Post by pekored on Oct 26, 2010 20:55:26 GMT -5
I am currently using rockwool/stonewool as a filter media in my 50 gal freshwater tank. The canister filter is a Fluval 305 and I have one basket filled with the rockwool. Many of you may have come across rockwool if you have bought potted aquarium plants ... this is the same stuff that the plant roots grow in. I have been using it for over a week now with no ill affects on the fish and the pH of my water has not changed. So far so good! I will report if there are any ill affects.
There are various hydroponic stores in Winnipeg (look up hydroponics in the yellow pages). One of the major players that manufacture hydroponic quality rockwool is called Grodan (no promotion is intended). The rockwool is sold in various sized growing cubes with holes partially drilled in them. I did not find these suitable for my application. Instead, I bought a block of solid rockwool that is 3 inches thick by 8 inches wide and 36 inches long. It comes in a special plastic and is totally sealed. The quality for the hydroponics industry is substantially higher than that for construction insulation! Price: $10.00 !!!!
The 3 inch thickness is the perfect depth for a Fuval 305 basket and I cut the rockwell using a very sharp knife from a set that has a serrated blade. It cuts very easily and I cut two blocks to shape and put them in one basket. I rinsed the rockwool thoroughly under a strong stream of water. At first I was quite worried because I thought the rockwool would be too dense and not let the filter pump function. I crossed my fingers and gave it a try ... no problems!
After examining rockwool, it is my belief that it offers a tremendous amount of surface area for bacterial growth and could be both an excellent mechanical and biological filter. Please post your opinions/experiences!
Regards,
Peter
Here is some information that I copied from the internet and I am sure that you can find more by using Google:
Stonewool
Stonewool is a natural product. It is made from Basalt, solidified lava spewed from the innermost depths of the earth. In the mid-nineteenth century, American geologists on Hawaii discovered a “woolly” material consisting of stone threads, which the local inhabitants were using to insulate their huts. This was a volcanic material, the product of red-hot steam being forced through liquid lava under high-pressure.
To produce stone wool commercially, Grodan/Rockwool duplicated this natural process as closely as possible. Today, extracted basalt is re-liquefied in furnaces at a temperature of 1,500 °C. The liquid Basalt is then spun into threads in spinning chambers, and then congealed in a hardening kiln using hot air (230 °C) and compressed into wool packets, which are then cut into slabs, blocks or plugs and packaged in film. With factory processing, one cubic metre of basalt can produce approximately ninety cubic metres of stone wool.
The Advantages
The use of stone wool substrate offers many advantages. Thanks to the controlled manufacturing process, this growth medium is of a consistently high quality. The sterile production under extreme temperature ensures that the product is clean and sterile. Its unique hydrophilic fibre also makes the cultivation on stone wool substrate very easy to control. The grower can administer the amount of water and nutrients the crops need in a very directed and controlled manner, to achieve optimal growing results. Waste becomes a thing of the past. Efficient use of water and nutrients keeps yield per square metre high, and energy consumption per unit of product low. Additionally, the product is lightweight, making it easy to use.
There are various hydroponic stores in Winnipeg (look up hydroponics in the yellow pages). One of the major players that manufacture hydroponic quality rockwool is called Grodan (no promotion is intended). The rockwool is sold in various sized growing cubes with holes partially drilled in them. I did not find these suitable for my application. Instead, I bought a block of solid rockwool that is 3 inches thick by 8 inches wide and 36 inches long. It comes in a special plastic and is totally sealed. The quality for the hydroponics industry is substantially higher than that for construction insulation! Price: $10.00 !!!!
The 3 inch thickness is the perfect depth for a Fuval 305 basket and I cut the rockwell using a very sharp knife from a set that has a serrated blade. It cuts very easily and I cut two blocks to shape and put them in one basket. I rinsed the rockwool thoroughly under a strong stream of water. At first I was quite worried because I thought the rockwool would be too dense and not let the filter pump function. I crossed my fingers and gave it a try ... no problems!
After examining rockwool, it is my belief that it offers a tremendous amount of surface area for bacterial growth and could be both an excellent mechanical and biological filter. Please post your opinions/experiences!
Regards,
Peter
Here is some information that I copied from the internet and I am sure that you can find more by using Google:
Stonewool
Stonewool is a natural product. It is made from Basalt, solidified lava spewed from the innermost depths of the earth. In the mid-nineteenth century, American geologists on Hawaii discovered a “woolly” material consisting of stone threads, which the local inhabitants were using to insulate their huts. This was a volcanic material, the product of red-hot steam being forced through liquid lava under high-pressure.
To produce stone wool commercially, Grodan/Rockwool duplicated this natural process as closely as possible. Today, extracted basalt is re-liquefied in furnaces at a temperature of 1,500 °C. The liquid Basalt is then spun into threads in spinning chambers, and then congealed in a hardening kiln using hot air (230 °C) and compressed into wool packets, which are then cut into slabs, blocks or plugs and packaged in film. With factory processing, one cubic metre of basalt can produce approximately ninety cubic metres of stone wool.
The Advantages
The use of stone wool substrate offers many advantages. Thanks to the controlled manufacturing process, this growth medium is of a consistently high quality. The sterile production under extreme temperature ensures that the product is clean and sterile. Its unique hydrophilic fibre also makes the cultivation on stone wool substrate very easy to control. The grower can administer the amount of water and nutrients the crops need in a very directed and controlled manner, to achieve optimal growing results. Waste becomes a thing of the past. Efficient use of water and nutrients keeps yield per square metre high, and energy consumption per unit of product low. Additionally, the product is lightweight, making it easy to use.