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