Matrix (and siporax) questions, to keep from derailing Sahin's thread.....

[steve newman]

Guys can we place Siporax in your refugium. Due to tight space in my sump the only place where I can easily install is in my refuge. My question is will the light for chaeto grow algae over it and will it effect its performance ?

Put it in a dark container, Tupperware or cliklock, you can also slow the flow through it, by putting as many or few holes as you like.

Regards

Steve

 

[Tweaked]

AF guy here and just ordered 1000ml of Siporax for my sump. Looks like I will be stacking in a box utilizing the column methods as shown. Good stuff, thanks for all the info.

Only question I have, is 1000ml enough? Full AF program with biotics and roughly 180g water volume. Also run bio pellets, reactor with zeo mix/carbon/phos minus. My fuge is all about dead of course now that the water has been so stripped.

Thanks!

 

[tripdad]

FWIW , I have a 65gal display with 20gal sump, 1.5L siporax in a reactor stacked, no zeo stones or pellets, phosphate minus, carbon, AF products, 12 fish and I have to dose NO3 back into the system to keep some measurable amount.

 

[moatdaddy]

mine is exposed to a light source, no it does not grow algae on it. only had it for a month though and limited algae in system due to aggressive combating it preemptively.

 

[naecO.rM]

What do you think about that?
Does Siporax works better if placed like on the video?
https://youtu.be/xbWQeZ6AzvM

https://youtu.be/wG8UuJ0wci8

 

[Mike de Leon]

What do you guys think about using them in a zeo reactor?

 

[scuzy]

If you Control the flow I don't see why not. You could use a pre filter to prevent detritus from accumulating.

 

[Mike de Leon]

Isn't more flow better? I am also thinking of putting it where cleaned and filtered water exist in the sump.
Also good to have the pump option to shake off any detritus....

 

[Pife]

Isn't more flow better? I am also thinking of putting it where cleaned and filtered water exist in the sump.
Also good to have the pump option to shake off any detritus....

Somewhere in this thread it talks about the perfect flow rate.

 

[Peter Eichler]

I'm shocked this stuff is still around and that people use it... Can someone give me a Cliff's notes version of why so I don't have to read the whole thread

 

[scuzy]

Matrix (and siporax) questions, to keep from derailing Sahin's thread.....

Matrix and siporax has alot of surface area to grow denitrifying bacteria which in turns lowers nitrate levels. since it has more surface area than live rocks.

 

[Big E]

I'm shocked this stuff is still around and that people use it... Can someone give me a Cliff's notes version of why so I don't have to read the whole thread

There's evidence that it does a good job of reducing nitrates (home for denitrifying bacteria) ,as well as being a surface area for nitrifying bacteria.


There's a lot of people that use so called Tonga rock that is basically just dead coral branches and such. They have little to no porosity and don't work as well as standard live rock......siporax in the sump helps.

With the popularity of minimal landscaping in the display sometimes more rock is needed in the system, hence it gets put in a sump. Siporax can do the same thing but take up a lot less space and not create detritus.

In a nutshell, it's inert, takes up less space than live rock and there is evidence it works better than live rock.

 

[naecO.rM]

Matrix and siporax has alot of surface area to grow denitrifying bacteria which in turns lowers nitrate levels. since it has more surface area than live rocks.

Siporax has surface area much biger then live rocks. I'm from lads who believe that live rocks (or substrate with high surface area as Siporax, Biohome , Matrix) help keep stability in filtration.
So, with higher surface area substrate we can use less amount to keep necessary amount of filtration bacteria.
Also that can help to make minimalism in displays scape.

 

[Mike de Leon]

so how much flow rate?

 

[rucnnefish]

I have been running Matrix in a c360 canister filter for about 8 weeks now. The canister will hold 4 liters of matrix, but I removed enough matrix to make room for a bag of carbon and a thin sheet of filter floss. So, max flow for me through the matrix is probably less than 360 gph. I use Prodibio Bioclean on the 1st and 15th of the month (or the weekend closest). I feed heavily 3 times a day. I removed all the live rock and rubble from the tank except for the buried rubble the pistol shrimp uses for it's Casa Grande. My structure is now a resin mangrove root thinga-ma-jig.

I use the " Biggle's Matrix Coefficient" of 1L/10g which is 10X over mfg recommended and it is working great for me.

Nitrates 5-10, and those @#$#@#%$#* phosphates are undetectable!

 

[scuzy]

Anyone know if the hydor media quartz rings are similar to siporax ?

 

[Mike de Leon]

I have been running Matrix in a c360 canister filter for about 8 weeks now. The canister will hold 4 liters of matrix, but I removed enough matrix to make room for a bag of carbon and a thin sheet of filter floss. So, max flow for me through the matrix is probably less than 360 gph. I use Prodibio Bioclean on the 1st and 15th of the month (or the weekend closest). I feed heavily 3 times a day. I removed all the live rock and rubble from the tank except for the buried rubble the pistol shrimp uses for it's Casa Grande. My structure is now a resin mangrove root thinga-ma-jig.

I use the " Biggle's Matrix Coefficient" of 1L/10g which is 10X over mfg recommended and it is working great for me.

Nitrates 5-10, and those @#$#@#%$#* phosphates are undetectable!

Hows the C360 filter? It appears it does not have a good review.

 

[rucnnefish]

The c360 is working fine for me. No leaks, easy to clean. I think if you keep the snails out of the powerhead it should last a good long while. I'm happy with it so far.

 

[gregkn73]

Hi, did anybody using siporax or matrix in a reactor or canister filter, measure NO3 at the output of the reactor? If yes, what was the difference with NO3 at the DT?

 

[Mike de Leon]

The c360 is working fine for me. No leaks, easy to clean. I think if you keep the snails out of the powerhead it should last a good long while. I'm happy with it so far.

Thanks. Did you run the hoses directly to the tank or were you able to do it from the sump?