Click 'SHOW MORE' for full video description and important links - watch in HD PLEASE NOTE: amount of biogravel required for the biorb upgrades is dictated by the base area, not the volume of the tank as it is used as a substrate to cover foams. Therefore: 15 litre requires 1.5kg 30 litre requires 2kg 60 litre requires 3.5kg 105 requires 5kg Above figures are based on the 'orb' shapes tanks - the 'life' and 'flow' rectangular tanks require 3.5kg and the foams would be cut to the full size of base. Biorb upgrade kits: www.filterpro.co.uk ('Filter Kits' page) Biorb gravel cleaner: geni.us/0YMWPJJ Ornament to cover central filter plate: geni.us/WWBqb (to make removal of central filter easier - less chance of biogravel falling into filter chamber) How to set up a Biorb aquarium.....Making one of the most troublesome aquariums work properly? That is the task being completed in this video and it also shows a unique, highly porous 'Biogravel'. Feeding frozen and sinking foods is now possible with this upgrade as the food will not be lost under large sharp media (Biorb 'lava rock'). Great range of frozen food here: geni.us/LNA8 (select type - loads to choose from) Full kits for 15 litre, 30 litre and 60 litre orbs and external filters can be found at this link: www.filterpro.co.uk The Biogravel and foams are also available separately from www.filterpro.co.uk The Biogravel is made of the same material as Biohome filter media (sintered glass). Full video on that media to follow. I will ship worldwide but to save on shipping costs please check out these links for other Biohome suppliers: US supplier: www.greatwaveeng.com AU Supplier: www.genesisgroup.com.au CA Supplier: www.angelfins.ca Apologies for the long video but there is a load of important information to get in there and I really like to share as much knowledge as possible to promote greater understanding of the filtration process. Check out how to set up an external filter here: th-cam.com/video/lsAmSD3wVbg/w-d-xo.html Everything you could want to know about moving bed filters here: th-cam.com/video/DbGWp37djZQ/w-d-xo.html Biohome questions and answers here: th-cam.com/video/QGI-ybQoJmg/w-d-xo.html Thanks very much for watching an appreciating the video - please share it with anyone who has a biorb or similar aquarium. Your support is awesome but as I get hundreds of comments every day I may not be able to reply to everyone. Contact me by email on sales@filterpro.co.uk or on 07772848730 regarding biohome any time. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos. A FEW COMMON QUESTIONS: Do I need to take the medium/course foam rings out from under the gravel to clean them? (rinse in siphoned tank water, if so how often?) - It is basically creating an undergravel filter so as long as the substrate (biogravel) is cleaned with a gravel cleaner that will remove the vast majority of uneaten food / fish waste from the biogravel and upper foam so the foams don't need to be removed unless you want to do a deep clean which I recommend doing every 12 months or so. So far I don't know anyone who has done that as they don't want to disturb anything which is working well. Ideally the gravel cleaner would be used once a week to remove waste from bottom of tank, just as it would with a normal tank - that will remove waste, do a small water change and freshen up the tank. Do I need to take the fine filter pad out to clean, if so how often? - That is just like the cleaning of the 'normal' pad for biorbs. When it is clogged it will need replacing but since you have so much filtration prior to water hitting that fine pad it could go for many months before it needs replacing - every tank is different but most will go 4-6 months before the pad needs replacing. Check after 2-3 months and if you think it would go longer next time just extend cleaning intervals to suit - no point cleaning / replacing a clean filter. Do I need to replace the foam or fine filter pad, if so how often? - See above with regard to fine pad in central filter, outer foams should last a good 18-24 months before they lose their 'bounce' but will still function as an undergravel system beyond that. If I’m taking out the foam or fine filter pad. Do I need to take out my fish before doing so to be safe? I don’t want to kill it. - If you are removing the fine pad in the centre then that can be done with fish in no problem but removing the outer foams will involve taking out the biogravel so ideally that would be done when the tank had been drained and fish removed for duration of work - muck could be stirred up when the system is pulled apart so best to do that when fish aren't present. Is the air pump that comes with the BiOrb unit sufficient? If not what power air pump will be best? - Yes the standard air pump will be fine as water flow is not restricted by the undergravel system.
Loved your vid , Mr GURU ....ive just purchased a second hand biorb life 60l and so glad i came across this before i wasted money on those stupid middle filters , i was actually going to try similar to what youve done but wasnt sure if i could , as i say soooo happy i came across this , only thing im unsure about is the fine filter in the middle how often do i clean that please and i carnt find the white /cream pads where did you get those from and how much of this Biohomme do you think i will need x
My Betta Fish got pulled down under the biorb media in to the bottom of the filter!! Have ordered one of these kits as soon as I got him out! Disaster !
I just want to send out a huge thank you!!! We purchased our son a BioOrb second hand not thinking how difficult or expensive this bowl would be. We followed your instructions and the tank has never been so happy!!! Thank you, thank you, Thankyou!!!
I came across this a few years ago and since upgrading the tank about 4 years ago, the plants, fish and snails are flourishing. I am using fine gravel but there's a healthy layer of dirt underneath now. Part water changes about every 2 months and clean any muck off the surface and I don't really need to test levels very often now. Feed them every 2-3 days and a few extra flakes at the weekend Great upgrade.
I have been an aquarium enthusiast for over 10 years. Bioorb has always been on my list of aquariums to tackle but I have been afraid of investing the time and money to have everything die. I only like planted tanks so I am gonna give this a go this Black Friday!! I am really excited. This planted Bioorb will be my Christmas present to myself. I think I have the light situation sorted out too. Thank you!!
Love the idea, what I'd do slightly differently is I'd cut a hole in the ring of foam and place a potted plant like a crinum. And then put the media on so you can have areas that would have plant substrate and stuff like that. Thanks for the brilliant advice. You earned a new subscriber.
THIS IS THE BEST!!! This was my first real tank- it's running FANTASTIC and is completely stable! I've had it since 2014. It's just BEAUTIFUL! These are a PAIN to clean with the substrate falling into the center, BUT this upgrade is FANTASTIC!!! I do also have some planted plants so that helps, but this works so well!!! This substrate is like MAGIC!
Hi Richard ive been away for ages came home this weekend to this absolute gem of a vid the bio gravel looks awesome. Love the shots of the media in microscope view id love to see the entire range compared against other medias to show people why it works so well. thanks again for bringing another great product to us
I've just done this and already my fish are super happy and it looks great!! It has inspired me to keep live plants after refusing to for years. I can't recommend this enough!
Very good to hear and I am working on a saltwater version of this system not as the upgrade kit sold by biorb for marine use addresses none of the filtration problems. I'm glad you're happy with the kit as it was something born out of years of frustration with the biorb tanks.
@@pondguru I’m quite new to fish keeping but I’ve just set up the biorb with the ceramic media, now I’m thinking of changing to this system , how would I go about changing it as I have some fish in my tank already? Only 4 guppies so far though
@@JDL__99 As long as you give the bioravel a good wash before use (soak overnight, rinse and repeat) and drop all the old water out into a suitable container along with the fish, plants etc. you can set up the new system and simply replace all the old water, fish etc. and top up with fresh water. Most people put the old ceramic media on top of the biogravel for a few weeks to ensure that the bacteria can spread out into the biogravel then after a 3-4 weeks the old ceramic media is removed. That will be a smooth transition.
Have to say you're a life saver, I used the biogravel to line the bottom of a Fluval Chi, and I put some of the bioballs from my existing 160 ltr tank in the top of the filter - an idea which was inspired by your moving bed filter in a water bottle video. I now feel alot more confident that this tank is more than able to deal with 3 male Tiger Endlers and the Cherry Shrimps that live in there. Thank you so much for your great inventions and ideas, and for selling us the means to do them ourselves at home.
Just realise Bioballs are actually big plastic balls... I meant I used some of your little filter media balls that looks like Malteasers (the ones you used in the mini moving bed filter video) in the top of my chi filter. My bad :)
I'm deffo gonna try this. 2 questions. 1. How much biogravel will I need for a 30L biorb, and how often, if ever, do the foam rings need replaced/cleaned.
Had this filter in my large bio orb and it was never been better, but i deiced to get rid of my bio orb because of how hard it was to maintain even in the simplest way.
