Pumice filter media

kevensquint · Sep 15, 2016

Hello, I see a popular product in online shops to use as a growing surface for bacteria in filters/sumps. It looks like balls of pumice or a block of pumice. Very porous and grey. It is $75 for a 8"x8" block. Is using a chunk of pumice bought elsewhere or online likely equivalent. Or possibly harmful to water chemistry? Thanks

cromag27 · Sep 15, 2016

You're probably referring to marinepure products. they are not pumice but rather a type of ceramic. I personally would not use pumice because you may not know where it came from.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 15, 2016

Pumice is not going to be very high surface area. The air is trapped in it, or else it would not float.

kevensquint · Sep 16, 2016

Yes I see, I also found your comments on possible aluminum contamination by the marine"pure"

product. I will instead go with 10 lb mesh bags of dead coral frags sold at the LFS. Natural, and also fairly porous. $20/bag also beats the $75 ceramic block cost.

jason2459 · Sep 19, 2016

kevensquint said:
Yes I see, I also found your comments on possible aluminum contamination by the marine"pure" product. I will instead go with 10 lb mesh bags of dead coral frags sold at the LFS. Natural, and also fairly porous. $20/bag also beats the $75 ceramic block cost.

It may or may not be a concern but it will have a much higher surface area then a bag of rock rubble.

http://reef2reef.com/threads/how-much-aluminum-will-it-leach-lets-guess.247034/

becks · Sep 20, 2016

the leaching issue was from fake products on eBay, marinepure posted a video to show you how to identify the difference

jason2459 · Sep 20, 2016

becks said:
the leaching issue was from fake products on eBay, marinepure posted a video to show you how to identify the difference

Not the conclusion I came too. I would read through the thread I posted. That video came up as well. I bought my product from Doctor Foster and Smith.