Biological Media

[Snowman]

Just reading up on some Seachem products and came across one called Matrix, it claims "Matrix provides both internal and external macroporous surface areas that allow, unlike other forms of biomedia, the conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas which is then expelled at the tank surface."

Would this be correct or would any porous media enable this?

My Aqua One AR850 has porous media and i still need to do water changes to keep the nitrate levels down, wondering if this would extend the water change intervals?

(Realise there is no substitute for water changes but less would always be nice).

Does anyone use this Matrix and if so how do they find it?

[HummingBird]

Not just any porous media would enable this in freshwater, like you said nitrates stick around usually. There's a bacteria that lives in salt water tanks that turns it into nitrogen gas though.

[monaro1]

am using it

same water changes though

[Ira]

The same bacteria(Well, maybe different species, but same idea) lives in freshwater. But they're anaerobic. There are denitrator systems for FW that work by creating an oxygen free area for those nitrate eating bacteria which is probably what that media does. Deep sand beds also seem to work sometimes. But...Just do a water change, they're cheap, quick and easy.