marinelife
Active member
Anyone try the Brightwell Aquatics XPORT NO3 Brick or XPORT BIO Brick yet?
I ordered them to try.
I ordered them to try.
Brightwell Bricks
- Thread starter marinelife
- Start date
marinelife
Active member
got them today and have them soaking in bacteria overnight!
If it's in relation to the marinepure ones leaking that was due to fake copies sold online
marinelife
Active member
They are new so not sure how they will be.
I also have the MarinePure blocks and have not had issues with them.
I also have the MarinePure blocks and have not had issues with them.
zachfishman
Active member
OP, how did the Brightwell blocks work out?
marinelife
Active member
I have not seen any difference in the tank as far as nitrates go.
I added two to my 120 gallon system (145 gallons true water volume) that already had a lot of rock in the sump and saw a reduction in nitrates from about 7-8 to 4ppm.
It will take longer to work unless you have a very established amount of bacteria or tank.
I bought the XPORT BIO Brick and used the microbacter7 to seed the brick for 2 weeks as they recommend and cycled a tank in 2 weeks. However, the XPORT BIO Brick only handles Ammonia and Nitrite. The Xport-NO3 handles Nitrates. That's just one brick also on my 75-gallon with the total water volume of 100-gallons including the sump. I'd say the microbacter7 and brick work well together as I have zero problems with ammonia or nitrites for over 9 months now. I do have a slight nitrate issue but I am going to try and use some Chaeto in a refugium first to see if that works. If not then I'll try the Xport-NO3 brick to see how well it works.
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What does this mean?
You take a bucket and put the brick in water and seed it with MicroBacter7 (poured into the pail and dispersed by hand), then allow media to remain in this "bath" for 24-hours at room temperature. Remove Xport-BIO from bucket and pour water into the aquarium system.
This is only if you use a bacteria supplement. If you don't then it will take longer to work. You'll also want to wash the brick before adding it to the tank in some RO/DI water as it has a lot of dust particles.
billygoat2000
New member
Marinepure's are made from aluminum and most likely so are brightwell bricks. Triton tests done by reasonable reefers that don't seem to have an axe to grind have shown elevated aluminum. There have also been reports of it affecting leathers immediately on introduction of unwashed marinepure.. but non-leather corals are unaffected.
What applies to marinepure probably applies to brightwell bricks but they do not list what the material is made form on their website.
marinepure's are probably leaching some form of aluminum into the water, the question is, is this form dangerous? I don't think it is dangerous based on all the good reports from those that use marinepure in reef aquariums. If I housed a lot of leathers, I would put marinepures under the sand or very low flow area and use them for denitrfication.
It's been pretty well known that the marinepure's that leached aluminum were Chinese knock off's!! and not the real thing.
The Brightwell are made differently also. I have no ill effects using the Brightwell bricks for the past 9 months. If I remember correctly a marine depot video said they used a mix of aragonite to make the brick. It even refrences that the brick material is not fired or heated, which means no aluminum leaching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35iES6FFe2c
Let's not assume the brightwells are just like the marinepure.
billygoat2000
New member
I agree. There is no information as to what the materials are in the brightwells.
I have both and have had no ill effects either. The brightwells appear to be made of a similar material. They are very crumbly so you have to be very careful with them. The marinepures hold a LOT more water than the brightwells. When you pull a marinepure out of the sump, it just drains and drains and drains. It is quite surprising. The brightwell drains quickly in respect. I have mine large aragonite gravel in the sump to aid in denitrification.
Regarding the chinese knockoffs leaching aluminum, that may very well be true if they are made of aluminum.
But I still think the marinepures leach aluminum based on triton tests people have done with real marinepure bricks. However, I don't believe that the type of aluminum leached is dangerous to anything but leather corals.
Someone should do a test, a before and after, and put this to rest.
