On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 21:05:35 -0400, PlainBill
wrote:

I'm finding the media (floor scrubber pads) in my new filter isn't
working nearly as well as I hoped. Looking over the various types of
media, I've identified three products that seem to have the
characteristics I would like, and the costs seem to be roughly the
same. In each case, it would appear that it will cost $50-60 for
enough to give me sufficient surface area. (I don't have the tools to
make the PVC ribbon myself, or that would be the media of choice).

Springflo ribbon media and Bio-fill seem to be similar in concept, but
different materials (PVC vrs Polypropylene/calcium carbonate). It
would appear the big advantage of these is the ease of cleaning. I'm
a little concerned about their durability, however.

Bio-balls on the other hand would appear to be more likely to trap
solids, and I'm concerned about cleaning, as well as durability.

Does anyone have any suggestions on these, especially their
durability?

Thanks,

PlainBill

Plain Bill,

Bio-Balls were touted as the thing to use several years ago and I
purchased enough to fill a 100 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank bio-filter
design. Now, I am resigned to use them forever. They ARE
indestructible. The stock tank filter required a pre-filter in the
pond, that was high maintenance and I switched to a rather exotic
filter with 4 fifty-five gallon drums. I use these same bio-balls in
the new filter system.

The bio-balls act as a bed or platform for bio-action (I guess),
although they never actually seem to have any type of appreciable
bio-film on them. The bio-balls do serve to capture bio-matter and/or
whatever micro-fine particulate matter that passes though the
bio-ball. They will act as a mechanical filter, for what ever your
pre-filter passes. They can clog and may require periodic cleaning.

In a loose state they are trouble to handle and clean. A 1/2 cubic
foot or 1 cubic foot mesh bag is ideal to contain and deploy the
bio-balls. When I need to clean my clean my filter system, I fill a
spare barrel with pond water and then shake or agitate the bags in the
clean pond water. This dislodges any of the insoluble dirt or dust
that has settled in the bio-ball crevises. THEN, I quickly throw the
bags back into the pond, so they do not dry out and loose whatever
bio-film that might be active. When the filter system is all cleaned
and ready for return-to-service then I collect the bags and return
them to their two fifty-five gallon barrels. I have a photo at my
website of the four barrels at http://bmoke.freeyellow.com/cppg024.htm

I would love to tinker with the spring-flo stuff, but the bio-balls
work for me.

Bill M.