The appearance of ceramic sand for the surface of the rough irregular particles, the internal structure is characterized by a fine honeycomb microporous, lightweight, non-disintegration, not chalking, pH neutral, particle size of 2-3mm, the main components of silicon, aluminum, calcium, sodium, magnesium, titanium, manganese, iron, nickel, cobalt and molybdenum, dozens of minerals and trace elements. Its physical microstructure is manifested in the surface roughness of the porous, effective surface area is large, is 8-20 times the other filter media, these features are particularly suitable for microbial growth, reproduction, the formation of biofilm on its surface, with a strong ability to hang the culture of nitrifying bacteria is particularly ideal.
Ceramic sand as a biological filter media nitrifying bacteria cultivation ability is absolutely first-class. Each kind of biofilter material structure is different, its microbial cultivation ability is not the same, that is to say, biofilter material filtration efficiency is high and low. According to my personal understanding, I put the commonly used biological filter media in accordance with the filtration efficiency from high to low so arranged: ceramic sand - quartz ball - bacterial ring - bacterial house - glass ring - white cotton - biochemical Cotton - ceramic ring. The porous structure of the filter media, the rougher the surface, the smaller the volume, the larger the surface area, the stronger the ability to cultivate nitrifying bacteria.
The rough surface of ceramic sand, the porous microstructure and the great surface area determine that it has a highly efficient cultivation ability. As a biological filter media, ceramic sand has two major advantages:
1, fast tank opening speed: my tanks are opened in 15 days, very stable.
2. Strong nitrifying bacteria reserve capacity and stable system: All my tanks using ceramic sand as filter media have never had any toxin indicators and the water quality has never been turbid after the successful tank opening.
As you can see in the video, the water is so clear, mainly due to the sand filtering effect of ceramic sand. Ceramic sand is not only a very efficient biochemical filter material, but also can play a physical filtration sand filter role, filtering ability is absolutely first-class. This is also an advantage that other biochemical filter media does not have, which is why I finally chose ceramic sand after testing so many filter media. Many also have a strong filtration system of fish friends why the water is not as clear as mine? The secret lies in the lack of sand filtration. Sand filtration is an important means of water purification, sand filtration belongs to the deep filtration, it is relying on a certain thickness of the sand layer to retain impurities in the water so as to achieve the purpose of water purification, sand filtration of water after the water is clear and transparent very pure.
Now the mainstream biochemical filtration system configuration is filter cotton + biochemical cotton + glass ring, I've seen a lot of bottom filter tanks put dozens of pounds of glass ring, biochemical filtration effect is very powerful. But the glass ring is only biochemical filter material, and biochemical filtration to solve the problem of toxins in the water, and can not improve the clarity of the water. Such a system is still relying on the few pieces of filter cotton to maintain the cleanliness of the water, such a system and the system I made the difference between the system is here. Imagine how those few pieces of filter cotton can be compared to the 10cm thick ceramic sand in my system. Ceramic sand has a sand filter effect is the filter cotton can never reach, so you can see as long as the ceramic sand filtered water is so crystal clear, the reason is this.
Of course, I'm not saying that the mainstream biochemical filtration system is a bad configuration, just that the quality of the water's appearance is a little bit different than the water using sand filtration, and if you add a sand filter to such a system, then the water will be quite perfect. Sand filtration does not have to use ceramic sand, fine river sand, quartz sand filtration effect than ceramic sand is even better, but they are too dense permeability is poor, used in the filter tank is easy to cause overflow. In addition, these sand and gravel are not porous structure, the ability to cultivate nitrifying bacteria is much worse than ceramic sand, so I choose ceramic sand as a sand filter layer, you can kill two birds with one stone.
Well, the theoretical aspects of these, the following specific application of ceramic sand. No matter what kind of filtration form, what kind of filter, filter tank can use ceramic sand, ceramic sand can completely replace the use of ceramic rings and other biochemical filter material.
1, the order of placement of the upper filter is: the bottom layer of paved large pore biochemical cotton, ceramic sand in the middle, the top is the filter cotton.
