Aquarium Biological Media Replacement

When you “keep” pet fish, you are not just keeping the individual fish themselves. Rather you are really keeping the water that those fish live in. Fish produce waste which will make the water they live in toxic, so it is their owner’s responsibility to keep their water clean. An aquarium filter is often used to maintain the livability of the aquarium water. The filter media provides nitrifying bacteria a place to establish a colony. This bacteria takes deadly compounds produced from fish waste, like ammonia, and converts it into less toxic compounds that can be removed with regular water changes. Every aquarium in the world that supports life contains these bacteria. The filter media is where the majority of then nitrifying bacteria in your tank will live.

Often, commercially produced aquarium filters come with cheap sponges which are meant to act as this medium. Unfortunately, these sponges can deteriorate quickly and replacement sponges must be purchased. However instead of purchasing a new sponge medium, one can simply produce their own long lasting and effective media with a little bit of effort. This guide will go over creating, preparing, and using your own aquarium filter media made from PVC pipe.

Never replace more than 25% of your filter media at once.