That sounds like a very familiar situation and I'm glad you found the conversion worked as intended. The standard filter set up of the biorbs is so bad that every time I sell a conversion kit I know that it is saving fishes lives so it is a great feeling.
You can get these from filter foams now and with the media the filter foam ring now allows you to use any gravel i hate the ceramic media it damages betta fins
hi spoke with you way back still have my very old given biorb 60 my up date is home made air filter stuck to side but the very old plastic lid kept shorting so this week removed wiring to light for the third time ,holding a halogen bulb ,using a transformer converter I rewired with the correct wire ,then on hunt for replacement halogen for LEd bulb and every thing is working fine ,so it has saved me the basic £22 cost so it can be done
No worries - glad you're pleased with the system and I wish the manufacturers would consider improving the filters in these tanks as it would save millions of fish each year.
@@pondguru I am just beginning my journey with biorbs and so have very limited experience. I love all the new things I'm learning from Richard, though the concern is that Biorb recommend removing any ceramic media smaller than pea sized, as this can get stuck in the filter area preventing you from being able to insert and close the air tube, please can you explain how we can overcome this? Can you also create a video on how to clean the black foam filter and biogravel, and how often this should be done? I envisage this being quite tricky for me so would find a video most useful. Thank you.
@@sweetdreamstime2266 (my other channel) As far as cleaning he foam goes it will be cleaned when you push a gravel cleaner through the biogravel and slightly depress he foam drawing muck from it - no need to strip down to clean unless you wan to do a deep clean after a year or so. To replace central cartridge just scrape media away from the centre and replace the foam or whatever you have in the central part.
I have the 4gal BioOrb and was at my wits end with it. Out of a dozen fish, only 4 have managed to survive and for some reason the water just stayed murky, even with a new (expensive) filter. I call them the little troopers. lol. Anyways, I was trying to figure out how to pimp up the filter system and viola, here you are. AND I had the biohome stuff already and used it in my little minipond outside which has been fabulous! Today, I stuck some in the filter (just grasping at straws), but will order more and try this set up. Thank-you for the video! C
Will do no problem as there are other options for substrate depending on the type of fish kept. Biorbs will be part of the series of aquatic videos I will be filming soon.
I saw the video and on the back of that, bought the upgrade kit for my 30 litre biorb. I have now been running it for about 6 weeks, and added 6 Endlers and a ghost shrimp a week ago. I plan on adding another 3 Endlers and possibly a couple more shrimp in a few weeks time. The water quality is very good with ammonia and nitrites consistently at zero, and nitrates very low. The water is crystal clear and the fish/shrimp appear very happy. I'd certainly recommend the upgrade kit!
I found one of my Endlers dead yesterday and it had no visible signs of infection or disease. I tested the tank water in my Biorb 30l classic which showed PH at 8.2. Ammonia and Nitrites are 0, Nitrates are 10ppm. As a double check I also tested my incoming mains water supply which is 7.4 so something is happening in the tank. I live in a very hard water area. Any advice on correcting the problem please will be much appreciated.
It would act as a gravel and enable easier cleaning compared to the large rocks supplied with the tank but the porosity would be very different to Biogravel since lava rock / pumice is a natural rock which varies in quality greatly. If you were lucky enough to get a selection of rocks with a suitable porosity then it would be very good.
I know this is an older video. I was looking at one of these as an update for my small glass globe for my four apple snails. My current system works perfectly. Have a micro sponge filter and a wooden air stone. Only use the filter a few times a week. No plants unfortunately.. water is beautiful and clean. Partial water change every week or so to clean the gravel. Question: could I just do away with the stock supplied filter, perhaps keeping the air intake only, and add my own substrate? IE sand, gravel and stones, that I know already work in my I gallon? I only keep snails. I have two large apple snails, about an inch, two small ones, a small Ramshorn and two small river snails and a little bladder.. nearly forgot... five small freshwater golden clams.
For the stock you have minimal filtration will be needed and plants would be ideal to make sure the water stays healthy. If you have the native ramshorn snails they will not eat plants but the striped ramshorn snails often sold in pet shops will eat plants. In any tank it would be best to have some sort of filtration and water movement so if you can have a small filter running 24/7 it wold be better than no filter at all.
I'll have to say. I purchased this upgrade for my Biorb and WOW! My numbers are always zero, with the exception of PH. I would never think of having a tank this size because they end up being toxic but after receiving it as a gift I did some research and find this media. It is amazing. Its now the only substrate I use.
Hiya thank you for your video, jeezzeee there still isn't much on the net about the 60l tanks! So this was such a find! I have got a 60l and searching for biorb and how to keep them clear and healthy as I'm doing at least an half change every 2 weeks!!! Love your breakdown of how everything works sooo easy to follow!! Thanks again Helen 💯🐟🐬💯
Hi ya. Love this upgrade fish are doin so much better. I keep finding the water keeps goin green. I have no direct sunlight on the tank and the light is only on about 2 hours a night. The room is very light. Any idea how I can stop this happening please. Thank you so much for the upgrade on filter
Hi I have just purchased the kit to change over my biorb but I have fish in it so wondering how I do this and get it cycled. Please help I stupidly bought the biorb without doing my research and the fish are not doing that well.
Love this!! Thank you will definitely do this if I use it again. I had a biorb for years I switched to a 140L tank (£5 off Facebook..mental) as was given corys and some neons when a friend wanted to get rid, the biorb wasn’t suitable for the corys. Anyway on emptying the biorb my 5 Colombian red fin tetras had become 35+ The filter media and pebbles in the bottom allowed them to hide from predation. I couldn’t believe ve how many were hiding down in the bottom. My most successful unintentional needing to date 😆
I’ve been struggling with a biorblife60 for 4 months. I’ve had 2 deaths and enough water changes to hide a moderately sized nuclear submarine. One month in to this change (with a full rectangular run of coarse on top of medium with a replacement home cut fine foam filter and your substrate with ceramic beads) I’m gobsmacked by the results. The fish are thriving, the tank no longer smells of death and I’m no longer blaming myself for the tears from my daughter. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!!
I think I sent you the templates but it is confusing as I am getting messages here and also by email asking similar questions. If you have the templates simply print them out. The largest foam will need a foam of around 12" x 12" to cut it from.
I am so glad I seen this informative video. I had just discovered Biorb s and was in the process of deciding wether to buy one or not. So I didn’t like the negative reviews and didn’t like how some people couldn’t raise anything in one. I had shied me away from buying. Then I seen a few comments mentioning Pond Guru and filter upgrade. So I am completely sold I bought the Biorb along with Biogravel and neccesay
I probably will do a tracking video as well as a 2-3 day bushcraft video this year but nothing planned in near future as I am killed with work at present.
It wouldn't make a huge difference to water quality but I know of a few people who have installed 150 or 200 lph air pump for the 60 litre orb with no issues.
I got a biube cheap and was worrying about how to keep it healthy for my fish. Will be buying your kit next month. This is a grate video thank you very much.
I think the biube will need some more media due to there not being a plastic base on that tank base but the foams will certainly fit around the filter. Not sure how much extra media it may take as I haven't got a biube aquarium to test.
thankyou the fitting is small but takes an 10 watt halogen bulb like that in a baby bio but I bought one for £6 off the net but got identical in £ shop and works but I am still not sure if a look alike would work with a different type of halogen
I have watched your videos many times, i am preparing to do my first setup with a Biorb cube, I wonder if the sponge should be cut square shape or rounded ? Also purchased the biogravel which is very expensive but from all reviews seems this is the way to go. Thank you for the passion to share and hopefully I will don’t end in frustration with this hobby.
Brilliant, had a Biorb for years and the filter has always been a pain and expensive the Biorb has been in the shed for the last few years but I’m really tempted to get it back out now and do this upgrade, get some little fishy’s to entertain the other pets.
You could but it would get all mixed up as soon as you cleaned the substrate with a gravel cleaner. An under gravel filter really needs to be set up with gravel of small size in an aquarium.
@Pondguru Thank you for responding. Do you ever have to change the foam at the bottom? I'll do this set up and add live plants but I was worried about the foam
@@lexierachelle5878 The foam should easily last a couple of years before it need replacing - foam can last for ages and only needs replacing if it gets too clogged and can't be cleaned or it starts to go floppy or shrinks with age. Root systems from plants will be extensive enough in the Biogravel and upper foam to allow movement of plant at a later date if you choose to renew the foams at a few years down the line.
