# SEACHEM MATRIX



## kwang

Can anyone tell me if this is good product?
This media says there is no need to replace. Is it true?


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## swk

It's a GREAT product. I use lots of it in both my large tanks. No need to replace it ever.


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## kwang

how much do I need for a 100 gallon tank?


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## Pablo B.

I use Seachem Matrix in two of my three canister filters as well as I converted an Aquaclear 70 to have a whole bunch in it to use as a "biological" filter *(primarily). I will be soon adding another canister filter to a 40 gallon breeder tank I plan to have dwarf African cichlids in and I will as well be using matrix in this filter as well as Eheim Substrat Pro on another basket. Just to have the best of both medias working for me.


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## JoeE

You have two fairly large filters, according to your other thread, on that 100 gallon, so you're going to need a pretty significant quantity of Matrix (or any other biomedia) to fill up at least two trays on each. I would try to buy in bulk if you can.

Not sure where you are in the world, but Amazon has Matrix dirt cheap - $37 USD before shipping, in a gallon container.

'Link removed, PM for info'

It would cost you probably over $100 USD if you bought the bottles piecemeal to get an equivalent amount.


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## kwang

i just bought them and will use it in the trays.

Do you you need to use media bags for the seachem matrix in the two filters?


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## JoeE

I personally prefer the media bags - they make maintenance less of a hassle, but they aren't necessary for things like Matrix and Fluval's ceramic noodles.


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## kwang

do i need to rinse it out before putting it in the filter?


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## royrusso

kwang said:


> do i need to rinse it out before putting it in the filter?


It's kind of dusty when it arrives. I would rinse it in aquarium water, put it in media bags, and drop them in.


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## cichlid-gal

kwang said:


> Can anyone tell me if this is good product?
> This media says there is no need to replace. Is it true?


I've just started using the Matrix and now have it in all my canisters as well as Aquaclear HOB's. I really like it. It seems to load up a lot faster than the Fluval biomax which is what I was using previously. And yes, it is dusty so a good rinse is in order before using it. I just loaded up two canisters yesterday using the gallon bucket and put them on two of my existing tanks to add additional biological. As for replacing it...I haven't had it that long but it looks to be a good permanent solution.

Here's a really good review article on the product too
http://theaquaticgazette.com/2012/03/08/seachem-matrix/


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## Pablo B.

That is a great article, Cichlid-Gal! Loved reading it! Makes me feel great about using the Matrix in my Aquaclears and my canisters now even more so.


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## royrusso

One note... I prefer/use Pond Matrix. It seems more economical, as you get it in buckets. The actual pieces are larger, than standard matrix, so you will need the space for it. It comes in 4L buckets. I believe they claim 1L treats 100G.


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## Pablo B.

That's the problem with fitting the 'pond' Matrix inside a HOB like an Aquaclear 50or even a 70, as there isn't a lot of room for those larger pieces. For a large canister, yes, that may be just fine, but for a lot of the smaller filters, the pieces may just be too large IMO.


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## royrusso

Good point.


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## eutimio

Would be okay to place this Matrix in all 3 trays of the FX5?


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## cichlid-gal

I have a mix of it and biomax in my three tray Eutimio...but I would think you could put in all of them...don't see why not...I just had the biomax around and not enough of the Matrix when I did my setup so I did one tray of Matrix, one of biomax, and one mixed


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## eutimio

are the pads really needed besides the big sponges?They get clogged way too fast like a week or so and my tank isnt even fully stocked yet.They are the fluval kind i bought them with the filter and i know theyre not the best to use but i might try what razorbackfan suggested in one of his posts if the pads are really needed for water clarity..


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## Dawg2012

The stock sponges don't seem to be terribly effective (I'm going to try some modifications to improve them), and if additional pads in the trays are dirty (as mine always are) then the pads are working, and this is desirable in order to keep this debris from your biomedia. Additionally a pad of the bottom of the bottom tray will keep any biomedia debris (chunks of biomax for example) out of the impeller. The FX5 is a good filter with great flow however it's not perfect. I almost think the stock sponges do more for biological filtration than mechanical filtration lol.


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## cichlid-gal

I currently do not have any pads in my FX5 but after reading the continued comments about protecting the impeller (located at the bottom of the filter in this case)...I am rethinking my choice to not have them. I have been using a thicker pad in my HOB's with good results (its 1 1/2" thick blue/white) so possibly I will try a layer of that in my bottom tray between my medias and the impeller and see how that works.


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## eutimio

well this is what i found on the manual of the FX5 about the bottom tray.

This basket receives the purest water
stream, making it the proper place
for dedicated biological media.
Placed here, BioMax, for example,
provides optimal biological power in
a very compact ring. With a multitude
of pores perforating both the surface
and the internal matrix, it is an ideal
substrate for this position. To capture
any small particles remaining in the water before it
reaches this final stage of filtration, consider layering
a Polishing Pad, a fine mechanical filter, on top of
any biological or chemical media placed in the
bottom basket. This will prevent the clogging of the
delicate pores of the media used here, enhancing its
useful life.

Apparently the polishing pad or whatever pad is used should be on top of the bio filtration(biomax or matrix) and not underneath, this way keeping the biomax clean .Each pad should be on top of any biological media so when it gets to the impeller the water is clean enough not to mess with it .Aside of that, the myth of having the top tray set up with a pad as a final stage of filtration before it gets back in the tank is wrong.Water filtration starts with the top tray all the way down to the 3rd then pushed back in the tank via the output nozzle.I read a few posts that were saying exactly the opposite.Glad i understand now how it works.


