Seachem Matrix for QT use

[lacrosseboss18]

Picked up some matrix today for my QT tank. I was wondering if you can take it out and bleach it between QT treatments or should I just toss it and use new each time?

 

[Deinonych]

I toss it between treatments.

 

[Big G]

Here's a response from Seachem from a few years ago: "Thanks for the post. Matrix is an all natural porous media that never has to be replaced. However, from time to time, it may need rinsing, as it will accumulate a sludge on the outside. Simply take it out and gently rinse it under tap water removing any residual sludge that may exist. The great thing about Matrix is that it has the internal surface area that will retain bacteria even when rinsed. It is not necessary or recommended to rinse the media in bleach, as this will kill any bacteria that may have colonized the Matrix. Water will do the job just fine. If you do decide to use bleach, which again, we do not recommend, please soak the media in a dechlorinator, such as Prime, for several hours before use. We hope this helps and please let us know if you need any further assistance. Have a great day!"

So based on this, you could bleach, rinse for bio film and then soak in vinegar to precipitate any copper into a harmless form, rinse, dry and perhaps re use. As I do with Cuprisorb and muriatic acid to "recharge" the cuprisorb material to good as new.

 

[Gareth elliott]

I have pond matrix(slightly larger pores) that has been in my trickle filter going on 7 years?
Would say the statement about never replacing and just rinsing is true. Every spring i rinse with a hose, dose bacteria(tetra product expensive to use anything else lol).

Never used with meds other than cyromazine and had no issues treating at the time. And have been able to keep amphibians and pond snails after several water changes.

 

[Humblefish]

Just picked up a bunch of Matrix today. The absorption experiment begins once I get back to Florida.

 

[Whipples]

I have used matrix in a media reactor during QT before and did not identify any decrease in medications, hope this helps your quest for data!

 

[deedubz]

I use a mix of these two Fluval bio products. Works good. Small mesh bag, mix of the two products, soak with BioSpira. Sits on top of my foam pad in my Aquaclear HOB. Very clean water. Never noticed any absorption problems with copper. Ammonia? What ammonia?

Just wanted to update..
@Big G advised me to do this after finishing ttm. For a few days I had 8 fish in a 29g(they've since been split between two 29gs) and have had 0 ammonia. I repeated this with the second qt tank and am also seeing 0 ammonia. Based on my experience this past week, I can attest to the instant cycle. I have not, nor do I intend to, medicate either tank so I can't speak to the absorption aspect of the thread.

 

[Humblefish]

Began experiment yesterday... Water parameters are as follows:

Tank size: 10 gallons (8 gallons of actual water)
SG: 35ppt (1.0264)
Temp: 78
Copper level: 0.5 mg/L (Cupramine)

 

[Humblefish]

Seachem Matrix was placed in a Phosban 150 and will be continuously run for 30 days. (It’s inside the tank because it’s an old reactor and leaks a little.) Copper levels will be rechecked periodically, and I will post the results to this thread. For this experiment to be successful, no noticeable change in the Cu level should be detected during the 30 days. I will test using chelated copper next, just to be sure.

 

[Reef man 89]

Do you think it makes a difference between running the media in a reactor? Like what you have going on in the test tank. Or spreading the media out over the bottom of the tank.

 

[Humblefish]

Do you think it makes a difference between running the media in a reactor? Like what you have going on in the test tank. Or spreading the media out over the bottom of the tank.

I’m only using a reactor in order to conduct a stringent test, as it forces water through the Matrix. With a powerfilter or canister filter some of the water will go around the media, so absorption (if it occurs) should be less. I don’t think spreading the media out over the bottom of the tank will provide much benefit. You need to have water flowing through it in order for it to be useful for biological filtration.

 

[Jose Mayo]

If on the one hand the sintered glass media does not remove the copper from the water column, on the other, copper has a broad bactericidal effect, which may interfere with media colonization and its ability to control ammonia ... I think that it is not possible to rely too much on a biological filter subjected to the action of copper independently of the media, but I hope to be mistaken.

Regards

 

[Humblefish]

If on the one hand the sintered glass media does not remove the copper from the water column, on the other, copper has a broad bactericidal effect, which may interfere with media colonization and its ability to control ammonia ... I think that it is not possible to rely too much on a biological filter subjected to the action of copper independently of the media, but I hope to be mistaken.

When nitrifying bacteria are exposed to copper, there is initial die-off. However, the survivors quickly adapt to the presence of copper and begin to propagate a copper resistant strain.

Many LFS are using copper on heavy bioloads without ammonia issues. @seth&angelle is one example, as he treats all new fish with Coppersafe before they go into the retail system. The key is he is using a highly efficient bioreactor for biological filtration in his QT room. Most hobbyists can get by with a HOB powerfilter using media capable of housing nitrifying bacteria, provided they keep their QT bioload reasonable.

 

[deedubz]

I may have gone a little overboard lol.

 

[Humblefish]

@dwwataz I like it!

 

[Humblefish]

OK... update time!

Cupramine treated water has been running thru Seachem Matrix for almost 72 hrs now. Results below (no absorption has occurred thus far):

 

[deedubz]

Awesome!

 

[deedubz]

Has anyone had their biospira clump up and leave algae looking "debris" everywhere?

 

[deedubz]

@Humblefish I'm sorry man.. didn't mean to hijack. I clicked the wrong link in the "my posts" tab

 

[Humblefish]

@Humblefish I'm sorry man.. didn't mean to hijack. I clicked the wrong link in the "my posts" tab

No worries