biological ceramic beads

Mystsoftyme

Does any one know if it would be beneficial to put a bag of ceramic rounds in the resevore of a tetra whisper filter?

DKRST

I have a cheap HOB filter and I use a filter bag of the "beads" to add additional bio-filtration. I figure there is open space in the HOB, why not put it to use? The actual impact will vary. The bigger the filter and the more beads, obviously, the more impact it will have. As long as the beads don't get in the way of the impeller or block water flow too much, it won't hurt!

chevysoldier

Yes, it would be beneficial. Any place for bacteria to grow is beneficial. The beads have more surface area and therefore more place for it to grow. Like was said above, just make sure they don't get in the way of any mechanical pieces.

AbbeysDad

+3 - yes, adding bio-ceramic media can give a cartridge filter a better infrastructure to support beneficial bacteria. However, adding a sponge material would also provide that as well. The key is that cartridge heaters tend to 'miss the boat' if/when the cartridge is replaced, any/all beneficial bacteria on and in the cartridge gets thrown out to. With bio-ceramic or sponge material, the cartridge can be disposed of while the media remains. It is better if the water flow through the filter goes through the cartridge first, then passes through the ceramic or sponge media. In this way, you protect the bio-media from collecting decaying detritus.
Along these lines, if the reservoir is behind the cartridge, you might use a sponge pre-filter (such as the Fluval pre-filter) on the end of the inlet tube which would prevent detritus from fouling the ceramic media.

Another alternative worth consideration may be to replace the cartridge with sponge material filling the reservoir cavity. The sponge will be more effective and should last many times longer than a cartridge.

In one of my AquaClear filters I have full of sponge material. To prolong the sponges, I use scotchbrite like pads as a prefilter. This protects the sponge from direct detritus and when the pad(s) can no longer be rinsed clean, they gets replaced, leaving all the sponge material cleaner, intact and nearly untouched to serve as the beneficial bacteria colony infrastructure.

AbbeysDad

* Correction in the post above I wrote "Cartridge HEATERS" when I meant FILTERS. I have no idea why I wrote heaters.