Pondguru

There is a video coming soon for this filter made from an incredibly realistic resin 'rock'. I've spent a small fortune on buying lots of resin rock ornaments in the quest to find something suitable ..... this is the one.
There will be 2 versions available on the FilterPro site after I publish the video on YouTube:
1 - With a 200 lph (52 US gal.) USB mini water pump, 800g (1.76 lb) Biohome Plus, coarse and medium bumpy foams, stainless steel hook (for hanging filter on side of tank). To mount horizontally on side / back of tank.
2 - With an air stone, 1.5m air line, 1kg (2.2 lbs) Biogravel, coarse and medium bumpy foams. To stand vertically in the tank.
The 'rock' will be cut the same whether you go for the water pump or air version - that will allow you to swap from water pump (horizontal) to air driven (vertical) or vice versa if you fancy a change in the future.

I haven't shot the 'how to' video yet but when I do you will see exactly how these filters are made and there will be relevant links to where you can buy all the materials yourself (mostly from Amazon) for a DIY project if you don't want to buy a pre-made filter from the FilterPro site. You'll need a Dremel tool (or similar) or a drill with a 3D cutting bit to remove part of the 'rock' (to enable you to insert the pump / media / foams / air stone) if you choose to make this yourself so the equipment needed is minimal to make this awesome filter.
On a side note, with regard to the limited amount of larger 'invisible' filters I made from a (now unavailable) resin rock (and explained in a previous post) with the oxygenating water pump only has 3 left - when they're gone, they're gone. www.filterpro.co.uk/
For reference, here is the 'rock' used for the filter (on Amazon): geni.us/1GoUqf
It seems to be available all over Europe but not in the US so you may have to scour the internet for something suitable if you're in the US and want to make a DIY 'invisible' rock filter.

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3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 25

Pondguru

Thanks to @PriceTagAquariums for the shout outs in this video on upgrading an FX6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BESOt...

He uses the Bio-FX media and foams from Amazon.com for the upgrade and the Bio-FX media is a great choice for supporting lots of beneficial aerobic media - if you're not concerned about nitrate reduction it is a great alternative to Biohome since it has lots of available surface area and a very open structure for aerobic bacteria to colonize. (If you want to achieve a full cycle use the Biohome Ultimate but there are many other choices out there depending on what you are seeking to achieve from filtration).
The foams he uses are a decent grade too and he has a link to them in the video description for viewers in the US who have difficulty obtaining bumpy foams.
It's a well made video and very well explained.

4 months ago | [YT] | 4

Pondguru

Since YouTube stopped sending any notifications out I'm not sure how many people will see this post or how many (if any) comments I will see.
Here are a few pictures of resin rock / invisible filters I have for sale on the FilterPro site: filterpro.co.uk/filter-kits-8-c.asp

Invisible / Hidden filter for tanks up to 100 litres (or as an additional filter to reduce nitrate)

This filter is made from the 'Okiishi' OR/5 resin rock which is 46x24x15cm and contains the following:

NEWA oxygenating water pump (450 lph)
Approx. 1kg of Biogravel in mesh bags
Medium density foam
Coarse density foam
3 x 'S' hooks
Carbon pad (optional use)
Fine pad (optional use)



The Okiishi OR/5 resin rocks were made by Unipac and were recently discontinued due to the high production costs.
Total cost for everything included would be well over £100 but we are selling a limited amount (9) of this a ready-made filter for under £100.

The 'S' hooks can be bent to allow for thicker / thinner tanks to get a close fit between filter and glass.

For buyers outside the UK please bear in mind the pump is 240V and to use it from a domestic 110V system you will need a step up / down converter plug or transformer.


This video I made a while back shows a bigger version of this filter (OR/7 resin rock) and it has a rotating outlet on the pump. If you want a rotating outlet then it is available here: www.marine-aquatics.eu/en/spin-stream-nozzle-for-n… but they occasionally show up on Amazon (where they are generally more expensive).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmJmn...

My email address is sales@filterpro.co.uk
Best wishes,
Richard

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4 months ago | [YT] | 91

Pondguru

Just a quick heads up before I upload a short video.
We have some 'seconds' Biohome Sump Bricks available at half price on the FilterPro website: filterpro.co.uk/seconds-biohome-sump-brick-approx-…
Normally we only get 1 or 2 with every firing but these were left a bit too long drying before they were fired and that resulted in a good few 'seconds'. They have some slight warping and surface cracks which doesn't affect the usefulness of the bricks but it does affect how they look, hence we're selling them off for half price but you'll have to be quick.
I was intending to write that there was 84 available but 10 sold when I was taking the pictures for this post so now there are only 74 available - and when they're gone, they're gone.

