Biological Filter Media

Aquarium biological filter media help and advice

Natural filtration

Biological filter media lets you create your own colony of filtering bacteria, which will be able to digest and convert harmful chemicals into useful, or at least inert, ones. Our biological filter range is made up of some of the biggest brands in aquatics including Fluval, Aqua One and Oase.

What is aquarium biological filter media?

Aquarium biological filter media is either natural or synthetic media that has been specially designed to harbour the beneficial forms of bacteria that remove toxins from water. The most popular forms of biological filter media are small chunks of media that are held in a netted bag within the filter, keeping the chunks together while allowing water to pass through it.

Why should I buy aquarium biological filter media?

These filtering bacterial colonies take little to maintain and are often more effective than chemical treatments as they live in concert with fish and other marine life by producing beneficial by-products. Biological filter media is generally quite cheap and a breeze to set up.

What are the main types of aquarium biological filter media?

We sell a few aquarium biological filter media products that are brand-specific and more niche, such as our Fluval or BiOrb products, but the vast majority of biological filter media products can be split into natural and synthetic. Natural biological filter media is made from naturally occurring substances, like alfagrog, while synthetic media is made from man-made substances, like ceramic or plastic. Natural biological filter media has more cracks and crags for filtration while synthetic media has been chemically formulated for quick bacterial growth.

What should I look for?

Once you've decided on which media you're going to use it's really a case of working out how much you need for your tank or filtration system and buying a filter bag to store it. Most media has some indication of the size of tank it's compatible with so you should be able to work out how much you'll need to buy. Check if your media comes with a filter bag before buying one as they are often included.