way: Thank you very much for your videos. I have watched many of them over the last few weeks and they are always very informative. I have never heard of the BioHome filter media before. Thanks to your videos, I will give it a try. I plan to put 5 kg of BioHome into an Oase BioMaster 850 with an Eheim Incpiria 430 tank. I chose the filter based on your Pimp my filter video, so thanks again for your work!

[@pondguru]

I'm glad the videos have been useful for you. In a planted tank the nitrate should read zero - some of the nitrate produced by the aerobic bacteria will be taken up by the plants and some will be taken up by the anaerobic bacteria - either way the plants grow fine as they need much more than nitrate. Plants will always benefit from adding some sort of plant food so feel free to add some.

[@joyfleming1385]

What is your opinion on using volcanic rock instead of ceramic media in a freshwater tank?

[@pondguru]

+Joy Fleming It is OK and good in sumps or pond filters - not so good in smaller situations like canister filters or overhead filters as it doesn't have very good surface area compared to 'proper' media. It's certainly better than the cheaper ceramic rings.

[@Balthazarr81]

is it normal for the water to go ever so very slightly cloudy during the cycle process?? I can hardly notice but if you look very closely you notice that the water is slightly not clear when looking from the side in to the tank you notice it but looking through the front the water looks crystal clear.I got the tank last week and noticed it after the water was in for a few days so I took everything out and cleaned everything for a second time very meticulously and very thorough including the gravel.I made very sure to add no dust or anything that can contaminate the water or make it dirty in anyway.I want the water be perfectly clear but maybe i'm being to much of a perfectionist.Im going to leave it a few days and hope it clears up its self.

[@pondguru]

Unless you have the tank in any sunlight (which will be causing algae to grow in water) it will likely be a bacterial bloom. Sometimes the bacteria grows at such a rate that it floods the tank and will cloud the water. Provide the filter has enough capacity to support it the bacteria will settle in there and the water will clear. There are other reasons where the water may go cloudy but that's the most common during the early life of the tank.

[@Claudiu-72]

@@pondguru By the way, how long time the water stays cloudy until get cristal clean. I was start my completely new 540 liter tank 8 days ago, and i use an external filter filled up with biohome ultimate media from you, and on the bottom i have mechanical filter media.

[@pondguru]

@@Claudiu-72 If the clouding was inorganic it should have all been caught in the fine pad by now but if it is bacterial it could take longer to settle down. Is there any sort of colour to the clouding? I'm assuming that there are no fish in the tank yet?

[@Claudiu-72]

@@pondguruThanks for the prompt response. It's looks like a little bit green water, and also like you said a bacterial clouding. use also CO2, 3 bubbles per second because is plated tank and no fish inside, and also i use Easy-Life, Easycarbo. The light in use is two fluorescent T8 one warm white 36w and second one is aquastar daylight, and i also use two led stripes in red and blue spectrum, time of illumination a day is 10 hours and brake 5 hours, and no light during the night. So what you think?

[@pondguru]

@@Claudiu-72 It could just be a time thing to clear the water if you have a roughly equal light and dark stage that is good and if problem persists you could try adding a treatment to clump the 'cloud' together enabling it more likely to be removed by the fine pad in filter. Something like API accu-clear could do the trick.

[@NMW80]

I got told there is no bacteria that eats nitrates,im so happy there is something to eat it.where do I get this bacteria from to get rid of nitrates.thanks for info,my tank just was taking for ever to cycle but they have velvet disease and im treating them with multi cure.there is all this whitish slime growing on ev thing in tank.i didn't change filter in 5 weeks cos of the good bacteria as it was new tank etc.will multicore kill all beneficial bacteria?alos does copper treatments for velvet kill good bacteria too?

[@pondguru]

+becksta29 It is normally treatments with a base of meth blue which harm the filter and if it is a broad ranging treatment it may harm the filter. The anaerobic bacteria (responsible for nitrate reduction) seem to be the most vulnerable from treatments as they take much longer to bounce back. Copper based treatments tend not to do noticeable harm to filters but as with anything if it is overdosed it will affect something badly.