On another note I've had some fine pads specially made for me which are much stiffer than the 2" (50mm) thick fine pads I've sold and featured in YouTube videos for years.
They are much easier to cut compared to the 2" pads and are just as effective since the weave is tighter.
The stiffer fine pads are available in 1" (25mm) and 1/2" (13mm) thick here: filterpro.co.uk/foams--mesh-bags-4-c.asp - they are perfect for canister filters and that's why I had them made to this spec.
I'll upload a quick video on the fine pads in a day or so so you can get a closer look since they are really good and I've reduced the prices of the foam sets on the FilterPro site so you get a £1 discount of you buy coarse and medium foams plus the fine pad in a set (listed first on the 'Foams' page).
In the next week or so I'll upload a couple of new Pimp My Filter videos which feature different Hygger filters.

Lastly, I've uploaded a video to my other channel which may be of interest if you want to see a close wildlife encounter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCgZZ...
Thanks for watching and have a good week.

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8 months ago | [YT] | 31

Pondguru

Apologies for the lack of videos in the last couple of months but I've pretty much broken my neck (going hard and crashing a few times while testing electric bikes) so haven't been in the best of form lately. Constant pain, very limited sleep, numb right arm and all that jazz....
Hopefully it will get more-or-less fixed this week so I can get back to full fitness. Chronological age = 52, Physical age (in my mind) = 18 .... which is a recipe for disaster.
On a separate note I've had the full Athens University study arrive here at FilterPro HQ and through my rudimentary understanding of science-speak it looks like the Biohome media not only led to the total processing of ridiculously high levels of nitrite and nitrate (through aerobic and anaerobic bacteria activity) but it also detoxified the heavy metals (they threw all sorts of pollutants into the water) AND stabilized the pH when acidic water was added to the system - I'm not sure exactly how that happened but it may have had something to do with the added trace elements acting as a neutralizer of metal contaminants? - almost like a catalytic converter? (yes, I did have to look up how to spell 'catalytic'...)
Please note: the Athens University study did NOT use a water conditioner which negatively affects the food bacteria needs to prosper. I've always advised that you should avoid using the likes of seachem prime / safe / API aqua essential / fritz complete or anything else which messes with the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate - a normal dechlorinator (e.g. API stress coat) is all you need to ensure that the water is safe for life and once the system is seeded you will never need to add bacteria again since it will have a self-sustaining population as long as it is being fed with the food it needs to thrive.
I'm lucky enough to have had 10,000+ hours of communication and feedback from Biohome users all over the world (flat or ball) in the last decade or so and that has created the 'recommended amount' to use which has proved to be very accurate - the more feedback reports the better as far as I'm concerned since anyone can make up claims to sell products.
Basically when enough Biohome media is used for the tank size and stocking situation you can expect a full cycle - 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 0 nitrate. However when you use much less that the recommended amount (Kaveman?) or / and choose to use a damaging water conditioner (e.g. prime) (yup..) then the results will be no better than if you'd chosen plastic or ceramic media .... or pot scrubbers .... (due to the population of bacteria being severely limited by the food it needs being locked up). There is no lie in Nature - when we understand Nature and question 'the science' the filter will be efficient and effective since science is simply the study of Nature.
A fair 'test' really does involve a basic understanding of Nature, listening to what the recommended amounts of media are to use and not holding the bacteria population back with damaging conditioners - if you 'need' to do an 80% water change every week and need to add bacteria along with a host of other 'treatments' then your filter is DEAD.
If anyone reading this post has a science background and wants to take a look at the full Athens report so they can give me some detailed feedback (suitable for a simpleton) I would be very grateful since I don't want to make a video about the report until I can fully understand exactly what is being said in it. I will get the printed report digitized and uploaded to a specific page on the FilterPro website in the next few days. www.filterpro.co.uk/
Aaaaand...on an additional note I've just had a great report from Nathan at 'Cichlid Fanatics' on Instagram: www.instagram.com/cichlid_fanatics?igsh=Y3huNmRqYm… who has a 260 litre African cichlid tank (no plants) with the FX6 upgrade kit I have on the FilterPro site. Guess what?
0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate in under 3 months ..... API stress coat used as the conditioner.
Call me a coincidence theorist but all these positive reports about Biohome are forming a trend...
As I didn't make a Christmas or New Year video wishing you all the best take this post as me wishing you all the best and also thanking you for listening to my boring voice, amateur editing and sproadic video output - all the best for 2025 and thanks for watching / reading.

