Siporax

[Scuba Steve]

Hello..............just me again. Could someone please tell me where i might get siporax? I live in Australia and am currently using sintered glass but it is slowly slowing down and I'm guessing "filling" up. I am guessing the rings like siporax would not suffer from this problem. Thank you!

[JFK_Jr]

Seems Siporax really hasn't caught on yet in the US... I actually couldn't find anyone selling it here. Please do us a favor and let us know your results using this product... as I'm sure it will eventually make it's way to the US.

Siporax Doc 1
From: jsimmonds@cix.compulink.co.uk (Jeremy Simmonds) Subject: Re: use of Siporax(practicle views)

Hi all. Have been catching up on my back log of mail in the group and it is so nice to see the US waking up to the benefits of Siporax.

This product as Albert stated has been around for a good long while and was my main form of bio media for a good few years so perhaps I can shed a bit of practical experience on the subject. Whilst Albert gets the science sorted out.

I have used siporax in both the pond and tank forms the pond being a larger 1" ring. The product is made from scintered glass which there are varying types for many industrial applications.

This product must have been available in the UK for 5 years plus but has had a checkered marketing history. Schott of germany who make the stuff originally launched as a premium filter media and its price was way above bio balls etc to make up for the fact of its very high surface area and denitrating ability. The original UK distributor a strange but well meaning guy launched as such but in the end the high end premium product concept failed and it was re launched in the UK and focussed on discus owners I think the same add is used in the US but the original message got lost in the new campaign.

Some of the good points of siporax.

210m of surface area. I have seen over 110lb of Koi well fed and filtered on this media in test ponds using just 1 liter of siporax. Read more later.

The pore structure produces a low oxygen area that is colonised by denitifying bacteria they consume nitrate and slowly release it as a gas pushing out of the pore as a bubble.

Ring structure allows good flow rate . See below.

Siporax Facts

Many people complain about the pores becoming blocked this is a problem with all high surface types of media. Siporax should be used in the cleanest part of the water after all mechanical filtration sponges or what ever to help prevent clogging.

The Koi pond had a long settlement area going into a lacron sand filter attached to the return was a basket of siporax. I asked for the sand to be changed so as to negate the effect of this. Even doing this the ammonia did not rise over the weekend I was visiting. Again very clean water free of particulate matter.

Siporax was used in a space shuttle mission that included fish experiments as it produced that lowest amount of media requirement to maintain a bio filter for the fish.

I have run a sick tank on just 3 25mm pond rings and had no problems maintaining good water quality.

The denitrating abilities are a little more hard to quantify as I have never used it solely for this reason. Many Uk marine or reef guys use it in a slow flow area of the sump or in a separate container powered by a low flow pump. I think the effectiveness of the media is only really seen at slower flow rates eg: about 1imp gallon per hour.

Julian Sprung is supposed to have had a tank running with it under the plenum ie supporting the grid in a jaubert system but I have heard nothing more of this tank. US guys might like to comment here.

It does not work at its best as a trickle media due to the fine pore structure and the fact that most trickles flow to fast to achieve the low oxygen environment for de nitrification.

Siporax can be cleaned in a microwave some guys suspended it on nylon line and make easy removable necklaces of the rings these can be rinsed and the pores unblocked by placing in the microwave the escaping steam pushes particulate matter from the pores. Each string is rotated so no filter capacity is lost due to nuking in the micro.

Rings are often place in the uplift tubes of under gravel filters to boost surface area.

Well as you can see it does most of what is supposed to in fact I still keep a few litres seeded up for my ponds in case of emergencies or the need for a quick sick tank.

All you US guys need to do now is discover the benefits of enzyme filtration and CNBD and you will have it sussed :-)

Sorry it was meant in the nicest possible way and hope the info helps.

JEZ

A few places in the U.K. and Germany selling Siporax

SERA Siporax - 1000ml

aquaristic.net*-*Siporax

Aquarama

[JFK_Jr]

Anyone else?

[DaveK]

You could also consider Eheim's EHFI SUBSTRAT PRO filter media. It's a similar product, except it's round balls rather than cylinders. It should be generally available. See (offsite link) - Eheim NORTH AMERICA

I have used it in my FW planted aquarium, and it seems to be ok. However, SW is a completely different thing. I don't use it there mostly for the reasons outlined above. The media could rapidly clog, and since we have all that nice LR in SW, additional biomedia isn't really necessary.

