# lava rock, or pot scrubbers, as bio media?? pics enclosed.



## shocker45

alright i remember a while back reading about how pot scrubbers were one of the best types of media out there, because it has so many pores for the bactiera to catch on to, flows so much better than the biomax and other stuff like that cuz it is all open, not slowing down your filter at all.

has anyone heard of this? also i have heard you can use lava rock as filter media, i tried this in my last tank and had success, but i really like this new scrubber idea, being way easier to clean, doesnt slow the flow at all, and if i remember correctly it was capable of holding more than 5X the amount of bio compared to lava rock or other types of media.

let me know what you guys think, if you have heard this, or have tried it with success?

basically im just looking for a cheap alternative, its been about 16 months since ive changed all my media, so im doing it now, i just changed all my sponges a month ago. last time i changed my media it cost me over $100 to stuff 3 AC 500's of proper bio media,

i bought this 50 lb bag of lava rock for $5.99 and the package of scrubbies was a buck. 6 packs (12 scrubbies) would easily be enough of fill up all my filters. so these are both very good alternatives if they work like i am led to bieleve.


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## SangreRoja

To be honest I have never used Any of that stuff but at the LPS here uses the scrubbers I'll ask for you but I guess there good cause they use them. And the lava rock I have seen and it works.


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## shocker45

i found it, i did some searching and found the site i did a while back

http://wernersponds.com/biofiltermedia.htm

it clearly shows that lava rock is horrible compared to pot scrubbers, and it makes total sense, with the rock it can only flow over the outside of your rocks, and in a large group water will barely get through, with pot scrubbers, it provides WAY more bacteria build up.

im buying the rest of em tommorow, anyone looking for a cheap alternative should do the same.


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## MONGO 

Im using those Matrix rocks, they seem to be similar to lava rocks and work pretty well.


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## itstheiceman

i have lava rocks in my fluval 304...works great, wouldnt change a thing about it


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## shocker45

im kind of wondering with these scrubbies, should i open them up like a sock, eg. in the picture, and just layer them? i did a test under the sink and keeping them in the orignial state flows about 1\2 the amount of water as if i put a coupe of them in thinner strips but layered together, the pores are more open throughout the material.

would doing this still be beneficial for the bacteria or is it the really tight pores that allow the bacteria to catch onto the material?


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## assclown

i didnt care for lava rock in a canister, the fine sand cloggs the inpeller


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## redrum781

2 of my canisters are filled with scrubbies and i just rinsed them REALLY good and though a bunch in the bottem 2 holders and filled the top 2 with "floss"
seems to work fine on my red tank!


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## Gaijin987

I also replaced the media in all of my filters with pot scrubbers, and I couldn't be happier.







they are cheaper, easier to clean, AND they hold more bacteria!! I don't tear them up either, and I don't think you really need to IMO, easier to rinse and re-use.


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## karl ramsdell

how many pot scrubbers are you guys using in your canisters? i have a fx5 and a fluval 405 and im wondering how many i should buy. it seems like a much cheaper way to go than the biomax thing sive been buying, thanks, karl


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## shocker45

put as many as you can possibly cram in there, the more the better. fx5 id say atleast 50. i fit 7 in my ac 500, so i have 21 total. and an fx5 has WAY more room for them than 3 ac 500's


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## NeXuS

i have an xp3 were would i put the pot scrubbers? in the same place bio-chem starts and ceramic rings go?


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## shocker45

NeXuS said:


> i have an xp3 were would i put the pot scrubbers? in the same place bio-chem starts and ceramic rings go?


yes sir, you have your sponges for the mechanical filtration, then go pure pot scrubbers until your very top, then have your last piece of filter floss or just go pure pot scrubbers, you coudl easily have 3 trays 100% full of scrubbers


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