Pot Scrubbers For Bio Media
A couple months ago I removed all the expensive bio media from both of my FX6’s filtering my 210G Overstocked African Cichlid Tank and replaced them with nothing but Pot Scrubbers for bio media. That’s insane right, what was I thinking…if you want to find out what happened to my tank, then continue reading below!
To get right to the point, Yes! These Pot Scrubbers for bio media worked just as good, if not better than many other expensive bio media’s out there on the market. I’ll explain how and why I came to these conclusions shortly…
Fluval FX6 Best Media Setup
Before I get into it, if you haven’t watched part 1 of this experiment where I actually showed you guys the process of removing and replacing all my bio media from my Fluval FX6 Canister Filter, make sure to go check that out! WATCH HERE or below.
How I switched to Pot Scrubbers
For those of you all caught up lets do a quick recap. About 2 months ago I removed and replaced all the bio media I had in one FX6 and about a month ago I did the same to my 2nd FX6. So technically the tank itself has been running with nothing but pot scrubbers for only 1 month.
But surprisingly enough, during this whole 2 month process my water parameters remained solid and stable!
Water Parameter Testing
After the first FX6 change I tested for Ammonia and Nitrite every day for about a week and my parameters didn’t budge a single day. But keep in mind that I did still have plenty of the other expensive bio media, seeded bio media in my 2nd FX6. I waited an entire month without making any other changes just to ensure that the beneficial bacteria had plenty of time to reproduce and find their new home in the first FX6 filled with Pot Scrubbers.
At month 2 I repeated the process in my 2nd FX6.
I tested for the first 3 days and the results were very similar.
First test on the following day showed a slight hint of greenish color in the ammonia test which reads at about .25 ppm of Ammonia. I dosed the tank with Seachem Prime to detoxify that ammonia, making the water safe for the fish and also added more Seachem Stability on that day to help in the growth and reproduction of beneficial bacteria.
You can find links to both products along with everything I use in my tank and recommend you use for yours in my Affiliate Shop.
On day 2 and 3 the ammonia tests were back to 0 ppm of Ammonia. Honestly I didn’t even bother to test for Nitrite this time around because I knew these pot scrubbers were doing their job, handling their business.
Pot Scrubbers Conclusion
What makes a good Bio Media?
- Ability to provide surface area for beneficial Bacteria to grow on…Check!
- Keeps your tank cycled and stable due to the growth of said beneficial bacteria…Check!
- That’s it, list over!
So guess what, Pot Scrubbers accomplish that with ease. Granted, some very expensive bio-media out there also claims to reduce Nitrates…heavy emphasis on CLAIMS! The jury is still out on those, IMHO.
These very economical Pot Scrubbers work just as well, if not better than the other expensive stuff on the market. If pot scrubbers can keep your Ammonia at 0 and Nitrite at 0, essentially keeping your tank cycled, then why bother spending more than you have to on bio media? We all know this hobby is expensive enough as it is.
What about water clarity?
So not only will pot scrubbers for bio media have the capability to provide plenty of surface area for your beneficial bacteria to grow on, keeping your tank cycled and stable. They will also help to keep your tank water crystal clear!
I never had a bacterial bloom, no cloudiness in my water at all. The 210G has remained crystal clear. Now I wouldn’t give the pot scrubbers all the credit for crystal clear water, there are many other tactics I use to keep the tank this way. If you haven’t already make sure to check out my Free Ebook with plenty of tips to get crystal clear water.
Still want to use your expensive bio media?
Now I know that many of you that have already spent big bucks on all the expensive bio media in all your tanks may comment about how much you love your matrix or your bio-max or bio-home or your whatever…good for you, continue using what works for you. Switching over to Pot Scrubbers is not a requirement.
But for those of you that feel this hobby is expensive enough as it is, and wasting money on expensive bio media when a $7 pack of pot scrubbers can give you the same results (or better) then I implore you to give these Pot scrubbers a try. You will not be disappointed with your results. If you’d like to try the exact Pot Scrubbers I used you can find them here – Pot Scrubbers for Bio Media.
