When chunks of it live in your filtration system, you provide a lot of surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize and grow. PLEASE NOTE: Bio Balls shipments are based on … They are housed in a white … You have to clean them and dry them before you can use them as a filter. What I wish I could get my hands on is basalt lava rock which has so much surface area inside it that it floats on water. BETTER THAN LAVA ROCK: Bioballs are a far better option for bio media than lava rock. (2 reviews) …Lighter Than Lava Rocks Atlantic Bio Rocks are the perfect accessory for Atlantic FilterFalls Pro Series and Oasis Series Waterfall Filters to keep water healthy and clear. It is so versatile and you can really have some fun playing around with different pieces and creating various shapes and constructions. I imagine lava rock will host more bacteria, as it will have more surface area. Filter material does two things. More surface area gives space to more bacteria, which means better filtration. A DIY pond filter system is inexpensive and easy to build and will work as well, if not better, than those expensive filters sold at home improvement centers. Can Pleco and Cichlids Live Together In A Tank? Compared to lava rock, bioballs have some definite benefits. My question is, do I need to replace the bag and lava rock every year or can I reuse it? The answer isn’t black and white. Various explanations and clearing tips were explored in detail. I do not use any chemical treatments or feed my fish. This package contains about 500 pieces of 1 1/2 inch diameter Bioballs. Lava Rocks. A lot of information here I have got. In water treatments we recommend our Pumice Filtration Media as it is a specially selected lava rock for this application. I have a 15 year old fish pond and a 3 year old turtle pond both with 3 large bags of lava rock. INCLUDE FREE HELPFUL BACTERIA: These Bioballs come with Hydro-Bugs Beneficial Bacteria jump start for bio filters. The deeper this is the better, mine is about a third or more of the barrel. It removes particals from the water (machanical filtration), including fish waste, algae, dirt, and other debris. Just rinse them off with water from your pond and you will be good to go. As the filter pads are used to separate solids. I think if the price was close, I'd go for bio balls. If you are currently using lava rock in your bio falls and would like to make cleaning easier, I suggest switching from lava rock to something reusable like bio-balls. How to Remove Mold From a Lava Rock in the Landscape. When it comes time to look for rocks for a water garden project, most people get them either before or after the hole is dug. Lava rock – the igneous rock that forms as an erupting volcano's molten lava cools and hardens – is very porous. 7 Take Before Photos. Bio balls are more comfortable to adjust in the tank, and they don’t involve a lot of preparation. View Site Map Here. For cloudy pond water you wish to replace, use rainwater if possible or dechlorinated tap water. In contrast, lava rocks take a while to prepare. You'll have to imagine the milk crate it sits on to hold it off the bottom, it was just beyond me to try to "draw" one in here. These rocks can be hefty. Also asked, how does lava rock filter water? Understood. Meanwhile, bio balls take the win in terms of ease and convenience. That’s it for assembly. I'm guessing that the lava rocks ultimately got clogged with algae. These nitrates … BIO-FILTER BALLS: Provide a larger, multi-faceted area for the growth of beneficial Bio-Spira bacteria. Never use freshwater to clean the bio-balls, and never clean all the bio-balls at once, as this in all likelihood will cause your system to crash. Such waste could include dust, leftover food, sludge, fish feces, pebbles or rock remains, and other larger materials. Two hundred of the bioballs in a mesh bag will filter about 1,000 gallons of water in a pond with a minimal fish load. They’re both durable and do the job well. Note: If you click Accept Recommendation, your current selection will be replaced with the suggested item and your cart will update. Call 866-766-3435. Sounds like the same or very similar setup to what you want to do. But mainly it was the not climbing on a ladder to clean it thing . Posted January 31, 2017 by dinogomez. Start the pump and keep an eye on things to make sure everything is running fine. But now I use Live Rock and a Deep Sand Bed to do this. A growth medium such as foam mop heads, lava rocks or other porous material is placed into an open barrel or tub and water from the pond is pumped in. Our pumice filtration media is used extensively throughout the UK and Worldwide as a filtration media for DMF pre-treatment prior to RO and SWRO. Green pond water is never attractive in a backyard pond. : Every freshwater aquarium and fish bowl should contain the appropriate amount of Lava Rock, which provides the ideal living environment for beneficial denitrifying bacteria. Apr 7, 2008 643 0 0. These rocks can also be bulky and require time and effort to remove, clean, and put back. In this article, we went over how to clear green pond water effectively. Bio balls are a unique type of filter media. As they decompose, most leaves give off tannin acid. 6. I'm guessing that the lava rocks ultimately got clogged with algae. Each cubic foot of cubes covers about 525 square feet of surface area, much more than lava rock, bio-balls or ribbon materials. The area filled with lava rock . With the help of the bio balls, your fish will be able to get beneficial bacteria too. QUANTITY: Contains 90 Marineland Bio-Filter Balls. Equipment > Filters and Skimmers > Filter Media: Mats,BioBalls, Media Bags > Bio-Balls/Lava Rocks > Bio-Rocks by Atlantic Water Gardens - 0.5 Cubic Feet Bio-Rocks by Atlantic Water Gardens - … And many methods of clearing green water. Of course this depends on you. Blast algae off rocks using a hose and pick up the string variety by hand or with a pole. The water stays very clear, and though I do not test the water, I believe it to be quite healthy as almost every summer baby koi, or goldfish are produced. They dine on the natural habitat and stay in the pond year round. Ponds that are under filtered will likely be cloudy, green and unattractive. They also weigh much less than lava rock, making them easier to handle. So media like lava rock “works fine”. A bag of wet lava rock is many times heavier than our pond balls. They remove nitrates and make water cleaner, most suitable for aquatic life. The grate the lava rock sits on. There