I don't understand your accent and on closed captioning it doesn't always type the correct words so can you tell me the brand name or what is this new revolutionary product you covered the bottom of the orb with please thank you?
+Rohit Tulsiyan When you drain water during maintenance just scrub marks off with a suitable aquarium pad or scraper. If the marks are white they may be harder to remove and may require a vinegar solution on a pad so best done when tank is empty.
I have Eheim substrat pro. I am wondering if I could use this. The biorb did not give nearly enough rock material to cover the surface of the bottom at all! Thank you for your help.
302Tonya It may work but would possibly be too light to clean with a gravel cleaner. You couldn't use gravel cleaner with the large biorb media in there so you'd have to go all gravel / substrat pro.
Great video. Is there an electric filter that I can buy and put intisde this to keep the water clean like they have in stores? Like a filter that has electric pump and I just replace or clean the filter not the whole tank. Thanks a lot! Ours gets green cloudy in 2 days and in two weeks looks terrible. Can't keep cleaning this every 2 weeks! It's so much work takes about 4 hours cleaning the decorations, rocks inside the bowl etc
I don't have my shop now and don't sell fluval filters so I have no means of doing that. They are easy to set up though as you just leave the foams around the trays and add a fine foam to the top of the top tray. Rest of trays are filled with biohome (approx. 5kg) and that's all you need to make it as efficient as possible. No need for any additives or sachets of stuff when the filter works properly.
i wont be able to put this in my filter as i got juwel but i wont even be able to put 1 kg in the juwel filter as i wont have any foams then but i might be able to put 500g of it in my filter in the bottom tray the untimate version will that keep the nitrates low
Thank you so much. I just used your suggestions for my old 9 gallon Biorb. I was gifted with it and love it but hate having to purchase those filters all the time. I only have a beta in there right now but I can finally add some shrimp after getting rid of the old substrate.
I'm setting up my canister filter with 4 trays can I use 2 trays of Bio ultimate and 1 tray of bio gravel and of course your the first one has your media
Larry Liotta Yes just go with foams in bottom tray then biohome (any type) in trays above that. The biogravel would probably be best in the top tray as long as you had a plastic grid over it to prevent pieces being sucked into pump. If no plastic grid then go with the biogravel in middle media tray.
Fantastic, bought the kit, followed your advice and what d’ya know...it works. Really pleased with your solution and doubly pleased I don’t have to clean this green gunk each weekend just to see the fish!! Much appreciated and thank you.
That looks way too fine and I reckon it would clog the foams quickly. If you wanted to go with a substrate which would condition the water for marine then a small crushed (white) pumice would be the one to go for but unfortunately I can't find anyone selling that. I have a 10kg bag of pumice which is around 10mm but that mat be too big. Smaller sizes are available from my supplier and I have a sample bag of one which would be perfect for the marine biorbs but its not enough to do a conversion - minimum order is 500kg and I've just had a delivery so it will be a good few weeks until I need more but I will get some of the smaller sizes in 10kg bags to use in marine kits. It is much cheaper than the biogravel. Thinking about it if you could probably use crushed coral over the foams as a substrate?
+Pondguru Outdoors I've noticed IKEA do a propagation unit using pumice stones as a growth media (hydroponics?) Replacement 3l packs are available @ £2.50 but perhaps would be too fine? m.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/art/00317650/
I've biogravel in my 45L biorb and would caution against using so much that it covers the central filter cartridge. Yes, you can be careful in moving it away from the filter when you want to change the foam ring but getting the gravel inside the housing and jamming it to the point that it won't unscrew, is a real problem, as I've found to my cost and needing a complete emptying and strip down.
Yes having only a light covering over the central filter or better still something like this covering the central filter: geni.us/WWBqb would ensure that the gravel does not contact with the central filter cover plate so that is a very good point you made there. I have added the link to that ornament in the video description. Regards, Richard
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your expertise. I am a beginner and really do care for my fish. I have a BiOrb 60L for which I bought a year supply of the commercial filters. I have 5 left. So, I have a feeling that I am going to be sourcing all of the components (I am in Australia) to make your particular filtering system. While I love my BiOrb, I am frustrated with how hard it is to actually clean. Because it is so hard to clean properly, I have removed and cleaned the standard filter 4 times today, plus spent 2 hours skimming the water after rinsing out the filter. It seems that a lot of crap gets caught in the filter orifice. I have a single fancy and a golden sucker fish in it and clean it out weekly. I am ok to do this as I find the process quite relaxing, but just annoyed that it is never as good a job as I would like.
+alonyaJ As long as you don't lose too much original water you can clean it as often as you like but its a whole heap of unnecessary work. Yes it costs a lot to send anything from UK to AU but the Australian supplier of biohome (link on my website: www.filterpro.co.uk) should have biogravel - the foams may be more difficult to source. Try sellers of pond filters for those.
I have finally got all the bits together and today I have assembled by tank per the instructions. I could only get the BioHome minis here in Australia, although I prefer the look of the pebbles that you used in the video. I snapped 2kg in half and put the other 1kg in whole. The stupid cartridge received 2x Micropads with the little off-cut bits stuffed into the bottom due to a lack of the pebbles. I am looking forward to seeing how this works. I am considering converting it to a tropical as I have had more luck with that than with goldfish.
Yes tropicals are much easier to look after in a small tank so would be worth giving a go in a biorb If the biohome mini ultra won't snap up suitably you could just use ordinary gravel - don't feel compelled to use biohome if the biogravel is not available from the AU supplier as ordinary aquarium gravel will still do a decent job and will be smooth compared to snapped up pieces of biohome mini ultra.
If you used this upgrade with the smaller biorb and also had live plants, shrimp, but no fish… how often do you think you would need to clean the gravel if at all?
+Boosted Nation There is a link to different suppliers of the biohome on my website www.filterpro.co.uk (flags at top of all pages). Don definitely has the biogravel and foams - I'm not sure he does a specific kit but you should be able to make up the necessary kit from there. Hope that helps.
I saw your video regarding turning decor into air pump and filters with a spin stream to make smaller bubbles. I was wondering if I could modify the center in my BiOrb to do that same thing?
I saw that and thought the very same thing Rhonda. I just found a classic 15L for 40 bucks and I am going to try it without the spin stream first, 4 gallons might be a bit small for that, but for sure a mini power head with the little air draw hose right on the under gravel bubble up tube instead of air pump driven system, custom cut foams under bio home's bio gravel as well. It may take an adapter or some such to mate pump to the up tube, also the power head is heavy for being mini, so maybe some pump supporting/hiding center decor build as well. Anything is possible with a little corrugated plastic cardboard, scissors, silicone, rocks, sand, and time...lots of time. Give it a try and show us how it turns out. If I can do this, th-cam.com/video/E6jGi0FoQYA/w-d-xo.html, you can do your idea! I will post how mine comes out on my channel when I get it going and let you know "cuz it is a neat idea. My biorb arrives this Friday so ...123 GO! Good Luck!
I have a Spyorb, made by Reef One - the same as the usual biorb but covered on the sides with only a clear "spyhole" on the front. Anyway I'm looking at this upgrade kit so that I can keep a few little pygmy puffer fish or 1 green spotted puffer. What I wanted to know was if this kit would be suitable for the brackish water that GSPs would need as they get older? Thanks for your help!
Natallulah Yes the media is inert so marine / brackish use is no problem. I would probably go for the pygmy puffers over the green spotted due to the size and you can have plants with the pygmies too.
Cheers mate I just bought a second hand one today I was thinking of drilling holes in the plastic pipe like you would a diy sponge filter then put sponge round it me dad didn't think this would work so TH-cam ideas found this.. I'm going to buy your media tonight from your website cheers Richard how much will I need if I'm planting mines the 60l
Sorry just seen this now. The 60 litre kit comes with 3.5kg of biogravel and that is needed to cover the foams in the kit but they have quite a high profile cut. Actual amount needed depends on type of foams used and could be anything from 2.5kg (flat foams) to 3.5kg (deep cut foams) - hope that makes sense. Regards, Richard
Well I hope 'Ed' sends me a thank you message if this video gets thousands of views, lol Got an email from you a few days ago so will get round to answering that properly. Been killed by work recently.
