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Post by gabor129 on Sept 21, 2013 22:09:44 GMT -5
Has anyone tried to use lava rock in an external filters bio chamber, instead of the useless ceramic thingies the filter comes with? As far as I know the lava rock is a neutral media, has a lot more surface area than the smooth ceramic thingy, and it is a lot more affordable than a good quality media (BioHome Ultra is $20.00 + shipping on ebay for 1 lbs) for that chamber! Any thoughts?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 18:34:14 GMT -5
Worth a try. But it may not be worth the risk. I don't know how you can prove it does not contain any contaminants. I'd soak it in straight vinegar for a day or two first. If you see anything come out of it I would not use. Interesting idea.
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Post by gabor129 on Sept 22, 2013 19:44:16 GMT -5
I tested it with muric acid ( battery acid), vinegar, bleach, boiled it and tested the water after it cooled for copper and all the normal tests that a master test kit has. No reaction for anything!!! I'll try it and let everyone know how it worked!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 21:17:52 GMT -5
LOL, that should cover it.
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Post by gabor129 on Sept 22, 2013 21:42:46 GMT -5
Just trying to be cautious that is all!
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Post by Admin on Sept 22, 2013 22:53:16 GMT -5
anything with a lot of surface area will be great for bio filter, I don't see a problem with lava rock as long as the aforementioned precautions are taken. I would assume it might actually work better due to its porousness and shapes.
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Post by gabor129 on Sept 23, 2013 20:50:24 GMT -5
I also made it into rubble so the surface area is a lot bigger than the original pieces.
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Post by Admin on Sept 24, 2013 2:29:18 GMT -5
Excellent idea, the more area you provide for good bacterial growth the better
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Post by Stellar on Sept 26, 2013 17:08:26 GMT -5
I have lava rock in my sump, and it works wonders.... I never tested it with anything first to be honest, I just boiled it really good first. My params seem normal, and my plants/shrimp/fish/snails are all good..
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Post by gabor129 on Sept 27, 2013 17:04:08 GMT -5
Thanks Stellar! That is good to know. I am running the filter for a week now, and my tests are all normal. I did soak the lava rock for a day or two in old aquarium water in which I washed out the sponge filter from my other tank. It worked wonders with the cycle too. I barely had a spike in nitrates, I used the sponge filter method before but always got a larger spike. This time I seeded the substrate, did the sponge wash, and used 50% old aquarium water.
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