Welcome to Koi Forum. Is this your first visit? Register
Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: Crystal Bio

  1. #1
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    East Sussex
    Posts
    2,461
    Thanks / Likes
    5193

    Crystal Bio

    What are your views on crystal bio as media for a shower? sure i read somewhere on here that it broke down and irritated the gills or am i getting confused with another product??


    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

  2. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion Ajm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Durham
    Posts
    11,196
    Thanks / Likes
    21091
    Quote Originally Posted by smartin View Post
    What are your views on crystal bio as media for a shower? sure i read somewhere on here that it broke down and irritated the gills or am i getting confused with another product??
    I was of the same thoughts on the crystal stuff mate sure it was BCC that had mentioned it a few times now

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
    Freddyboy the legend

    "we are water keepers first"

    Johnathan

  3. Thanks smartin Thanked / Liked this Post
  4. #3
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion samp09's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    Suffolk
    Posts
    3,339
    Thanks / Likes
    6780
    I have heard this too although not seen any signs of it myself and its what I have in my roto shower.

  5. Thanks smartin Thanked / Liked this Post
  6. #4
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Bedworth
    Posts
    5,952
    Thanks / Likes
    11902
    i'm all for realistically priced alternatives for filter media without 'koi tax'
    and i know lots of people use pumice based media,
    but i do have an issue with it...

    i think the main problem with it is small size and irregular shape,
    it would tightly fill the shower tier up great, but like any densly packed media form small voids that can easily trap dirt,
    where as the manufactured media in long regular shaped pieces,
    makes large gaps between them that allows water to flow over the surface and doesn't allow dirt to accumulate so easily.
    and ideally you don't want to ever need to strip a shower or any bio media down for cleaning, as it damages the bio film.

    there are plenty of other ceramic choices, from CSM, to bakki house copies, to Unicorn's teeth BHM....

  7. Thanks smartin, Ajm, samp09 Thanked / Liked this Post
  8. #5
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    East Sussex
    Posts
    2,461
    Thanks / Likes
    5193
    Hi guys,
    yes i thought i had read it on here but could not find the thread again, it looks like it is sold quite frequently so cannot be too bad, so Sam how old is your crystal bio? and your not seeing any sediment at the botttom of your roto shower? thanks Steve.
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

  9. #6
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    East Sussex
    Posts
    2,461
    Thanks / Likes
    5193
    Quote Originally Posted by davethefish1 View Post
    i'm all for realistically priced alternatives for filter media without 'koi tax'
    and i know lots of people use pumice based media,
    but i do have an issue with it...

    i think the main problem with it is small size and irregular shape,
    it would tightly fill the shower tier up great, but like any densly packed media form small voids that can easily trap dirt,
    where as the manufactured media in long regular shaped pieces,
    makes large gaps between them that allows water to flow over the surface and doesn't allow dirt to accumulate so easily.
    and ideally you don't want to ever need to strip a shower or any bio media down for cleaning, as it damages the bio film.

    there are plenty of other ceramic choices, from CSM, to bakki house copies, to Unicorn's teeth BHM....
    Hi Dave thanks for your input, good to read your views..... makes total sense regarding space and water flow, are you an OCD perfectly placed media guy or a random untidy drop into your shower tiers?
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

  10. #7
    Senior Member Rank = Jussai Spongebob's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Manchester
    Posts
    1,281
    Thanks / Likes
    2324
    I have no issues, have it in the rotoshower, and was very quickly colonised with bacteria, allowing me to grossly overstock, no issues since and perfect water clarity. Crysal bio isnt the one that breaks down as far as i know, that was another type of media but I cant remember which one.
    Fibreglassed/5000 gals/4.5 m Tunnel/Spindrifter/Twin drums/Bio chambers/Beads/Showers/Remora ASHP

  11. Thanks smartin Thanked / Liked this Post
  12. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Spongebob View Post
    I have no issues, have it in the rotoshower, and was very quickly colonised with bacteria, allowing me to grossly overstock, no issues since and perfect water clarity. Crysal bio isnt the one that breaks down as far as i know, that was another type of media but I cant remember which one.
    I use crystal in my shower for a couple of years now no problem it's pumice that breaks down.

    Sent from my SM-A715F using Tapatalk

  13. Thanks smartin Thanked / Liked this Post
  14. #9
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    East Sussex
    Posts
    2,461
    Thanks / Likes
    5193
    thanks guys...
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

  15. #10
    To a certain extent, softer media (not soft as such, but softer than relatively hard ceramic medias like BHM) may break down more if you're the kind of shower user who likes to hammer the shower with a serious torrent of water, either for the purposes of high pond turnover or in order to increase gaseous exchange.

    Pumice and sintered glass type medias are known to be less robust than ceramics like BHM, so when building a shower after seeing torrents of water hammering over BHM in youtube videos, it's worth bearing in mind that it may be wise to not go crazy with the water flow if you're not using BHM.



    There was a long old thread about shower ceramics etc. a few years ago, on this forum:

    https://www.koiforum.uk/koi-carp-cha...k1-shower.html

  16. Thanks alex1968, smartin Thanked / Liked this Post
  17. #11
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    East Sussex
    Posts
    2,461
    Thanks / Likes
    5193
    Quote Originally Posted by MustBeSomethingInTheWater View Post
    To a certain extent, softer media (not soft as such, but softer than relatively hard ceramic medias like BHM) may break down more if you're the kind of shower user who likes to hammer the shower with a serious torrent of water, either for the purposes of high pond turnover or in order to increase gaseous exchange.

    Pumice and sintered glass type medias are known to be less robust than ceramics like BHM, so when building a shower after seeing torrents of water hammering over BHM in youtube videos, it's worth bearing in mind that it may be wise to not go crazy with the water flow if you're not using BHM.



    There was a long old thread about shower ceramics etc. a few years ago, on this forum:

    https://www.koiforum.uk/koi-carp-cha...k1-shower.html
    very interesting read, thanks
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

 

 

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:56 AM. Online Koi Mag Forum
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3
Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

vBulletin Improved By vBFoster® (Lite Version), © UltimateScheme, Ltd.