I have a 50l tank that is technically over stocked and I'm looking at making it a planted tank and wanting to lower the amount of maintenance I actually have to do and want to know if this media would work and how much of it I would need to use to get the best results
Less maintenance will often come from beefing up the filtration and the filter choice would be dictated by what the stock of fish was. For example a Fluval 206 external would be a good choice if a 50 litre tank was heavily stocked but a normally stocked 50 litre would be OK with a 106. Maybe a HOB filter like the Tidal 77 or 75 filled with good media would be good if you didn't want a canister filter as most internal filters are way too small for heavily stocked tank.
@@pondguru I have a marina filter in the tank at the moment but the flow is just to strong for my fish, I have sponge filters on my smaller tanks but I don't feel like they do a very good job but I think it could be the air pump that's the problem with those, I have a female betta tank, a male on his own because he's picky about what I put with him and a guppy tank, the 50l is the females tank
@@emmajane4452 Yup, I'd say go for the 206 with 1kg of biohome ultimate if you have an overstocked 50 litre tank. Use a spray bar to diffuse the return flow and it will be fine for guppies.
The outer foams should keep their 'bounce' for at least a couple of years but the central fine pad may need replacing every 1-6 months - you will get loads of them out of one fine pad in the kit. How long anything lasts or needs replacing will be specific to the tank situation and every tank is different due to stock, feeding etc.
Sorry for the newbie questions but if I do all this do I still have to treat the water regularly with the chemicals? I'm looking to just have shrimps and guppies. Thanks in advance.
Only chemicals you should need (unless you are treating the fish) is a dechlorinator when adding fresh (tap) water after a gravel clean / water change.
I have a question, do you actually need the filter cartridge? could you not just put sponge and some filter media where the filter cartridge goes so that all the water coming through the bottom has to travel up through it? cheers JP
The filter cartridge is not really needed as it's only there to remove very fine particles which may all get caught in the biogravel and foams - I consider it optional and it can be replaced with a coarse / medium foam and it will only need looking at very rarely.
How often do u replace the foam under the substrate. When u hover the bottom do u hover the top of the foam or just leave it n how long do you leave the polishing media in for ❓
The outer foams should last a good 2+ years before they need replacing but should be cleaned every time you clean the biogravel / water change with a gravel cleaner. Central filter (fine pad) will need replacing as and when it gets clogged with fine particles and that takes anywhere from a few months to over a year depending on the stocking scenario.
Do you clean the foam with the gravelcleaner? So i understand ? Because i think it's difficulty to remove the foam with the gravel inside the tank. Sorry for my english 😉
i upgraded one of the for a bloke to a external filter i drilled two holes in it one at the top and one at the bottom works fantastic now with a very large external fitted
As far as I know marine conversions are available from the manufacturers but I do not think they are very comprehensive. The system in this video still works fine for marine as the media is inert but you would need to condition the water to make it suitable for marine.
Yes, much of the muck would easily be removed by using a gravel cleaner to push through the biogravel and slightly depress the foams. I would normally recommend giving the tank a full strip down every 12-18 months depending on stock but as far as I know nobody has ever told me they took that advice and they still have the tank running fine. Simple gravel cleaning with something like this: geni.us/0YMWPJJ does 2 important jobs. It removes the muck from bottom of tank and does a partial water change to freshen things up. Even when tank reaches full maturity of zero ammonia, nitrite and nitrate the mick needs removing for hygiene and water change reasons.
I have a 15l biorb which has a male betta and his girlfriend and theres apparently a shrimp in there somewhere ?! how would you recommend me changing out the filter system to the kit one in your shop? thanks
+Sophia-Teresa Morgan As long as you remove all the water and substrate very carefully you should be able to catch the shrimp and fish and store them in a container with the original water. Set up the kit, fill with tap water then drain most out and that will remove any dust not washed out by initial rinsing of the media. You can then put your old water back in the tank and add the fish and shrimps back.
I've read some of the comments and if I understand this correctly the under gravel foam should last 2-3 years as long as the biogravel is cleaned with a gravel cleaner once a week, and the gravel is rinsed in a jug approximately once a year? But what about the fine pad in the cartridge? When will that need to be replaced? Just want to make sure that I've understood the maintenance aspect of this. Thank you in advance.
Yes, structurally the outer foams should last at least a couple of years as they are good quality and the fine pad in the central filter would need replacing according to how quickly it gets clogged. That could be every 2, 4, or 6 months depending on the stocking and feeding.
Click 'SHOW MORE' for full video description and important links - watch in HD
PLEASE NOTE: amount of biogravel required for the biorb upgrades is dictated by the base area, not the volume of the tank as it is used as a substrate to cover foams. Therefore:
15 litre requires 1.5kg
30 litre requires 2kg
60 litre requires 3.5kg
105 requires 5kg
Above figures are based on the 'orb' shapes tanks - the 'life' and 'flow' rectangular tanks require 3.5kg and the foams would be cut to the full size of base.
Biorb upgrade kits: www.filterpro.co.uk ('Filter Kits' page)
Biorb gravel cleaner: geni.us/0YMWPJJ
Ornament to cover central filter plate: geni.us/WWBqb
(to make removal of central filter easier - less chance of biogravel falling into filter chamber)
How to set up a Biorb aquarium.....Making one of the most troublesome aquariums work properly?
That is the task being completed in this video and it also shows a unique, highly porous 'Biogravel'.
Feeding frozen and sinking foods is now possible with this upgrade as the food will not be lost under large sharp media (Biorb 'lava rock'). Great range of frozen food here: geni.us/LNA8 (select type - loads to choose from)
Full kits for 15 litre, 30 litre and 60 litre orbs and external filters can be found at this link: www.filterpro.co.uk
The Biogravel and foams are also available separately from www.filterpro.co.uk
The Biogravel is made of the same material as Biohome filter media (sintered glass). Full video on that media to follow.
I will ship worldwide but to save on shipping costs please check out these links for other Biohome suppliers:
US supplier: www.greatwaveeng.com
AU Supplier: www.genesisgroup.com.au
CA Supplier: www.angelfins.ca
Apologies for the long video but there is a load of important information to get in there and I really like to share as much knowledge as possible to promote greater understanding of the filtration process.
Check out how to set up an external filter here: th-cam.com/video/lsAmSD3wVbg/w-d-xo.html
Everything you could want to know about moving bed filters here: th-cam.com/video/DbGWp37djZQ/w-d-xo.html
Biohome questions and answers here: th-cam.com/video/QGI-ybQoJmg/w-d-xo.html
Thanks very much for watching an appreciating the video - please share it with anyone who has a biorb or similar aquarium.
Your support is awesome but as I get hundreds of comments every day I may not be able to reply to everyone.
Contact me by email on sales@filterpro.co.uk or on 07772848730 regarding biohome any time.
Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos.
A FEW COMMON QUESTIONS:
Do I need to take the medium/course foam rings out from under the gravel to clean them? (rinse in siphoned tank water, if so how often?)
- It is basically creating an undergravel filter so as long as the substrate (biogravel) is cleaned with a gravel cleaner that will remove the vast majority of uneaten food / fish waste from the biogravel and upper foam so the foams don't need to be removed unless you want to do a deep clean which I recommend doing every 12 months or so. So far I don't know anyone who has done that as they don't want to disturb anything which is working well.
Ideally the gravel cleaner would be used once a week to remove waste from bottom of tank, just as it would with a normal tank - that will remove waste, do a small water change and freshen up the tank.
Do I need to take the fine filter pad out to clean, if so how often?
- That is just like the cleaning of the 'normal' pad for biorbs. When it is clogged it will need replacing but since you have so much filtration prior to water hitting that fine pad it could go for many months before it needs replacing - every tank is different but most will go 4-6 months before the pad needs replacing. Check after 2-3 months and if you think it would go longer next time just extend cleaning intervals to suit - no point cleaning / replacing a clean filter.
Do I need to replace the foam or fine filter pad, if so how often?
- See above with regard to fine pad in central filter, outer foams should last a good 18-24 months before they lose their 'bounce' but will still function as an undergravel system beyond that.
