Biological Filter Media for Garden Pond

Biological filter media is any media that can be used to house as much beneficial bacteria as possible. Very porous media is desired because this will allow for more beneficial bacteria per square inch. Look into the surface area if you’re going to have a good biological filter. So what would be the ideal types of filter for your garden pond?

Absorptive ceramic cylinders

Ceramic cylinders are great biological media that you can add to just about any aquarium filter. One cylinder averages around 3/8″ x 3/8″. Usually put in media bags and piled in the undermost layer in the aquarium filter nearest to the top. Expect a much better water flow and a remarkable surface area for good bacteria to produce and thrive when you have a ceramic cylinder.

Natural Bio-Glass

Bio-glass is very similar to the ceramic cylinders. Bio-glass is made of a natural silicate and is in the shape of a hollow cylinder. 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.

Useful Bio-Balls

Specially designed bio-balls fits perfectly into any filter and it can provide a home for those much-desired helpful bacteria habitat. One gallon of bio balls has the equivalent surface area of 21 ½ square feet. Integrates nicely in canister filters or even if it’s wet or dry.

Quartz Bio Media

These biological media balls is made from natural lava rock. Allows for great water flow while housing the much needed beneficial bacteria. It should stored in filter media bags of the fish tank. You can use it in most aquarium filter.

  Biological Stars

This biological media is made from polymer and is shaped as a star. The bio stars lets in healthy bacteria to reproduce. If you will have 4 stars, expect to have 20 gallons.

Eheim Ehfisubstrat

Ehfisubstrat is a sintered glass that offers a huge surface area of nearly 19,000 square feet per gallon. It is specially created to for good bacteria to grow. Ehfisubstrat can be housed in many different aquarium filters. Can be added to aquarium filter media bags.

Changing Media Filters

You may be thinking about how often you will have to replace biological filter media. Well, you might not replace it after all! As long as the filter media is in good shape, and you are able to clean it, you should be OK. A lot of bio-filter media can be re-used and needs merely to be cleaned.

Cleansing Bio Filters

How do you know if your biological filter media needs cleaning? You should wash your filter media if you notice that the water flow slowed and you start to see floating detritus ( fish dirt).

You can cleanse your bio-filter media by directly placing the mechanical filter under running water, but it’s advised that you should not. The right way to wash biological media is in a container of water from your aquarium. When you rinse your biological media out under a sink faucet, the chlorine will kill beneficial bacteria you possess. Killing beneficial bacterial will lead to potential problems and possibly a mini-cycle. Just regularly soak the bio-filter media in a pail of water from your aquarium.

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