Anyone use Marine Pure

[koa25]

Hey all, I just got done with a crazy rotation of training and traveling. Setting back up a tank to get going again. I picked up 2 of these 8x8x4 blocks for dirt cheap and read some pretty awesome reviews on them. I am just curious if anyone on here uses them or not and what your experience was. Supposedly they kick some serious tail on surface area for beneficial bacteria. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
26032

[DTdr2]

First time I've seen this, so let me know how you like them.

[Cammed_02]

So are these supposed to just add surface area for bacteria to grown on or do they dissolve and release beneficial nutrients into the system?

[koa25]

They are just to provide surface area for beneficial bacteria growth. Apparently they have more then 10x the surface area than any of the porous rocks we put in our tanks. Supposedly... read some awesome reviews and seen some tests that say so. But would rather take the word of someone on here that may have been in the trenches with it before.

[Dean]

Tagging along!
If they don't degrade then they are perfect for sumps with limited space like mine.

I've read that it can take up to a year and even longer for dry live rock to fully colonize bacteria so I would think the only downfall would be the time period that it takes for this product to reach its max potential. So long as they don't degrade.

[slm222]

I just added 2qt box of the spheres to my sump. Maybe 1 1/2-2 weeks ago. Supposedly enough for 250 gallons. So should be enough on my 125. Will report back after some time passes.

[Justin]

Koa-

I was going to pull the trigger on getting these myself. I read an article on Reefbuilders/RC/advanced aquarist about them. To be honest, I was looking to get these for my planted tank to help with the nirtrifying bacteria. In a reef tank, I think these guys would be a mute point since they pretty much perform the same way live rock does with the exception of offering more openings to colonize. Based on my logic, the nitrifying bacteria populates everything and not just live rock, so they would be everywhere and for the cost of the blocks you could get some awesome looking Marcorocks.

The biggest benefit to these blocks I can see in a reef tank would be where you were going hardcore minimalist and did not have or want to have that much rock in circulation. These blocks would then be perfect to put in a sump to take the place of your live rock. The only caution I would assume ( and we know that assume = makes an *** out of u and me) that you would need to turkey bast or blow out the detritus off the rocks or else it would clog the passageways.

Despite that, I am really curious to see if you will notice a decrease in the level or increase in the time it takes NO2 or NO3 to build up to a certain level in your tank. Certainly worth a little experiment to try it out!

[DTdr2]

What are your thoughts on their bio balls, & would it be worth replacing the current ones with these?

http://www.cermedia.com/marinepure-products.php

[koa25]

I tossed the bricks in my sump under my bio ball chamber. Ones completely submerged the other about half way but still wet from the falling water. So I guess we will see. I'll get a base line on my parameters tonight and start watching.

Well if their numbers are accurate. One of the marine pure balls will replace a gallon of plastic bioballs? So if you replace your bioballs with these ceremedia then I'd do it slowly. Maybe even just toss a couple in at the bottom and wait it out before taking any of the plastic guys out. Get them well and seeded.

slm222 definitely report back if you notice anything as well. I'm starting a log. After a couple months I may start messing with feeding and schooling numbers of fish. Trial and error. Appreciate the feedback everyone.

[LuckySingh]

26053
I got two in my sump since day one and reason I chose to use em because of low profile Aqua scaping in my display . I only have 15 lbs of rock and two blocks of marine pure in my dump with 0 nitrate . Don't know if they work or not since I am always up with water changes once a week

[kkiel02]

Why not just use rock rubble? Wouldn't that provide the same thing?


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[DTdr2]

Here's a pretty good article from Reef Builders on the surface area of Live Rock.
http://reefbuilders.com/2014/11/03/surface-area-live-rock-matter/

Marine Pure also has an 11 page study that you can find on their website which I which I tried to include here as well, but couldn't. It's a really good read on an experiment they ran. I decided to replace my plastic bio balls, and put the 1" block in the sump, or I may cut it so I can hang it in the over flow. Figured it probably wouldn't hurt, and what the heck, it's been a while since I've tried something new :rolleyes:

[koa25]

Why not just use rock rubble? Wouldn't that provide the same thing?


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I use to run rubble (a ton of it) and apparently marine pure has 10x as much surface space as some of the more porous rocks available. But as brought up earlier I too was worried about it clogging and/or becoming a detritus factory. I just like the idea of having more surface volume with less space taken up. One ceramic sphere replaces the surface space of a gallon of bioballs. There has to be a catch though. Or it feels like there is. But lucky seems happy with them and he's always had a beautiful tank. Soooooo... why not?

[koa25]

Here's a pretty good article from Reef Builders on the surface area of Live Rock.
http://reefbuilders.com/2014/11/03/surface-area-live-rock-matter/

Marine Pure also has an 11 page study that you can find on their website which I which I tried to include here as well, but couldn't. It's a really good read on an experiment they ran. I decided to replace my plastic bio balls, and put the 1" block in the sump, or I may cut it so I can hang it in the over flow. Figured it probably wouldn't hurt, and what the heck, it's been a while since I've tried something new :rolleyes:
That's what it's about sometimes. Trying new things. Ha ha.