If I’m taking out the foam or fine filter pad. Do I need to take out my fish before doing so to be safe? I don’t want to kill it.
- If you are removing the fine pad in the centre then that can be done with fish in no problem but removing the outer foams will involve taking out the biogravel so ideally that would be done when the tank had been drained and fish removed for duration of work - muck could be stirred up when the system is pulled apart so best to do that when fish aren't present.
Is the air pump that comes with the BiOrb unit sufficient? If not what power air pump will be best?
- Yes the standard air pump will be fine as water flow is not restricted by the undergravel system.
Great video. Do you have a video with it all hooked up as well?
No, but I will be doing a follow-up video showing a marine / hard water option soon and may as well film them running.
Glad you like the idea.
Loved your vid , Mr GURU ....ive just purchased a second hand biorb life 60l and so glad i came across this before i wasted money on those stupid middle filters , i was actually going to try similar to what youve done but wasnt sure if i could , as i say soooo happy i came across this , only thing im unsure about is the fine filter in the middle how often do i clean that please and i carnt find the white /cream pads where did you get those from and how much of this Biohomme do you think i will need x
My Betta Fish got pulled down under the biorb media in to the bottom of the filter!! Have ordered one of these kits as soon as I got him out! Disaster !
Like
I just want to send out a huge thank you!!! We purchased our son a BioOrb second hand not thinking how difficult or expensive this bowl would be. We followed your instructions and the tank has never been so happy!!! Thank you, thank you, Thankyou!!!
+Zac olive
I wouldn't ever keep goldfish in the small biorbs but the 105 you could get a couple of fancies as there's a bit more swimming space there.
love this video! Brilliant
I came across this a few years ago and since upgrading the tank about 4 years ago, the plants, fish and snails are flourishing. I am using fine gravel but there's a healthy layer of dirt underneath now. Part water changes about every 2 months and clean any muck off the surface and I don't really need to test levels very often now.
Feed them every 2-3 days and a few extra flakes at the weekend
Great upgrade.
I have been an aquarium enthusiast for over 10 years. Bioorb has always been on my list of aquariums to tackle but I have been afraid of investing the time and money to have everything die. I only like planted tanks so I am gonna give this a go this Black Friday!! I am really excited. This planted Bioorb will be my Christmas present to myself. I think I have the light situation sorted out too. Thank you!!
Yes, the newer lights are better but due to the highly disturbed surface the light is refracted so easy-care plants are the way forward.
Love the idea, what I'd do slightly differently is I'd cut a hole in the ring of foam and place a potted plant like a crinum. And then put the media on so you can have areas that would have plant substrate and stuff like that. Thanks for the brilliant advice. You earned a new subscriber.
THIS IS THE BEST!!! This was my first real tank- it's running FANTASTIC and is completely stable! I've had it since 2014. It's just BEAUTIFUL! These are a PAIN to clean with the substrate falling into the center, BUT this upgrade is FANTASTIC!!! I do also have some planted plants so that helps, but this works so well!!! This substrate is like MAGIC!
How do you stop the gravel going into the space where the filter cartridge was when you take it out?
Hi Richard ive been away for ages came home this weekend to this absolute gem of a vid the bio gravel looks awesome. Love the shots of the media in microscope view id love to see the entire range compared against other medias to show people why it works so well. thanks again for bringing another great product to us
I will be doing a video specifically on the media as it is incredible stuff for the DIY filters and using inside hollow ornaments.
I've just done this and already my fish are super happy and it looks great!! It has inspired me to keep live plants after refusing to for years. I can't recommend this enough!
Very good to hear and I am working on a saltwater version of this system not as the upgrade kit sold by biorb for marine use addresses none of the filtration problems.
I'm glad you're happy with the kit as it was something born out of years of frustration with the biorb tanks.
@@pondguru I’m quite new to fish keeping but I’ve just set up the biorb with the ceramic media, now I’m thinking of changing to this system , how would I go about changing it as I have some fish in my tank already? Only 4 guppies so far though
@@JDL__99 As long as you give the bioravel a good wash before use (soak overnight, rinse and repeat) and drop all the old water out into a suitable container along with the fish, plants etc. you can set up the new system and simply replace all the old water, fish etc. and top up with fresh water.
Most people put the old ceramic media on top of the biogravel for a few weeks to ensure that the bacteria can spread out into the biogravel then after a 3-4 weeks the old ceramic media is removed. That will be a smooth transition.
I really appreciate the advice that you give regarding the filtration system of the Biorb. Many thanks
(my other channel) no worries and I'm glad you found the video useful as I make the video to help people.
Will this massively affect the flow rate of water through the up tube?
Have to say you're a life saver, I used the biogravel to line the bottom of a Fluval Chi, and I put some of the bioballs from my existing 160 ltr tank in the top of the filter - an idea which was inspired by your moving bed filter in a water bottle video. I now feel alot more confident that this tank is more than able to deal with 3 male Tiger Endlers and the Cherry Shrimps that live in there. Thank you so much for your great inventions and ideas, and for selling us the means to do them ourselves at home.
Just realise Bioballs are actually big plastic balls... I meant I used some of your little filter media balls that looks like Malteasers (the ones you used in the mini moving bed filter video) in the top of my chi filter. My bad
:)
Lucy Blayney No worries and good to hear you're experimenting with the filter. Best of luck with that.
I'm deffo gonna try this. 2 questions. 1. How much biogravel will I need for a 30L biorb, and how often, if ever, do the foam rings need replaced/cleaned.
Had this filter in my large bio orb and it was never been better, but i deiced to get rid of my bio orb because of how hard it was to maintain even in the simplest way.
That sounds like a very familiar situation and I'm glad you found the conversion worked as intended. The standard filter set up of the biorbs is so bad that every time I sell a conversion kit I know that it is saving fishes lives so it is a great feeling.
You can get these from filter foams now and with the media the filter foam ring now allows you to use any gravel i hate the ceramic media it damages betta fins
hi spoke with you way back still have my very old given biorb 60 my up date is home made air filter stuck to side but the very old plastic lid kept shorting so this week removed wiring to light for the third time ,holding a halogen bulb ,using a transformer converter I rewired with the correct wire ,then on hunt for replacement halogen for LEd bulb and every thing is working fine ,so it has saved me the basic £22 cost so it can be done
Nice one - you will get the bulbs online.
Hi - Been running the upgrade for 4 months now, amazing results - perfect water quality. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
No worries - glad you're pleased with the system and I wish the manufacturers would consider improving the filters in these tanks as it would save millions of fish each year.
@@pondguru I am just beginning my journey with biorbs and so have very limited experience. I love all the new things I'm learning from Richard, though the concern is that Biorb recommend removing any ceramic media smaller than pea sized, as this can get stuck in the filter area preventing you from being able to insert and close the air tube, please can you explain how we can overcome this? Can you also create a video on how to clean the black foam filter and biogravel, and how often this should be done? I envisage this being quite tricky for me so would find a video most useful. Thank you.
@@sweetdreamstime2266 (my other channel) As far as cleaning he foam goes it will be cleaned when you push a gravel cleaner through the biogravel and slightly depress he foam drawing muck from it - no need to strip down to clean unless you wan to do a deep clean after a year or so. To replace central cartridge just scrape media away from the centre and replace the foam or whatever you have in the central part.
I have the 4gal BioOrb and was at my wits end with it. Out of a dozen fish, only 4 have managed to survive and for some reason the water just stayed murky, even with a new (expensive) filter. I call them the little troopers. lol. Anyways, I was trying to figure out how to pimp up the filter system and viola, here you are. AND I had the biohome stuff already and used it in my little minipond outside which has been fabulous! Today, I stuck some in the filter (just grasping at straws), but will order more and try this set up. Thank-you for the video! C
And how do you clean it after ya scape it ?
if you have any more updates please can you put them on for us of whom have an interest
Will do no problem as there are other options for substrate depending on the type of fish kept. Biorbs will be part of the series of aquatic videos I will be filming soon.