My advice to the original post would be to review the SW filtration system in light of what the state of the art is today, and especially with how biological filtration is done. You may find out that the use of Siporax and similar material is actually counter productive in your reef.

[Scuba Steve]

Thank you for the rapid replies and all the information. It is my understanding that siporax, due to its large surface area, is about the best bio filtration available. Using live rock generally means copper cannot be used in our sw tanks. At least this is what I have been told. Kind regards....Scuba Steve :-)

[cheeks69]

Originally Posted by Scuba Steve

Using live rock generally means copper cannot be used in our sw tanks. At least this is what I have been told. Kind regards....Scuba Steve :-)

This is true and that's why it's always recommended to treat in a Quarantine tank not the display. I also seriously question it's ability to denitrify in fact it looks like the media I use to use in my Fluval canister filter.

[Scuba Steve]

Thank you JFK. Your reply brings up a good point about water circulation and turnover. I have always been told that one cannot have enough turnover of their water and therefore have installed a pump with a flow rate of nearly 7000lph for my 800 litre system. Is it possible that this is too much and therefore how does that relate to the effectivness of Siporax. Thankyou also to DaveK. I am already using the Eheim product and as I stated in my original post the flow rate through the balls is getting slower and slower as my chamber fills up. I was hoping that this would not happen with the Siporax as obviously the water would flow much easier through the hoops than the balls.
Kind Regards
Scuba Steve

[DaveK]

Years ago, surface area of the biomedia was hyped to the extreme. Each manufacturer gave "reasons" why their media was "best". This reached it's height when trickle filters were all the rage.

With today's use of large, powerful skimmers, and live rock, the need for this large area of biomedia is greatly reduced. In other words you don't likely need it at all. Your "understanding" (siporax, due to its large surface area, is about the best bio filtration available) while not wrong, is not quite how things are looked at today.

As far as copper and other meds go. The most important rule is never ever medicate a reef tank. The next The most important rule is never ever medicate a reef tank. The third The most important rule is never ever medicate a reef tank. .... Well, you get the idea. Always treat in a QT tank.

As for too much flow, it depends upon what you are keeping. Some corals and fish love it. Others would be damaged. If everything looks good, you are doing fine. Like anything else it can be over done, but you really have to work hard to do it.

[Scuba Steve]

Thanks again DaveK I have a fish only tank and am running a Red Sea Berlin skimmer. Would you consider this powerful or big enough?

[DaveK]

I formally used a Red Sea Berlin Skimmer on my 125 gal reef, and found it a bit small for that. I'd say that it would be ok on anything around 75 gal or less.

In a traditional FO (Fish only) system you maintain a biomass someplace to process whatever the skimmer can't deal with. Ages ago this was undergravel filters. Later, it was trickle filters and other forms of wet/dry filter systems.

Today, I think a FOWLR (Fish only with live rock) or a reef system gives better results. In effect you have moved the biomass from the filtration system to live rock and maybe live sand. In addition the live rock looks a lot better than the dead coral skeletons and regular rocks formally used.

It's not so much that the other systems don't work, they do, but the more modern setups work a lot better.

[Scuba Steve]

Once again thanks so much to DaveK for all the information thus far. I hope I am not overstaying my welcome. The more I hear from all the people here the more behind I suspect we are over here in Downunder land. Ok I am becoming more and more confused about what to do.

A brief explanation of what system I am currently using:
800 litre tank including a sump underneath. The tank has a drop off which simply serves to flow the water into the sump. I have about 5 powerheads inside the tank to circulate the water. The substrate i use is marble chips to a depth of about 1 inch. In my sump I have both bio balls and sintered glass (Eheim Substrat pro). Also dacron as a mechanical filter. I also use a UV sterliser, a protein skimmer and periodically carbon and phosphate remover. Oh I also use RO water for top ups and water changes. Ok thats it in a nutshell.

My problems:
High Nitrates (160ppm) Fortunately no ammonia and no nitrites
High phosphate (5+)
Red Algae
Fish suffering from pop eye (prob from high nutrition in water hence nitrates)
Loss of fish
What should I do or change please?
Regards

Steve

[lcstorc]

Lots of water changes. Vacuum or preferably remove the marble chip substrate. Slowly remove the bio-balls.

[DaveK]

The main thing you got to do is you have to get at the underlying source of the problem.

