which bio media is better? ceramic bio media or sponge media? i know that the sponge will also offer mechanical filtration but that is not an issue, just wondering which is better based solely on bio filtration. and which brand would be best to use. no special tank requirements just a question that popped up lol. any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated
The ceramic media is a better biologic material because it doesn't clog easily which increases the reliability of water flow and biologic activity. But the combined effect of mechanical and biologic filtration makes sponges better in some cases. It really depends on the filter design. If a filter can have both, that's usually best. Note: there's a variety of other media, plastic mostly
Purely for biological filtration, the ceramic media is better. Personally, I use Aquaclear Biomax for small aquariums and Rena Biostars for larger ones. The size difference is strictly for what fits most easily physically into the filters. Foams/sponges should also be included though. They are important for mechanical filtration. I use API Filstar in a variety of courseness levels: 30 ppi and 20 ppi, and then Marineland water polisher to round it off. The combination will catch just about any particle size of detritus.