[@Stuart36]

What do you think about Lava rock as a medium? thanks Stuart

[@pondguru]

Lava rock (pumice) is available commonly in 2 different forms and both can be good for filtration purposes. The dark rocks found in barbecues has a decent structure but will support mainly aerobic bacteria (very similar to Alfagrog) and the white pumice (used for water purification) has a much better structure (more porous) and will support a better balance of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria but has a higher specific pH of around 8 so would be no good for use in South American or Asian tank set-ups but is great for koi, goldfish, malawis and livebearers which prefer their water higher in pH and mineralised. The darker pumice tends to contain more iron so is also good for planted tanks. Hope that helps. Regards, Richard

[@Stuart36]

+Pondguru Outdoors Thanks for the quick reply. I've currently made a secondary filter with an old coke bottle with holes drilled into the cap and the bottom, lava rock a sponge on the cap. with a air pump. I've only had a 60L tank for a week or so with 4 new guppies in to cycle the tank.

[@pondguru]

As long as the sponge is fine enough to prevent the media clogging up that sounds good. The darker pumice takes ages to clog so it may not be an issue. The pumice is definitely better than many of the available ceramic medias out there so its never a bad choice.

[@ydiv88]

Hi, do you have a distributor in Australia yet for your Biohome Ultra filter media? I live here but am from UK & would love to promote this product here.

[@pondguru]

No not yet although I am waiting to hear back from a couple of well established sellers. If you send details of your store or business or website to verify that you're a business I'd certainly be interested as there is a huge opportunity there for someone in Australia. My email address in [e-mail]

[@elyh777]

Mr. Guru, what suppliers do you have in the U.S. that carry the gel filter starter?

[@pondguru]

Link in video description for US supplier of biohome and he has the gel balls now.

[@elyh777]

Thanks, must of read over that.

[@The_Potionist]

Hey Richard, I was wondering something about the fluval u series filters. I bought the U2 a couple of weeks ago and I must say I'm pretty impressed with the way it's made and the way the media trays are made and easy to clean but would you modify anything about it like the carbon pads or the polishing pads attached to that or maybe the bio media? I added a couple or sera siporax rings into the bio media tray. I know you don't have the shop anymore but I'm hoping you remember what was inside the filter. Another thing, I don't really trust carbon impregnated pads because I can't coop with the face that it doesn't have the pore network or am I misunderstanding it? Thanks mate!

[@pondguru]

Potion of Kings The new biogravel is perfect for use in very small media compartments as it gives maximum surface area in minimum volume. Not sure what you mean about the carbon pads - sometimes they are necessary as the filters they come with often can't cope with the size of tank they are recommended for. You can buy carbon pads and cut to size if necessary as they will be much cheaper than 'proper' fluval ones.

[@kleetus92]

So what happens after nitrate? Does it get converted to N2 and just escapes from the water like CO2 does? Is it also a safe assumption that live aquatic plants will eat some level of nitrate as well, or am I mistaken? Also something that was mentioned not in your video, but elsewhere was phosphates. How is that handled? It's been a while since I've had my 29 gallon tank up, but I really have the itch to go at it again. I am enjoying your videos very much, thank you!

[@pondguru]

As far as the Nitrates go, yes and yes although plants still seem to do very well in tanks where the nitrate is untraceable when using biohome to hammer the nitrates so I can't work that one out. As far as phosphates go I don't know much about that but the guys who make the biohome media for me are working on a media which could naturally control phosphates through bacteria so I will be interested to see how testing goes on that. Glad you enjoy the videos - thanks for watching and best wishes for 2015

[@cvern1990]

Hi, I have a 60lt tank, which is 2foot by one foot,, currently have two filters and an air stone,, and 3 live plants,, in the tank I have 3 shabunkin one is around 3 inches and the other two are around 1.5 inches, 3 small danios and 2 plecos, is this too many fish for this tank??

[@pondguru]

You will definitely need that filtration when the shubunkin grow as they produce a load of waste. I wouldn't put any more fish in there personally.