I saw the video and on the back of that, bought the upgrade kit for my 30 litre biorb. I have now been running it for about 6 weeks, and added 6 Endlers and a ghost shrimp a week ago. I plan on adding another 3 Endlers and possibly a couple more shrimp in a few weeks time. The water quality is very good with ammonia and nitrites consistently at zero, and nitrates very low. The water is crystal clear and the fish/shrimp appear very happy. I'd certainly recommend the upgrade kit!
I found one of my Endlers dead yesterday and it had no visible signs of infection or disease. I tested the tank water in my Biorb 30l classic which showed PH at 8.2. Ammonia and Nitrites are 0, Nitrates are 10ppm. As a double check I also tested my incoming mains water supply which is 7.4 so something is happening in the tank. I live in a very hard water area. Any advice on correcting the problem please will be much appreciated.
I do tend to also get neon tetras getting dragged into my filter and getting stuck
I’m just watching this 7 years later. Is this still your current recommendations? Or has something new come available?
Would crushed lava rock have the same effect as the media you used? If it was crushed to like gravel sized pieces.
It would act as a gravel and enable easier cleaning compared to the large rocks supplied with the tank but the porosity would be very different to Biogravel since lava rock / pumice is a natural rock which varies in quality greatly.
If you were lucky enough to get a selection of rocks with a suitable porosity then it would be very good.
I know this is an older video. I was looking at one of these as an update for my small glass globe for my four apple snails. My current system works perfectly. Have a micro sponge filter and a wooden air stone. Only use the filter a few times a week. No plants unfortunately.. water is beautiful and clean. Partial water change every week or so to clean the gravel.
Question: could I just do away with the stock supplied filter, perhaps keeping the air intake only, and add my own substrate? IE sand, gravel and stones, that I know already work in my I gallon?
I only keep snails. I have two large apple snails, about an inch, two small ones, a small Ramshorn and two small river snails and a little bladder.. nearly forgot... five small freshwater golden clams.
For the stock you have minimal filtration will be needed and plants would be ideal to make sure the water stays healthy. If you have the native ramshorn snails they will not eat plants but the striped ramshorn snails often sold in pet shops will eat plants.
In any tank it would be best to have some sort of filtration and water movement so if you can have a small filter running 24/7 it wold be better than no filter at all.
Do these tanks ever leak from that bottom hole where the airline tubing enters?
The filter tube is brown, can you take filter out and wash as with the original tank?
I'll have to say. I purchased this upgrade for my Biorb and WOW! My numbers are always zero, with the exception of PH. I would never think of having a tank this size because they end up being toxic but after receiving it as a gift I did some research and find this media. It is amazing. Its now the only substrate I use.
I take it even with this setup, you'd still need to use water conditioner when changing water?
Hi could I use ozone generator instead o an air pump?
Hiya thank you for your video, jeezzeee there still isn't much on the net about the 60l tanks! So this was such a find! I have got a 60l and searching for biorb and how to keep them clear and healthy as I'm doing at least an half change every 2 weeks!!! Love your breakdown of how everything works sooo easy to follow!! Thanks again
Helen 💯🐟🐬💯
Hi ya. Love this upgrade fish are doin so much better. I keep finding the water keeps goin green. I have no direct sunlight on the tank and the light is only on about 2 hours a night. The room is very light. Any idea how I can stop this happening please. Thank you so much for the upgrade on filter
Hi I have just purchased the kit to change over my biorb but I have fish in it so wondering how I do this and get it cycled. Please help I stupidly bought the biorb without doing my research and the fish are not doing that well.
Love this!! Thank you will definitely do this if I use it again. I had a biorb for years I switched to a 140L tank (£5 off Facebook..mental) as was given corys and some neons when a friend wanted to get rid, the biorb wasn’t suitable for the corys.
Anyway on emptying the biorb my 5 Colombian red fin tetras had become 35+ The filter media and pebbles in the bottom allowed them to hide from predation. I couldn’t believe ve how many were hiding down in the bottom. My most successful unintentional needing to date 😆
I’ve been struggling with a biorblife60 for 4 months. I’ve had 2 deaths and enough water changes to hide a moderately sized nuclear submarine. One month in to this change (with a full rectangular run of coarse on top of medium with a replacement home cut fine foam filter and your substrate with ceramic beads) I’m gobsmacked by the results. The fish are thriving, the tank no longer smells of death and I’m no longer blaming myself for the tears from my daughter.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!!
Hi can uou tell me where I can buy the biorb up grade kit from please .
Hi I’ve just set this up how long will it take for the bacteria to build up to suitable levels before I add fish, thanks
I just need how much to cut for the 3 templates
I think I sent you the templates but it is confusing as I am getting messages here and also by email asking similar questions. If you have the templates simply print them out. The largest foam will need a foam of around 12" x 12" to cut it from.
I am so glad I seen this informative video. I had just discovered Biorb s and was in the process of deciding wether to buy one or not. So I didn’t like the negative reviews and didn’t like how some people couldn’t raise anything in one. I had shied me away from buying. Then I seen a few comments mentioning Pond Guru and filter upgrade. So I am completely sold I bought the Biorb along with Biogravel and neccesay
can you post a video on hunting rabbits? how to find them , camo ect ?
I probably will do a tracking video as well as a 2-3 day bushcraft video this year but nothing planned in near future as I am killed with work at present.
would a stronger flow rate on a bigger air pump produce more draw on a 60 litre and if yes would you recommend it...
It wouldn't make a huge difference to water quality but I know of a few people who have installed 150 or 200 lph air pump for the 60 litre orb with no issues.
I got a biube cheap and was worrying about how to keep it healthy for my fish. Will be buying your kit next month. This is a grate video thank you very much.
I think the biube will need some more media due to there not being a plastic base on that tank base but the foams will certainly fit around the filter. Not sure how much extra media it may take as I haven't got a biube aquarium to test.
I will buy some extra media. Once i get it up and running i will post a short video. Might take a couple of months though.
Emma Martinez Sounds great to me and there is no rush. Just post a link here when you have video done.
Awesome Richard! Love the substrate, glad you finally made some!!!! I always wondered if you were going to, need to try it in a planted tank ASAP
So will 300-500g stull reduce nitrates if I got the biohome untimate
I need to find someone with a nano tank to try some I reckon. Its damn good stuff.
01fishaquarium It depends how big the tank is but as mentioned previously best results are from using 1kg biohome per 100 litres
thankyou the fitting is small but takes an 10 watt halogen bulb like that in a baby bio but I bought one for £6 off the net but got identical in £ shop and works but I am still not sure if a look alike would work with a different type of halogen
Chances are it will be exactly the same so I wouldn't worry.
I have watched your videos many times, i am preparing to do my first setup with a Biorb cube, I wonder if the sponge should be cut square shape or rounded ? Also purchased the biogravel which is very expensive but from all reviews seems this is the way to go. Thank you for the passion to share and hopefully I will don’t end in frustration with this hobby.
So when you need to clean the filter, you have to literally remove or move all the gravel and decorations? How often do you need to clean the filter
What grade of foam are you using as you said its course but they come in different colours what ppi would it be thanks.
Brilliant, had a Biorb for years and the filter has always been a pain and expensive the Biorb has been in the shed for the last few years but I’m really tempted to get it back out now and do this upgrade, get some little fishy’s to entertain the other pets.
Sounds good to me and it really does work very well when upgraded.
Can you put dirt on top of the foam, then sand, and the rocks afterwards?
You could but it would get all mixed up as soon as you cleaned the substrate with a gravel cleaner. An under gravel filter really needs to be set up with gravel of small size in an aquarium.
@Pondguru Thank you for responding. Do you ever have to change the foam at the bottom? I'll do this set up and add live plants but I was worried about the foam
@@lexierachelle5878 The foam should easily last a couple of years before it need replacing - foam can last for ages and only needs replacing if it gets too clogged and can't be cleaned or it starts to go floppy or shrinks with age. Root systems from plants will be extensive enough in the Biogravel and upper foam to allow movement of plant at a later date if you choose to renew the foams at a few years down the line.
SOOOO AWESOME! Thank you. I just purchased the tube cap. I had no idea, until I watched a different video of yours. Thank you!
No worries and best of luck with the tank.
what is the gravel called .and where to purchase it
I wish I saw this video sooner I already got my Biorb 8 gallon filled already, but I really want to upgrade my biorb
No worries, the idea is out there so if you run into problems with the current set up and fancy a change you know what is available.
