▷ Ceramic filter material | All information about ceramics as an aquarium filter material

Advantages and disadvantages of different filter materials made of ceramic or sintered glass

Ceramic filter material Photo: Norbert Heidbüchel

Inexpensive media can be just as good as expensive media. Above all, the material should be porous. An inexpensive alternative is filter foam. Broken lava, which still releases minerals into the water even after years, is also inexpensive.

However, the surface alone is not decisive for the quality of the filter material. The decisive factor is whether the pores are open or closed to the outside. On the one hand, the pore size must be large enough for bacteria to fit in at all. On the other hand, the pore size must be small enough for the bacteria to feel comfortable there.

The bacteria cannot fully colonize the surface because they are larger than the finest structures on the surface of these materials. If you were to use the surface that can be colonized by bacteria, fine filter foam would have the largest surface.
Activated carbon has z. B. a total of 10 times larger surface than almost all filter materials. But the pores of activated charcoal are much smaller than bacteria. Because the pores cannot be used, the active surface of activated carbon consists only of the outer surface.

The effectiveness of the biological filtration in a canister filter depends crucially on

There is experience that granular material is preferable to filter mats in pot filters. Granular material achieves a more even flow of bacteria with a relatively lower water speed, because the water seeks the path of least resistance and turbulences better with granular material.

If the colonization area of ​​the relatively small filling volume is not sufficient overall, the size of the surface is important. This can e.g. B. be the case in aquariums with African cichlids. Then filter materials with a higher colonization area should be used, roughly in the following order:

Good experiences have been made with pot filters that are uniformly filled with just one material from top to bottom. The various layers often recommended by manufacturers are often not necessary. Only one filter pad can provide residual fine filtering on top of the materials. Only this pad should then be cleaned more frequently.

Coarse material with sufficient porosity is more suitable than fine material. According to experience, Siporax is better than the substrate from Eheim. Because the service life of the filter and the even colonization of the substrate with bacteria without dead zones is promoted by coarse material.

Care

Before first use, ceramic or sintered glass is rinsed out in tap water. Recommendations to soak the material in aquarium water or bacterial cultures so that no chlorine can settle are nonsensical. Chlorine cannot attach itself to sintered glass. You only have to compare the size of a chlorine molecule and a bacterium. In addition, water is hardly chlorinated today.

The material also does not need to be replaced regularly, as is often recommended. Usually nothing wears out. If there is visible wear and tear, it makes sense to replace it. Otherwise the materials are easily washed out in lukewarm water if the water permeability decreases too much. Only if the water permeability remains low, e.g. B. inorganic material, such as clay from the substrate, clogged the outer pores and can not be removed, a replacement is required.

Absorbex Micro

Absorbex is up to 30% cheaper than other sintered glass tubes. A difference in the effect has not been reported so far.