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## cichlid-gal

eutimio said:


> well this is what i found on the manual of the FX5 about the bottom tray.
> 
> This basket receives the purest water
> stream, making it the proper place
> for dedicated biological media.
> Placed here, BioMax, for example,
> provides optimal biological power in
> a very compact ring. With a multitude
> of pores perforating both the surface
> and the internal matrix, it is an ideal
> substrate for this position. To capture
> any small particles remaining in the water before it
> reaches this final stage of filtration, consider layering
> a Polishing Pad, a fine mechanical filter, on top of
> any biological or chemical media placed in the
> bottom basket. This will prevent the clogging of the
> delicate pores of the media used here, enhancing its
> useful life.
> 
> Apparently the polishing pad or whatever pad is used should be on top of the bio filtration(biomax or matrix) and not underneath, this way keeping the biomax clean .Each pad should be on top of any biological media so when it gets to the impeller the water is clean enough not to mess with it .Aside of that, the myth of having the top tray set up with a pad as a final stage of filtration before it gets back in the tank is wrong.Water filtration starts with the top tray all the way down to the 3rd then pushed back in the tank via the output nozzle.I read a few posts that were saying exactly the opposite.Glad i understand now how it works.


Good research eutimio. So if the only reason for the pads is that last bit of clarity for the tank, I would opt to not put them in (and I don't have any in right now). If you use polishing pads they will clog in about 2 weeks as they are super fine and very thin requiring increased maintenance. I currently have filter floss in one of my HOB's which provides the polishing for my 125G. My water looks really clear to me. But if you don't have an HOB on your tank and you are only running a canister then you might need to put some type of pad into your canister for polishing purposes. So it really depends on how your tanks are set up. I have opted for canisters being my biological, and HOB's being my mechanical. All my tanks have at least one canister and one HOB on them. Certainly tanks look better from an aesthetic standpoint when they only have canisters on them

And as this discussion was about Matrix as a biomedia and how it worked and compared to other biomedias, this statement from the fluval documentation helps with the decision to use the Matrix I think...Fluval states "This will prevent the clogging of the delicate pores of the media used here, enhancing its useful life" clearly pointing to the fact that Bio-max has to be replace as it only has a "useful life" span and is prone to "clogging". According to my readings and others input, Matrix never needs replacing. To clean it you simply swish it or dip it some in some removed used tank water and then return it to its filter. And I know that the Bio-max literature recommends replacing approximately half of the media every 3 months or so (I think thats right but I don't have any in front of me  )


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## swk

Yep. Best way to load a fx5.


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## matt121966

great thread, note to self when building the sump - use Matrix


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## cichlid-gal

matt121966 said:


> great thread, note to self when building the sump - use Matrix


 :thumb:


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## JoeE

Delete this post


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## cichlid-gal

JoeE said:


> Delete this post


 :roll: scratching head? Why? What? :-?


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## JoeE

Nothing serious, I just made a post answering a question that had already been answered due to my phone putting the posts out of order.


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## cichlid-gal

ahhhh....LOL...


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## Kleovoulos

I think Matrix is just pumice but more expensive :wink:
http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http ... Pn4/PUMICE

I use pumice with the same results as matrix, substrat or siporax.
Try it


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## matt121966

thanks for the tip Kleovoulus - I will review but did you get a kick *** bucket with your pumice purchase !!!!

Bet not.


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## matt121966

Ordered a bucket of Matrix. Looking forward to trying it out in my new sump build.


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## Rob1984

I have 2 fx5's and plan on loading them bottom/middle tray with biomax and then top trays with matrix roughly 2litres in each tray as that's what suppose to fit in em... Prolly use just the white cut to size filter pads in each tray, it isn't fine yet not coarse more of a medium pad I guess ?

But now that everyone speaks of this matrix so highly I'm thinking I may 2 trays of matrix and one of biom$ax in each lol... Nice thing about matrix is it says it suppose to remove nitrite,nitrate,ammonia... Can anyone comment on that ?? Just curious as I have large fish and they create a lot of poop and mess lol, just wondering if I would benefit off it over biomax

I can get 4litres of matrix for 30.99 and the biomax 1100g box for 12.99 plus 9.99 for shipping as well as 13% sales tax here in Canada... 12litres of matix is 89.99 lol that's a lot of matrix ...


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## JoeE

SeaChem Matrix is a great product for growing the beneficial bacteria that will eat your ammonia and nitrites, and filters that use Matrix seem to cycle relatively quickly. It may allow for some nitrate removal in some of the deeper-bodied pieces that allow for anaerobic activity, but I wouldn't count on it - nothing will remove nitrates as well as a dedicated, aggressive water change schedule.


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## PaNiK

Have you guys been getting by with the recommended use amounts? Their site says 1 liter per 100 gallons


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## cichlid-gal

I have probably put more in my canisters than I need to. I used up most of a 4L bucket filling two canisters for my 75G's. I'm happy with the amount in them but possibly there could be less and it would be just as effective. I know I don't have much in my smaller Aquaclear's, just a small bag and it's doing a great job.


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