are many reasons your pond could be turning green. Bruce's Pond Shop does not carry Lava rock. After the eruption, the molten lava starts to cool and harden. Description. What is being missed is the concept of crystal clear water. Plants & Snails are excluded from our Shipping Promotions. Thus, it would be best to clean them regularly and avoid build-up. Turn off the filter. Every pond needs a good filtration system. Place some new saltwater in a five gallon plastic bucket, or any other type of good sized deep plastic container. Can be placed in a media bag. Lava rock – the igneous rock that forms as an erupting volcano's molten lava cools and hardens – is very porous. Fancy space-age bio-balls, lava rock, foam rubber, even old hair rollers have been tried and tested in the quest for clean water. The disadvantage to shower filters is the pump has to lift the water higher and there can be some pond water cooling effect. I later noted that bio filtration was improved too while utilizing the Lava Rock and worked at finding better Lava Rock that would work better yet and work in aquarium systems as well. It’s a process that can be refined through high quality media, and boosted with the addition of an extra stage of filtration, called chemical filtration , that doesn’t usually come with filters as standard. They are about the same size as lava rock but much lighter and easy to remove. We decided to try the EasyPro BB05 Bio-Balls and have been very pleased. Once the water passes through the primary filter, there won’t be any larger particles in the water that could get stuck in the ball’s grooves. I personally think plastic bio balls are fairly worthless. Our pond water is clear and pond plants are thriving. The result raises the dissolved oxygen level in the waterscape and filters or cleans the water as the Bioballs join with organic waste. Then, turn on the pump and let the filter do its work. My parents' pond uses lava rocks in a 55g drum filter. That's what makes it such a great filter media. Ideally, most experts and manufacturers recommend you use these balls after another filter. I was wondering how to clean the massive amounts of green algae off of my red Lava rock. Better filtration means clearer pond water and better water quality for fish. This way, they make an aerobic environment. As you can imagine, this is not an easy job. As their name suggests, they are small plastic balls that help grow beneficial bacteria. They can grow a colony of microorganisms, called periphyton. FOR BIOLOGICAL FILTRATION: An important component of maintaining a clean and healthy aquatic environment. It does have some drawbacks: Bioballs, like The Pond Guy BioBalls, are plastic spheres made up of dozens of thin rods that provide plenty of surface area for beneficial bacteria to thrive. Bio balls are to form a bio filter. Lava rock should be inert and therefore has no impact on your water parameters. Lava rock has tiny pores which make it difficult to clean while bio balls in most applications never need cleaning. Because this procedure strips away and weakens the nitrifying bacteria population present on the bio-balls that the aquarium relies on to keep ammonia and nitrite in check, only clean about 1/4 of the bio-balls during any one cleaning session. All the information on AquaMovement.com is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. Pond filtration is a complex process, but one that is vital for a healthy and balanced eco-system. How to Clean Bio Balls . Lava rock is widely popular as a biological filter for aquariums. Any aqua-life enthusiast has been through this dilemma. Good filtration starts with good media. As a result, the water that passes through the filter is clean and safe for human and animal consumption. People use it to:eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'aquamovement_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',148,'0','0'])); There are different types of media filters. You must meet the requirements above to proceed to checkout. If you need to With an assortment of filter media out there in the pond world from filter pads to bio-ribbon to lava rocks to bio balls. Thus, it can do the job of cleaning up the rest of the smaller debris and dust. Bio Balls vs Ceramic Rings – Pros And Cons, What Are Bio Balls? Water is supplied through the surface of the biofilter and trickles down over the lava rock to the bottom, where it is collected. You need to clean and maintain the balls to avoid build-up. 5.0. Which is better, ceramic rings or bio balls? Ever since the market started becoming saturated with different types of filter media, people have been confused about what they should choose. Find the pump that is best for your pond, waterfall or water feature. Note: Before you start handling rocks you should be wearing work gloves, eye protection and some type of back support. (You can get bags full of lava rocks from local hardware stores for around five dollars.). However, at the upside, the HALF OFF PONDS filter and pond pump system comes with an impressive 9-watt UV clarifier for killing harmful factors in the pond water. I have a nice display of Live Rock in the tank with a 5 inch Deep Sand Bed and I have another 30 pounds of Live Rock in the sump with water flowing through it. Lava rocks for aquarium are the best option for those who need clear water. Video: “Looking INSIDE Filter Media for Aquariums and Ponds”. Likewise aquatic systems that do not have properly sized filters can have high ammonia, high nitrites and low feed conversions. These filters hold nitrifying bacteria only. Similarly, is lava rock a good filter media? I removed the plastic bio balls and replaced them with lava rock. 99 ($13.33/100 Items) $49.99 $49.99 Lava rocks are a common element in landscaping, but unless you use them properly, they are prone to growing mold. When starting your pond in the spring and periodically through the season, make sure to check all types of filters are in good working order. There is a small piece of grate in front of the discharge pipes in case some floatable plugs it up. Some people don’t like the dry arid feel of lava rock; maybe it doesn’t feel like the right fit for their garden, or they don’t know how to handle the boldness of the red tone. By selecting a pond biomedia with a high SSA you will in time save yourself and your clients, a lot of time and $$$. Gradually pump water back into the pond, placing plants as you go. We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. 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