A type of media you can use to provide a place for some good bacteria is a biological filter media. Much preferred is the permeable medium for it allows many wholesome bacteria per square inch. Surface area is key when choosing the correct biological media. So what would be the ideal types of filter for your garden pond?

Permeable ceramic cylinders

Buy some ceramic cylinders for it is a great biological media hat you can readily add to your aquarium filter. One cylinder averages around 3/8″ x 3/8″. Most often kept in media bags and kept as the last layer in your aquarium filter closest to the top. Ceramic cylinders offers the best surface area for beneficial bacteria to thrive and grow while at the same time allowing a much greater water flow.

Silicate Bio-Glass

Also identical with ceramic cylinders is the bio-glass. With the shape of very deep cylinder, the bio-glass is usually made from natural silicate compound. Most often kept in media bags and kept as the last layer in your aquarium filter closest to the top. Beneficial bacteria thrives and grows in the surface are of a bio-glass in the same way that a better water flow is produced.

Friendly Bio-Balls

Ergonomically designed, bio-ball goes extremely well into a filter and it shelters those healthy bacteria that you always wanted to have. A gallon of bio-balls would have a surface area close to 21.5 square feet. Goes well even if it’s dry or wet and even in canister filters.

Quartz Bio Media

These biological media balls is made from natural lava rock. It lets you have better water flow while at the same time sheltering much-desired good bacteria. Should be kept in aquarium filter media bags. Can be used in just about any aquarium filter.

  Bio Media Stars

This biological media is made from polymer and is shaped as a star. It gives a perfect surface area for your good bacteria to grow. Four stars will treat 20 gallons.

Eheim Ehfisubstrat PRO

This filter media is made from sintered glass and gives a generous 19,000 square feet in a gallon. It’s specifically designed to shelter helpful bacteria. It can be used in almost all existing aquarium filters. Can be added to aquarium filter media bags.

Replacing Biological Media

You may be thinking about how often you will have to replace biological filter media. Well, you might not replace it after all! If you regularly clean your filter media and it’s pretty much in good order, then it’s got to be alright. A lot of bio-filter media can be re-used and needs merely to be cleaned.

Washing Biological Media

When is the time you would have to clean biological media filter? Wash your filter media when you see some detritus( fish waste) scattering or if there’s a noticeable moderate water flow.

You can cleanse your bio-filter media by directly placing the mechanical filter under running water, but it’s advised that you should not. Biological media needs to be washed out in a bucket of aquarium water. When you splash your biological media from the sink faucet, chlorine would destroy the good bacteria that you have. Undoing the good bacteria would lead to serious issues and possibly creating a mini-cycle. Always wash out bio-filter media in a bucket of aquarium water

Gardens Calgary is a local organization that promotes ecologically friendly ponds

Written by: Custom Stone and Waterscapes ‎3829 Parkhill Place SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2W6 (403) 870-1142