[@CriticalErA]

would you recommend for a saltwater tank? I am running a fluval fx6 on a 75 gallon tank and it's going on 3 months for this cycle to finish. i have ammonia at 4.0 - nitrite - .50 and nitrate at about 20 ppm

[@pondguru]

If you have 75 US gallons that is around 285 litres so fluval FX6 seems a bit light for a marine tank unless you have another filter too. Ideally the first part of the cycle should take a month or so with saltwater (ammonia to nitrite, nitrite to nitrate) but the last part of the cycle (nitrate to soluble nitrogen) could take 4-6 months, even with plenty of good media (around 5-6kg of biohome ultimate marine). Most people will never see the second part of a cycle unless they have plenty of media as there will not be enough anaerobic bacteria supported. The FX has good foams surrounding the central filter so you really only need a thin fine pad on top of the top tray followed by 5kg of media. The biohome ultimate marine has added trace elements specific to the needs of marine bacteria so sets up very fast and supports the aerobic / anaerobic bacteria needed for the full cycle. Sounds like you are in the US and we have a supplier there www.greatwaveeng.com

[@dborjal007]

I have a 5.5 US Gallon tank for a single Betta, can I use the biohome mini and filter start bacteria ball to get it started?

[@pondguru]

Different media is suited to different types of filters but it is all effective. The balls will kick start the bacteria in the media, yes.

[@pondguru]

***** Yes no problem.

[@paulcosteines5556]

Will the Biohome motion pellets in a reactor provide nitrate and nitrite/ammonia reduction? or just nitrite?

[@pondguru]

They should complete the nitrogen cycle but can often be a bit noisy in a confined space like a reactor unless they can be made to move in a cyclical (not chaotic) motion.

[@paulcosteines5556]

Thanks so much for the information. I bought a variety of biohome from a US distributor. I am going to put biohome ultimate in the center "low flow" baffle of my sump to get the anerobic bacterials going. Then I am going to place the biomotion in a moving bed right before the "slow flow" biohome ultimate for aerobic to make nitrate for the anaerobic. Then lastly where the return pump is I am going to use a UV sterilizer. I honestly dont know what I am doing exactly but your videos have been great in explaining stuff. Especially the nitrogen process. I see alot of stuff advertised saying that the product removes nitrate but seem to leave out nitrite. This is part of the reason I am confused on it all.

[@pondguru]

Ordinary filter media should support enough aerobic bacteria to process the ammonia and nitrite into nitrate as that is a very easy side of filtration to get right - most people think their filter is 'cycled' then but that is only half the process. The anaerobic side of filtration where nitrate is processed into soluble nitrogen is a more difficult process to get going and have success with. That is why we concentrate on making the biohome have a specific type of structure to support not only aerobic but also anaerobic bacteria too and that enables a proper cycle to occur, resulting in no ammonia or nitrite and very low (if any) nitrate. The whole process is driven by live bacteria and when a suitable amount of the biohome media is used its easy to get right.

[@paulcosteines5556]

thanks. BTW I learned more from your videos than I did listening to the guy at my local petco store.

[@pondguru]

lol, no worries, any time. I don't make videos about everything aquatic related as I don't know much about some of the subjects (marine for example) but where I do have something sound and useful I put it out there to benefit others and its a good feeling when it helps.

[@craigwoodhull3028]

I have a 60 gallon Discus tank with a few plants. It is over filtrated. Water changes every night. My parameters are perfect, but my water is slightly cloudy.( this is new ). Did just clean my eheim 2217, my HOB acqua clear,and a rather large sponge filter all in a matter of several days. (I know, rookie mistake ) Does biohomedo any thing to the clarity of the water ? Thank You In Advance Woody

[@pondguru]

Dear Woody, If the clouding of the water is bacterial (bloom) then adding biohome can help as it gives it somewhere to live but if it is simply poor clarity then adding fine particle matting / filter floss is the easiest way to clear it. It may help to also use API Accuclear to clump the cloud together for easy removal in the pads too. You shouldn't need to do water changes every day if the tank is well filtered. If you had biohome in filters for a 60 (US?) gallon tank I'd say go for 5kg - 6kg biohome ultimate as that would give you over 2kg for every 100 litres and should complete the filtration cycle (reduce nitrate) which will cut down on the water changes. Regards, Richard

[@craigwoodhull3028]

Thank You Richard My water parameters are perfect for my Discus, I do think that has a lot to do with W/C's. I love the idea of not having to do as many. I am going to order from Don,.( nothing to good for my Discus ). The main thing I need to know is, do I set up my 2217 with the pads on the bottom (like your video) ? The water comes into the filter from the bottom, and is pumped out through the top. After watching your video that is how I changed it. Thank You, Woody

[@peninsulamike]

Hi Richard, my 125 gal tank finally cycled I believe, took 3 months, I did the fishless cycle. The odd thing is I never showed any nitrite. I went from 4ppm ammonia to 0 ammonia 0 nitrite 5 nitrate. I then added more ammonia to get to 4 ppm, the next day I tested and had 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and 5 nitrate. Now I’m using your bio home ultimate in 2 large canister filters, is this uncommon not to see nitrite. I have recently added 25 small fish and the seem healthy. My ph is 7.5 tank temp is 83. Tank is heavily planted with co2 injected.