I suspect you have several possible problem areas you want to check out.

First, check your feeding schedule. You may be feeding way too much, or food may be getting into the filtration system and decaying there.

An 800 l tank works out to about 210 us gals.

The skimmer you are using is far too small for the size system you have. You want to be using a skimmer rated about twice the tank size. In other words if the manufacturer says it's good for a 100 gal tank, you don't want to use it on anything much larger than a 50. For your tank, you want a skimmer rated for a 1600l tank (about 450 us gal).

The marble chips on the bottom are likely a source of nitrates, especially if they are course. They tend to become a nitrate factory because they trap dirt. I would remove or replace them. The options are bare bottom, just enough coral sand to cover the bottom, or a 4 inch deep sand bed. In other words, if you use coral sand to form a sandbed it should be deep. Each method has advantages and disadvantages.

To get the nitrates down, you will most likely need to make some massive water changes. Check up on your RO unit and test the newly mixed water, and make sure the nitrate and phosphate reading are 0.

Make sure you keep the mechanical filter clean, and that it comes before anything else in the filtration sequence.

Other things you can consider doing -

Convert the system to a FOWLR (fish only with live rock). You'll need about 220 to 320 lbs (100 to 150 Kg) of live rock, and you will need to cure it in something other than your main tank. Once it's cured you use it in the main tank for decoration and for the biological filter media. Then over a period of weeks, remove the bioballs and sintered glass.

Add a refugium. For a tank you size I'd use about a 50 gal tank. Since you already have a sump, you set up the refugium tank so that water runs from the sump to the refugium and back to the sump. You want to use the clean water in the sump, at the same point as the main return pump. The refugium should be drilled and set up with an overflow.

Now a refugium can do a lot of great stuff, and there are various ways to set one up depending upon what you want it to do. In your case, it is there to consume nitrates and phosphates. So what you want to to is fill it with about a 4 inch deep sand bed, and some macro algaes. For the sandbed I'd use a fine coral sand, about 2mm grain size. For macro algae, Caulerpa is often used, so is Chaetomorphia. You can also add some live sand to seed the sandbed. You'll also need to put some lighting on the refugium for the algae to grow.

What you want to have happen is the refugium to form an anaerobic area in the sand bed. this will fed on nitrate. It's important not to disturb the sandbed below the top half inch or so, once it's established. The other thing that will happen is the macro algae will grow, also consuming nitrate and phosphate. As the algae gets dense, you remove it. If you have tangs or similar fish, you can feed some of it to them, but most of it should get discarded.

That should give you some ideas on things you can do.

[Scuba Steve]

What a wonderful place this is. So much helpful advice and so many to be grateful to. Special mention to DaveK for all the trouble he has gone to in his response.

DaveK......I intend to apply most if not all your ideas to my aquarium but have just a few more enquiries if you have the time.
Could you please suggest a skimmer that would be appropriate for my system? A brand and possibly where to get it would be good.

I intend to get rid of the marble chips. Coral sand, Live sand or sand? Which do I use and what are the differences? I tend to lean toward the 4" deep angle but more recomendations from you would be great. Hopefully I can source it over here.

RO unit as suggested is running fine.

The biggest concern I have is the refugium. This is going to be difficult to add due to space and logistic requirements. Could I convert my sump into a refugium?

What order should I undertake all this to do and what time period?

Thanks again to all for your invaluable assitance.

Kind regards

Scuba Steve

[lcstorc]

You can have a combination sump/refugium and many people do. It all depends on how much extra room you have in your sump. Check out melevsreef.com for some examples of how you can set it up.
As for the sand don't bother with the live sand. If you get dry sand it will soon become live. If you can get a cup or so of sand from another reefer or two and that will help seed it. It quickly gather life from the rock regardless.
As to the order of things, the first thing I would do is get the LR and start curing it. While you are doing that you can start removing the marble chips slowly. I would divide it into 5 or 6 portions and take one portion out every couple of weeks. You don't want to send the system into shock. Once the marble is out and the rock is cured, put the live rock in the tank. Then add your new sand. Once that stabilizes start removing the bio-balls a bit at a time. Again you do not want to shock the system. You want to give the bacteria in the rock a chance to catch up after each removal. Then once that is done you can work on converting part of the sump into a fuge or adding a separate fuge.
It is going to take a while but things will go much better if you take it slow.