I don't understand your accent and on closed captioning it doesn't always type the correct words so can you tell me the brand name or what is this new revolutionary product you covered the bottom of the orb with please thank you?
My 300 ltr aquarium has got water marks from inside. The tank is up and running. How to remove the stains? Please suggest.
+Rohit Tulsiyan When you drain water during maintenance just scrub marks off with a suitable aquarium pad or scraper. If the marks are white they may be harder to remove and may require a vinegar solution on a pad so best done when tank is empty.
What is this miracle media gravel type material?
Can you use this in the all ponds solution 1400? I’m upgrading from internal filter and wondered if I could transfer it?
I have Eheim substrat pro. I am wondering if I could use this. The biorb did not give nearly enough rock material to cover the surface of the bottom at all! Thank you for your help.
302Tonya It may work but would possibly be too light to clean with a gravel cleaner. You couldn't use gravel cleaner with the large biorb media in there so you'd have to go all gravel / substrat pro.
Great video. Is there an electric filter that I can buy and put intisde this to keep the water clean like they have in stores? Like a filter that has electric pump and I just replace or clean the filter not the whole tank.
Thanks a lot!
Ours gets green cloudy in 2 days and in two weeks looks terrible. Can't keep cleaning this every 2 weeks! It's so much work takes about 4 hours cleaning the decorations, rocks inside the bowl etc
How often are water changes required given this filtration system?
When the media is fully mature you should only need to do a 10% water change with a gravel cleaner every 1-2 weeks to freshen things up.
Richard can you do a video on how to setup a fluval fx6 please
I don't have my shop now and don't sell fluval filters so I have no means of doing that. They are easy to set up though as you just leave the foams around the trays and add a fine foam to the top of the top tray. Rest of trays are filled with biohome (approx. 5kg) and that's all you need to make it as efficient as possible. No need for any additives or sachets of stuff when the filter works properly.
thanks for your help again have a great day
i wont be able to put this in my filter as i got juwel but i wont even be able to put 1 kg in the juwel filter as i wont have any foams then but i might be able to put 500g of it in my filter in the bottom tray the untimate version will that keep the nitrates low
Usually 1kg per 100 litres produces a more or less guaranteed reduction in nitrate but using any biorb will help to varying degrees.
Brilliant video - you might have mentioned it but do have to change the large sponges? Or the original biorb one?
Thank you will definitely b trying this . Also need a new lamp to fit the same lid as yours. Any links
Can i put K-1 micro in that tube to create a moving bed filter?
matikal I think the size may be a bit restricted even for K1 micro unfortunately.
Well can you make video of it ? Would be awesome if you could
Yes, it would be really cool to see this in action. Maybe a maintenancevideo?
Thank you so much. I just used your suggestions for my old 9 gallon Biorb. I was gifted with it and love it but hate having to purchase those filters all the time. I only have a beta in there right now but I can finally add some shrimp after getting rid of the old substrate.
I'm setting up my canister filter with 4 trays can I use 2 trays of Bio ultimate and 1 tray of bio gravel and of course your the first one has your media
Larry Liotta Yes just go with foams in bottom tray then biohome (any type) in trays above that. The biogravel would probably be best in the top tray as long as you had a plastic grid over it to prevent pieces being sucked into pump. If no plastic grid then go with the biogravel in middle media tray.
Pondguru Thankyou
Would you not need a heater for this tank if you get tropical fish?
Yes
Fantastic, bought the kit, followed your advice and what d’ya know...it works. Really pleased with your solution and doubly pleased I don’t have to clean this green gunk each weekend just to see the fish!! Much appreciated and thank you.
For a marine aquarium, could you place CaribSea Aragonite Aragamax over top of the biohome gravel?
That looks way too fine and I reckon it would clog the foams quickly. If you wanted to go with a substrate which would condition the water for marine then a small crushed (white) pumice would be the one to go for but unfortunately I can't find anyone selling that. I have a 10kg bag of pumice which is around 10mm but that mat be too big. Smaller sizes are available from my supplier and I have a sample bag of one which would be perfect for the marine biorbs but its not enough to do a conversion - minimum order is 500kg and I've just had a delivery so it will be a good few weeks until I need more but I will get some of the smaller sizes in 10kg bags to use in marine kits. It is much cheaper than the biogravel.
Thinking about it if you could probably use crushed coral over the foams as a substrate?
+Pondguru Outdoors I've noticed IKEA do a propagation unit using pumice stones as a growth media (hydroponics?) Replacement 3l packs are available @ £2.50 but perhaps would be too fine? m.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/art/00317650/
It would be worth checking it out as it is very cheap and it is difficult to tell what size it is from the pictures.
I've biogravel in my 45L biorb and would caution against using so much that it covers the central filter cartridge. Yes, you can be careful in moving it away from the filter when you want to change the foam ring but getting the gravel inside the housing and jamming it to the point that it won't unscrew, is a real problem, as I've found to my cost and needing a complete emptying and strip down.
Yes having only a light covering over the central filter or better still something like this covering the central filter: geni.us/WWBqb would ensure that the gravel does not contact with the central filter cover plate so that is a very good point you made there. I have added the link to that ornament in the video description.
Regards,
Richard
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your expertise. I am a beginner and really do care for my fish.
I have a BiOrb 60L for which I bought a year supply of the commercial filters. I have 5 left. So, I have a feeling that I am going to be sourcing all of the components (I am in Australia) to make your particular filtering system. While I love my BiOrb, I am frustrated with how hard it is to actually clean.
Because it is so hard to clean properly, I have removed and cleaned the standard filter 4 times today, plus spent 2 hours skimming the water after rinsing out the filter. It seems that a lot of crap gets caught in the filter orifice. I have a single fancy and a golden sucker fish in it and clean it out weekly. I am ok to do this as I find the process quite relaxing, but just annoyed that it is never as good a job as I would like.
+alonyaJ As long as you don't lose too much original water you can clean it as often as you like but its a whole heap of unnecessary work. Yes it costs a lot to send anything from UK to AU but the Australian supplier of biohome (link on my website: www.filterpro.co.uk) should have biogravel - the foams may be more difficult to source. Try sellers of pond filters for those.
I have finally got all the bits together and today I have assembled by tank per the instructions. I could only get the BioHome minis here in Australia, although I prefer the look of the pebbles that you used in the video. I snapped 2kg in half and put the other 1kg in whole. The stupid cartridge received 2x Micropads with the little off-cut bits stuffed into the bottom due to a lack of the pebbles. I am looking forward to seeing how this works. I am considering converting it to a tropical as I have had more luck with that than with goldfish.
Yes tropicals are much easier to look after in a small tank so would be worth giving a go in a biorb If the biohome mini ultra won't snap up suitably you could just use ordinary gravel - don't feel compelled to use biohome if the biogravel is not available from the AU supplier as ordinary aquarium gravel will still do a decent job and will be smooth compared to snapped up pieces of biohome mini ultra.
If you used this upgrade with the smaller biorb and also had live plants, shrimp, but no fish… how often do you think you would need to clean the gravel if at all?
I really like your upgrade on the Biorb 8 gallon. I will upgrade it
+matthew smith
I only sell the filter media online, no livestock - I've had enough of that, lol
+Pondguru Outdoors how can we get it in US ? my bowl of death already killed 5 of my fish.
+Boosted Nation There is a link to different suppliers of the biohome on my website www.filterpro.co.uk (flags at top of all pages). Don definitely has the biogravel and foams - I'm not sure he does a specific kit but you should be able to make up the necessary kit from there.
Hope that helps.
+Pondguru Outdoors Thank you! ordered now, about time i fixed this bowl of death that was passed on to me by a friend.
+Boosted Nation Groovy - good luck setting it up.
+Pondguru Outdoors Got the stuff pretty fast! how can i get the template for cutting the foam filter ?
Thank you.
I saw your video regarding turning decor into air pump and filters with a spin stream to make smaller bubbles. I was wondering if I could modify the center in my BiOrb to do that same thing?
