Instructions
Installation
Rinse the ceramic rings in clean water to remove any dust, debris or particles remaining from production and processing.
Open the canister filter.
Position the ceramic rings above the mechanical filtration media and below the chemical filtration media. Mechanical media will be sponges, filter floss or filter pads. Chemical filtration includes carbon, zeolite, or bags of absorbent granules.
Separate the ceramic rings from the mechanical filtration media. Do not mix the ceramic rings with the chemical filtration media as it will be more difficult to separate.
Close the canister filter. Install the canister filter on the aquarium.
Bacterial Growth and Maintenance
Monitor the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels in the tank. If the tank is new, the biological cycle will require two to four weeks to complete. Ammonia is introduced into the aquarium through fish waste, uneaten food or decaying material. Beneficial bacteria will grow until the ammonia levels stay at zero. Nitrite levels will spike until beneficial bacteria can grow in sufficient quantities to convert all incoming nitrite into nitrate. When ammonia and nitrite levels remain at zero the nitrogen cycle is complete.
Do not remove or replace the ceramic rings from the canister. The rings house the beneficial bacteria. If the rings are removed a spike in toxic ammonia or nitrite may result.
Rinse the ceramic rings with aquarium water to clean. During maintenance of the canister filter, do not use chlorinated tap water to rinse collected debris from the ceramic rings. The chlorine will kill colonies of bacteria and may result in a spike of ammonia and nitrites until the bacterial colonies regrow.
How to Set Up a Canister Filter With Bio Rings
Ceramic bio rings are used in canister filters to provide surface area upon which beneficial bacteria may grow. The rings are porous. The pores increase the available surface upon which the bacteria may grow, allowing far more beneficial bacteria to grow in a contained area. The bacteria are part of the nitrogen cycle. Two types of bacteria grow on the rings. The first breaks down toxic ammonia into nitrite. The second breaks down the toxic nitrite into relatively harmless nitrate. Nitrate should be removed from the tank through periodic water changes.