2, the order of placement of the filter bucket is: the next blue paved thin macroporous biochemical cotton, and then put the sand. The middle of the blue can be paved biochemical cotton after the sand, you can also not pave the biochemical cotton directly put sand ceramic sand. The top blue after putting sand on the top to be covered with biochemical cotton. Do not use filter cotton (white cotton) in the filter bucket to reduce the clogging of the filter bucket to ensure water flow and extend the cleaning cycle of the filter bucket.
3, the bottom of the filter tank is placed in the order: the bottom of the porous biochemical cotton, ceramic sand in the middle, if the first frame in the sand on the pavement filter cotton. If there is only one frame can be laid ceramic sand, should be placed in a frame before the pump, so that the sand filter effect is good.
4, the role of biochemical cotton is to block the sand, to prevent sand leakage down and conducive to go water. Another thing to note is that the ceramic sand can not be used in bags like glass rings, and can not be mixed with other filter media, especially glass rings, because this will greatly reduce the effect of sand filtration.
Ceramic sand will produce a small amount of dust due to friction during transportation, it should be washed sufficiently before use, generally hand-washed 3-5 times to clear the water. When first used, the water quality will be slightly turbid phenomenon, is a normal condition, generally turbid for an hour or two to clarify themselves. Ceramic sand in about 5-10% of the debris, I am to remove it, for fear of clogging the biochemical cotton affect the water.
Regarding the service life of ceramic sand, I also asked Mr. Yan, he said, "His ceramic sand is only four years old, but he has used it in his aquarium for three and a half years, and he never cleaned it, and the water quality has been quite good". In my experience of more than a year of use is indeed the case, the water quality has been very stable, in the end, how long the ceramic sand need to be cleaned and replaced is still unknown, I will continue to monitor the water quality in the future to determine the cycle of cleaning and replacement, and there will be a succession of reports to share with you.
How to correctly understand the ceramic sand
This article is a supplement to my introduction to ceramic sand, and I also want to correctly guide you to think about the role of ceramic sand, to prevent ceramic sand from being deified. After reading my article there may be some fish friends will want to buy ceramic sand, may think that with ceramic sand can be good water, good fish. In fact, this is a misunderstanding, I'll correct it:
First of all, we have to understand: ceramic sand is just a biochemical filter material, it is just more efficient than ceramic ring, both physical sand filtering effect, so the filtered water is particularly clear, that's all.
So is there a ceramic sand can raise good water? Not necessarily.
There are a lot of conditions that need to be met: whether the filtration system is a reasonable choice, the size of the pump, whether the primary filtration is sound, whether the choice of the number of varieties of filtering material is placed reasonably, whether the tank flow is perfect, the person's knowledge of water, the system's daily maintenance and so on, in order to maintain good water, these factors are indispensable. A lot of biological turbidity caused by bacteria, even if the use of ceramic sand, it does not help. So simply want to rely on ceramic sand can be good water this is the wrong understanding, I hope the majority of fish friends, especially new friends, must recognize this point.
Is it with ceramic sand can raise good fish? This is even more incompatible.
There are a lot of prerequisites for good fish keeping: qualified water quality, reasonable feeding, correct water changes and maintenance of water quality, correct and reasonable medication, human knowledge and experience, and diligence, etc. The determining factor for good fish keeping is human experience. The determining factor in raising good fish is the person, or the raising of merit. And not a kind of filter material. This point friends also need to realize clearly, not that with ceramic sand can produce good fish.
Through the above introduction friends must have a correct understanding of the ceramic sand, do not expand the role of ceramic sand and deification, which I do not want to see.
Fish farming is the most critical factor is the person, no knowledge and experience of the person to give him good equipment can not raise fish. This is the same as photography is a reason, the work of good or bad does not lie in your camera, but to determine the camera behind the mind. Just to encourage everyone with this ****, the equipment-only theory is wrong and something I've always been against.
Thanks to Wang Xianyi lol