Bio balls vs ceramic ring noodles aquarium filter media,Which is better, ceramic rings or bio balls?The answer isn`t black and white.You see, both of these filter media are designed to perform differently.But to properly explain the difference, I need to briefly cover the two types of bacteria that call these two filter media home.
1. Nitrifying bacteria – These bacteria eat ammonia and nitrites. They require oxygen in the water to live. Nitrifying bacteria live on the surface of objects in your aquarium.
2. Denitrifying bacteria – These bacteria eat nitrates. They will only survive if no oxygen is present. Denitrifying bacteria live inside rock, ceramic and other porous materials where no air is present.
Bio balls only carry nitrifying bacteria.
Ceramic noodles can carry both nitrifying bacteria on the surface and denitrifying bacteria inside.
FishLab Tip: You can use more than one type of media in your filter. If you wanted to use bio balls with a different filter media, then go right ahead!
Now, you may be thinking-
That makes ceramic rings the hands down winner since they can carry both types of bacteria.
And, in a lot of ways, you are right. I personally use Siporax for that very reason.
However, it`s a little more complicated than which filter media can carry more bacteria.
You see, ceramic rings increase their surface area through tiny little pores.
These pores are so small that you can hardly see them without a microscope.
Seachem matrix pores for bacteria under microscope.It is in these pores that the bacteria make their home.
The downside of the small pores is that they can become clogged much easier than bio balls.
This is especially true in tanks that don`t have effective mechanical filtration.
While cleaning ceramic rings can help increase their lifespan, some of these pores will become permanently blocked over time.
And when that happens, the biological filtration becomes less and less effective. There will come a time when you eventually need to replace the ceramic rings in your aquarium.
Bio balls, on the other hand, last almost forever.
For me, I find that the benefits of ceramic-style media far outweigh that of plastic bio balls, but then I have a very strict maintenance routine.
If you are looking for a filter media that only carries nitrifying bacteria and requires little maintenance, then bio balls do have their upsides – particularly if you use a trickle filter.