# BIO BALLS vs CERAMIC RINGS



## joker4466 (Oct 10, 2008)

I WANT TO GET SOME OPINIONS ON WHAT PEOPLE THINK IS BEST TO USE IN A CANNISTER FILTER?


----------



## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Ceramic rings, without question. The bioballs don't have nearly the same amount of surface area. Bioballs were designed for use in wet dry filters where large volumes are used. Pot scrubbers are better than bioballs in a cannister.


----------



## demonsoni (Feb 10, 2006)

i use potscrubbers, biomax, and biochemstars. bioballs are for wet/dry filters fyi.


----------



## birkasgeri (Feb 2, 2008)

removed...


----------



## joker4466 (Oct 10, 2008)

birkasgeri said:


> Hi there!
> 
> Does anyone have any experience or opinion about this kinda filter medium. It's a kind of ceramic ring from quartzite glass.[/img]
> 
> ...


----------



## birkasgeri (Feb 2, 2008)

yeah your right I'm new here sorry.

Concerning bio-balls:
my opinion is what generally applies to everything:

if they were so good , they would've been more widespread and invented earlier. =D>


----------



## joker4466 (Oct 10, 2008)

but let me know about what you find about those glass rings .maybe there better that both ceramic and bio balls.thx and good luck


----------



## parkayandbutter (Jan 15, 2008)

Just FYI if your bacteria load will fit on a surface be it plastic, ceramic, glass, sand, or other your fine. You won't have more bacteria growth then what the fish load produce. Because if that were so then how would the excessive bacteria survive? They couldn't they would starve wouldn't they? Alrighty then........ I totally think that people get way too wrapped up in excessive is better when in reality it's more of a waste of $. 
Proper sized filtration VS over filtration. Could you hook up TFG's bioload filter system (800Gallon tank filter) to a 75 gallon aquarium stocked aquarium and have the bacteria load survive? The bio load would starve is the point.


----------



## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Keep in mind that virtually everyone on this forum knows more about filtration and necessary flow rates than the manufacturers of the equipment we typically use.


----------



## chc (Jul 28, 2004)

Non-porous in wet/dry filters, porous in canisters. So, rings in your situation.


----------



## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

So the bio balls I put in my new canister are useless?


----------



## moi_eater (Jul 11, 2004)

alicem said:


> So the bio balls I put in my new canister are useless?


Not useless, but won't work as well as more dense media made for canisters. Bio-balls have a lot of air space, made for trickling water through them while being exposed to air. In a canister the media is submerged so the more media surface area and less open space is better, to the extent that the water can still flow freely through.


----------



## alicem (Jul 26, 2007)

Oh brother... :roll: 
Ok, good to know.

I'll steal some ceramic thingies from my AC110 that's going into storage 
and put 'em in there. 
Those'll be good to seed it with.
:wink:
Alicem


----------



## gre (Mar 12, 2007)

Those plastic pot scrubbers from the dollar store work great, six for a buck.


----------