[@pondguru]

Sometimes the bacteria sets up so quickly that the ammonia and nitrite is barely above 0 for the whole cycling process and sometimes the nitrate never gets above 5 then drops to 0 when the full cycle is achieved but it really depends on how much media is used, how much ammonia is used and if there are other external factors like CO2 or liquid carbon (like is found in some in some plant, e.g. flourish excel) enhancing the bacteria development. If it was 4ppm ammonia one day and 0 the next it sounds like it was being processed very fast so it's all good and the nitrate must have been processed in a similar way. Good stuff.

[@rayp6410]

also does it break down after a few year use,what i mean is seachem matrix can be used for years just give it a wash in tank water when your doing filter maintenance i have heard bio home will need to be replaced every few years now im not sure if thats trus or not

[@pondguru]

Provided the filter is set up properly (plenty of mechanical filtration before the biological media) the biohome should last between 6-10 years in an external filter. After that time the media will be well past its most efficient. Same is true for all media with high surface area as it will become so clogged internally after 'x' amount of years that rinsing it will make no difference to the efficiency. The pore size of biohome strikes an excellent balance between surface area and accessibility so will take much longer to become clogged when compared to matrix. For seachem to suggest matrix will last forever is ridiculous as although the actual media might be there for ever it rapidly loses its efficiency due to clogging the tiny pores.

[@rayp6410]

thanks mate,one last thing i have seen the vid you made on setting up an external and have followed that on my other filters but how would you go about doing that on an fx6,also i have just got an eheim 2080 big monster of a filter can you tell me how much bio home ultimate i need to fill that and a fx6 thanks

[@pondguru]

Ray Prieto Most people just fill the central baskets of the FX6 with biohome but some have also filled the outer ring (void) with large alfagrog too. If you give me dimensions and numbers of trays you want to fill on any of your filters I can work out how much media you would need, no worries. My email address is [e-mail]

[@rayp6410]

my eheim has three baskets but as the bottom is going to be for sponges that leave two and thay are 260mm square and 70mm high and the fx6 160mm x 90mm deep thanks

[@pondguru]

Ray Prieto Ah, just seen this comment on here now - I have already replied to the one you sent via email, no worries.

[@SoundGuy171]

I have a question Richard: Is it safe to use BioHome Ultimate with an UltraViolet water filter? I was lucky to receive one as a gift and it's certainly helped with my algae issues.

[@pondguru]

Yes but with all new media switch the UV filter off for a week or so to ensure that there is plenty of good bacteria floating about for quick colonisation. The biohome comes with gel balls (just add to media) which really set it up very fast.

[@SoundGuy171]

Pondguru Thanks for the extremely quick answer :-) Also enjoying the metal detecting vids you have. I figured I could go a month without the UV and just leave windows shaded. 75 gal. tank with a calico fantail and a plecostamus that has grown like a mutant. I still haven't ordered BioHome Ultimate yet but trying to do research unique to my setup and make sure I have a good home prepared for it once I do get it.

[@pondguru]

Bill Frick If you are in the US you can use the US supplier. Just follow link in the video description (click 'show more' to see full description).

[@DPW55]

I have a list of items please send me the link to buy from you direct thanks

[@pondguru]

(copy of reply to previous comment on different video): For an external if you can hang a filter on the back a great choice would be the All Pond Solutions HOB-500 as it is an incredible filter for the money. I featured that one here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnysYo2EhpmYg6c and it is still the most impressive filter I've had on the channel, especially considering the low cost. With regard to buying anything there is always a link to the FilterPro website in the video descriptions and pinned comment: www.filterpro.co.uk and that is the best source since it is cheaper than ebay. Regards, Richard