Anyone use Seachem Matrix?
- Thread starter dhmx220
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No danger that I'm aware of. It is biological media that provides surface area for beneficial bacteria to populate.
If it gets dirty, you can rinse it in saltwater (or fresh if it's a freshwater tank), to knock detritus off it, but otherwise there's nothing for it to "release", so I'm not sure what your friend was implying.
Jenn
If it gets dirty, you can rinse it in saltwater (or fresh if it's a freshwater tank), to knock detritus off it, but otherwise there's nothing for it to "release", so I'm not sure what your friend was implying.
Jenn
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yea theres nothing to worry about with this stuff ive used over the last few years in a couple tanks and never had a problem
I have 2L of it in mesh bags in the sump right before the return pump. I need to get more it's great stuff. Your friend may be mixing up aspects of denitrifying bacteria and an aspect of carbon dosing I have heard before. Basically, if you either inconsistently dose carbon or stop suddenly, the bacteria that used up the phos and trates die and release them back into the water. You should taper dosing when stopping. I stopped carbon dosing suddenly in the past. One day my levels were nearly 0 and 2 days later nitrates were 40 and phos about 5.
Reading Seachem's info on this, it seems it's like tiny, super-porous live rock? What are the differences between adding this and adding live rock -- smaller, no pests ... anything else I'm not thinking of?
Yeah, it basically acts like live rock with aerobic bacteria near the surface of the pores and anaerobic deeper in the anoxic areas. They claim the rock is much more porous than live rock, and given the smaller size of pieces also, provides greater surface area for denitrification. It is one of only a few fairly inert, natural materials marketed for filtration. Most others are ceramic based. The cost of matrix is really favorable compared to most others as well.
I run mine in a Sea Systems reactor, pushing about 200gph through it 24x7. I have to rinse mine every 4-6 months to clean off detritus. It's all of about 5 min.
The best part is that I pulled the reactor & pump and put it on a 20 QT tank to hold my fish while I'm doing my sell-off and that provides an absolute TON of biological filtration.
The best part is that I pulled the reactor & pump and put it on a 20 QT tank to hold my fish while I'm doing my sell-off and that provides an absolute TON of biological filtration.
Yes, it's good for that too - we suggest using it to provide biological filtration in quarantine tanks - has to be seeded first - seed it in DT, then can be moved to QT.
That's just one of its many uses.
For nitrate-specific issues, use Denitrate - it's the same material, smaller particles, needing slower flow.
Jenn
That's just one of its many uses.
For nitrate-specific issues, use Denitrate - it's the same material, smaller particles, needing slower flow.
Jenn
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If you ever have a chance to build a sump or buy one specific for it, having your entire water volume flow through it is great. I've never had a problem with nitrates. I use 4 gallons of Pond Matrix (larger size) in my 140 total volume system.
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its not made of caco3 where as natural live rock is so you dont get the potential ph buffering ability that would come with live rock.
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