Scoria Rock as Filter Media

[TW]

On the advice of my son, I bought a bag of scoria rock from Flower Power to use as media in my new sump. Here's some info on scoria http://geology.about.com/od/rocks/ig/igrockindex/rocpicscoria.htm

Anyone know if it is inert? Just dawned on me that he uses it for his African tank, but if it is inert it wouldn't make any difference whether for discus or Africans.

Other issue is getting the water to run clear. No matter how many changes of water, when I swish the scoria around in a fresh container of water - the water goes red again. Not sure how particular I should get about this. I think when you pour the water on it & you DON'T swish it all around, water stays clear.

Anyone got any comments on using scoria as a filter media for discus?

[ILLUSN]

scoria is inert and an excellent filter media, i use it in my ponds.

washing it is the most painfull process you'll ever undertake.

you have to get all that red dust out it will take hours and your hands will be ripped up

( tip from the moron who's been there, wear good thick washing gloves and save yourself the cuts and scratches)

[TW]

Darn - wish I'd picked a different media, in that case. I have lost count how many changes of water a 7litre bucket of scoria has gone through & still the water is as red as ever.

[TW]

Just checking - are you sure this stuff ever rinses clean & stops bleeding red into the wash water?

[mcloughlin2]

It does eventually wash clean. It takes a very long time though and even though its far cheaper to start of with then matrix how much do you value the hours spent washing it :?:

[ILLUSN]

LOL to quote Ben...


washng scoria is a bionic pain in the bum

:laff4

[DiscusDave]

On the advice of my son, I bought a bag of scoria rock from Flower Power to use as media in my new sump.

LOL, I'd be asking him to clean it then :D

[TW]

I am very tempted to do just that. But I'm still waiting for him to come around & plumb up my new sump, so i have to be nice (well, at least till then).

Otherwise, I'd give him an earful :evil: Never again will I buy scoria.

I guess there's no rush for him to plumb up my sump after all - as I'll be washing scoria till I'm old & grey & still I will be complaining my water is red :banghead

[TW]

Well, I got serious & nuked the red dust from scoria with the karcher pressure cleaner. In the end, the amount of scoria i bought only filled one section of the sump.

What other suggestions for media might I use? I'm trying to contain costs, so hoping there is an alternative to what you buy from LFS.

[bartek]

Plastic scourers form bunnings.

[ILLUSN]

Go to a hydoponics shop ask them for a bag of hydroton, this is expanded clay, its fired in a rotary kilm and has a surface are of approx 140-200 square meters/L it simple to was and soft on your hands, 50L (more than you'll ever need) will set you back $30,I'm using about 150L in 2 canisters and 2 sumps. just a warning it does float so you'll need some eggcrate or jap mat ontop to push it down.

[Noddy65]

Great idea...theres one of those shops on the way home from work....Ill have 5 sumps in the fish room when its finished so anything effective and cheap is good for me...

Mike

[TW]

If I was starting from scratch, I'd get the hydroton, but I am so running out of storage space & won't need to use anywhere near that quantity, I think I will go again with the scoria. (Unless, that is, I can find hydroton in a smaller quantity.) It will cost me $11 for another bag of scoria & it will be just a little more than I need - so I won't have the storage issue.

Now that I've discovered how to wash it effectively with the katcher pressure cleaner, it's a breeze to clean.

Without the katcher pressure cleaner, I wouldn't touch the stuff with a ten foot pole. If I was you, Mike, I'd definitely go with the hydroton for the amount you need. Hand washing scoria is the pits.