I saw that and thought the very same thing Rhonda. I just found a classic 15L for 40 bucks and I am going to try it without the spin stream first, 4 gallons might be a bit small for that, but for sure a mini power head with the little air draw hose right on the under gravel bubble up tube instead of air pump driven system, custom cut foams under bio home's bio gravel as well. It may take an adapter or some such to mate pump to the up tube, also the power head is heavy for being mini, so maybe some pump supporting/hiding center decor build as well. Anything is possible with a little corrugated plastic cardboard, scissors, silicone, rocks, sand, and time...lots of time. Give it a try and show us how it turns out. If I can do this, th-cam.com/video/E6jGi0FoQYA/w-d-xo.html, you can do your idea! I will post how mine comes out on my channel when I get it going and let you know "cuz it is a neat idea. My biorb arrives this Friday so ...123 GO! Good Luck!
Where do you buy this media
Where do I run electric wire for heater in the halo
I have a Spyorb, made by Reef One - the same as the usual biorb but covered on the sides with only a clear "spyhole" on the front. Anyway I'm looking at this upgrade kit so that I can keep a few little pygmy puffer fish or 1 green spotted puffer. What I wanted to know was if this kit would be suitable for the brackish water that GSPs would need as they get older? Thanks for your help!
Natallulah Yes the media is inert so marine / brackish use is no problem. I would probably go for the pygmy puffers over the green spotted due to the size and you can have plants with the pygmies too.
Cheers mate I just bought a second hand one today I was thinking of drilling holes in the plastic pipe like you would a diy sponge filter then put sponge round it me dad didn't think this would work so TH-cam ideas found this.. I'm going to buy your media tonight from your website cheers Richard how much will I need if I'm planting mines the 60l
Sorry just seen this now. The 60 litre kit comes with 3.5kg of biogravel and that is needed to cover the foams in the kit but they have quite a high profile cut. Actual amount needed depends on type of foams used and could be anything from 2.5kg (flat foams) to 3.5kg (deep cut foams) - hope that makes sense.
Regards,
Richard
Hi, did the holes in plastic pipe work?
HI Richard:
The Advertisement that came up over your excellent video was "Ponds by Ed", LOL,
Best,
K
Well I hope 'Ed' sends me a thank you message if this video gets thousands of views, lol
Got an email from you a few days ago so will get round to answering that properly. Been killed by work recently.
Pondguru Another AD over one of your Vids was prostate cancer treatment just as you were saying "Get in there", LOL,
Best,
Kevin
Kevin Weaver In the words of George Takei -"Oh, my....."
I sent for the three foams but they are only just 11 inches across the width they need to be 12 ,
I have a 50l tank that is technically over stocked and I'm looking at making it a planted tank and wanting to lower the amount of maintenance I actually have to do and want to know if this media would work and how much of it I would need to use to get the best results
Less maintenance will often come from beefing up the filtration and the filter choice would be dictated by what the stock of fish was. For example a Fluval 206 external would be a good choice if a 50 litre tank was heavily stocked but a normally stocked 50 litre would be OK with a 106. Maybe a HOB filter like the Tidal 77 or 75 filled with good media would be good if you didn't want a canister filter as most internal filters are way too small for heavily stocked tank.
@@pondguru I have a marina filter in the tank at the moment but the flow is just to strong for my fish, I have sponge filters on my smaller tanks but I don't feel like they do a very good job but I think it could be the air pump that's the problem with those, I have a female betta tank, a male on his own because he's picky about what I put with him and a guppy tank, the 50l is the females tank
@@emmajane4452 Yup, I'd say go for the 206 with 1kg of biohome ultimate if you have an overstocked 50 litre tank. Use a spray bar to diffuse the return flow and it will be fine for guppies.
Thank you for the video. Where do I get this gravel?
How often would the foam need to be changed out?
The outer foams should keep their 'bounce' for at least a couple of years but the central fine pad may need replacing every 1-6 months - you will get loads of them out of one fine pad in the kit.
How long anything lasts or needs replacing will be specific to the tank situation and every tank is different due to stock, feeding etc.
Sorry for the newbie questions but if I do all this do I still have to treat the water regularly with the chemicals? I'm looking to just have shrimps and guppies. Thanks in advance.
Only chemicals you should need (unless you are treating the fish) is a dechlorinator when adding fresh (tap) water after a gravel clean / water change.
I have a question, do you actually need the filter cartridge? could you not just put sponge and some filter media where the filter cartridge goes so that all the water coming through the bottom has to travel up through it? cheers JP
The filter cartridge is not really needed as it's only there to remove very fine particles which may all get caught in the biogravel and foams - I consider it optional and it can be replaced with a coarse / medium foam and it will only need looking at very rarely.
Will this work for saltwater fish as well?
How often do u replace the foam under the substrate. When u hover the bottom do u hover the top of the foam or just leave it n how long do you leave the polishing media in for ❓
The outer foams should last a good 2+ years before they need replacing but should be cleaned every time you clean the biogravel / water change with a gravel cleaner. Central filter (fine pad) will need replacing as and when it gets clogged with fine particles and that takes anywhere from a few months to over a year depending on the stocking scenario.
Do you clean the foam with the gravelcleaner? So i understand ? Because i think it's difficulty to remove the foam with the gravel inside the tank. Sorry for my english 😉
Will real plants be okay in a biorb mcr with your biogravel as the media/ substrate
i upgraded one of the for a bloke to a external filter i drilled two holes
in it one at the top and one at the bottom works fantastic now with
a very large external fitted
Sounds very interesting, lol
its set up as a marine with in line uv and heater
Andy Coakes Wow, awesome work.
we had to use a fx 5 external it was the only one with a flow you would it would be like a washing machine but its not plans to drill it for a skimmer
Andy Coakes I'd love to see that one.
When is the marine biorb coming out
As far as I know marine conversions are available from the manufacturers but I do not think they are very comprehensive. The system in this video still works fine for marine as the media is inert but you would need to condition the water to make it suitable for marine.
Will this work for my 35litre tube? And what will I’m need to for it to work ?
Hello I have the 30L BiOrb with the same light, how much can I fill the tank to the top or below the light covering
As the light unit is sealed the water can be very close to it but ideally about 1" (25mm)
Good morning
Ive just got a biorb 60, how can I get the upgrade kit please?, thank you
The first comment has a link if you click show more
Do you not need to be able to clean those foam pads under the gravel?
Yes, much of the muck would easily be removed by using a gravel cleaner to push through the biogravel and slightly depress the foams. I would normally recommend giving the tank a full strip down every 12-18 months depending on stock but as far as I know nobody has ever told me they took that advice and they still have the tank running fine. Simple gravel cleaning with something like this: geni.us/0YMWPJJ does 2 important jobs. It removes the muck from bottom of tank and does a partial water change to freshen things up.
Even when tank reaches full maturity of zero ammonia, nitrite and nitrate the mick needs removing for hygiene and water change reasons.
Pondguru great. Thanks for video and reply.
I have a 15l biorb which has a male betta and his girlfriend and theres apparently a shrimp in there somewhere ?! how would you recommend me changing out the filter system to the kit one in your shop? thanks
+Sophia-Teresa Morgan As long as you remove all the water and substrate very carefully you should be able to catch the shrimp and fish and store them in a container with the original water. Set up the kit, fill with tap water then drain most out and that will remove any dust not washed out by initial rinsing of the media. You can then put your old water back in the tank and add the fish and shrimps back.
Do you ever have to change out the "egg carton" foam?
Yes, depending on how clogged it gets and how often it gets cleaned it could last 18 months - 2 years+
I've read some of the comments and if I understand this correctly the under gravel foam should last 2-3 years as long as the biogravel is cleaned with a gravel cleaner once a week, and the gravel is rinsed in a jug approximately once a year? But what about the fine pad in the cartridge? When will that need to be replaced?
Just want to make sure that I've understood the maintenance aspect of this.
Thank you in advance.
Yes, structurally the outer foams should last at least a couple of years as they are good quality and the fine pad in the central filter would need replacing according to how quickly it gets clogged. That could be every 2, 4, or 6 months depending on the stocking and feeding.
Pondguru Outdoors Ok, thank you. I live in norway, and I wonder if it is possible to order the kit from your website and get it shipped to Norway?
Yes no problem I think the shipping is £19.99 for courier service which generally takes 3-4 days.
Can I plant plants in that media?
Yes it is very similar size to many of the planting substrates and takes plants quite well.