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10 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 46

Pondguru

This is just one of many posts on the FilterPro Q&A page www.filterpro.co.uk/qa-24-w.asp but it is very important since most people have either never heard of 'Terrain Theory' or have never got beyond the ridiculous Google / Microsoft search results. Enjoy.
GERM THEORY vs TERRAIN THEORY
Don't worry, this does relate to fish keeping. It is a long article but will provide useful information for anyone prepared to read it.
In the modern world we are exclusively programmed with Germ Theory which was proposed by Loius Pasteur (1822 - 1895) who died aged 72 but very few people know that an alternative view (Terrain Theory) was proposed by Antoine Bechamp (1816 - 1908) who died aged 91.
I mentioned at what age they died for a specific reason - please read on....
With Germ Theory we are taught that there are germs / viruses / bacteria which are in circulation in our local environment and they can attack us at any time, no matter how 'fit and healthy' we are, then measures will have to be taken to treat the symptoms of the affliction. That now involves pharmaceutical 'treatments' to mask the symptoms, some of which have serious side effects which require further 'treatment' with more pharmaceuticals in the 'hope' to finally solve the problem(s) caused by past 'treatments' - when most of those further problems will have been caused by the pharmaceuticals tasked with 'solving' the initial affliction. Aaaarrrgggghhh...
Obviously there is a real winner and loser in this situation and if you're on the winning team you will most likely be the one selling the pharmaceuticals to 'cure' the problems caused by pharmaceuticals.
If you ask any doctor or scientist what they know all about Germ Theory they should be able to talk for hours about the miracles of modern medicine (antibiotics are a genuine miracle life-saver) and how medical interventions have saved the planet from so many diseases and viruses. However, they will seldom be able to tell you anything about Terrain Theory since it is not part of their programming and they will never talk about changes in basic sanitation which resulted in many of the problems claimed as being 'cured' by medical interventions were actually eradicated by better hygiene practices prior to the medical intervention being rolled out.
Relating this to fish keeping you can either have an endless 'treatment' regime to keep the water an acceptable quality in order to keep the fish alive in an unsuitable environment (Germ Theory) which works out very expensive and only benefits the people selling you the 'treatments' or you can take the time to research what environment the fish would naturally call 'home' and try to replicate that to keep them happy and disease free (Terrain Theory).
One way will be cheaper to set up and require minimal mental effort (but cost a fortune long term) and the other way will take more investment of time and mental effort but will be cheaper and more effective at keeping fish happy and healthy long term.
The opposing view of Germ Theory (Terrain Theory) put forward by Antoine Bechamps when simplified can be described as creating a robust environment in the human body (or fish tank) so that any external threats (germs / viruses / bacteria) are fended off before they can do any damage.
Having an understanding of Terrain Theory is critical when setting up an aquarium since the water conditions should be tailored to the needs of the fish.
For example:
If you are setting up an Amazon / Asian tank the vast majority of fish species would require a pH under 7.0 and tailoring the tank conditions to suit them will result in less problems than if they were in an environment which wasn't as conducive to the Natural environment for the stocked fish.
Setting up an Amazonian tank with a neutral river sand substrate, bogwood and plenty of suitable plants will result in an environment which will Naturally have a pH lower than 7.0, provide the lignin (from bogwood) expensive plecs need as well as providing the cover and shaded environment many of the Amazon species of fish feel most comfortable with. This results in less stress related disorders and less 'need' for pharmaceutical treatments to keep the water and the fish 'right'.
If you have a basic understanding of Terrain Theory and you're setting up an African cichlid tank you would set up the substrate and rocks to create a high pH and mineralized environment that the Malawi / Tanganyikan cichlid fish stock would be happy to call 'home'. The substrate would be crushed coral and rocks (to provide 'caves' for the fish and to increase the pH / mineralize the water) would be ocean rock / spaghetti rock / tuffa rock to create a higher pH and a highly mineralized environment which the fish would Naturally live in. That would result in the fish being happy in their environment with minimal problems as far as 'disease' is concerned.
Basically Terrain Theory vs Germ Theory comes down to an understanding of what Naturally makes any organism healthy (good environment, good food, exercise etc.) and trying to replicate those conditions to fend off disease / ailments (Terrain Theory) or ignoring the Natural conditions in favor of pharmaceuticals in an endless cycle of 'treatments' to keep the fish stock alive and water conditions 'right' (Germ Theory).
DIS-EASE is the body being unhappy with the environment it is in and manifesting symptoms based on those conditions.
At the end of the day both Pasteur and Bechamps were mostly right but 'Germ Theory' benefited the Rockefeller pharmaceutical corporations and Terrain Theory did not.
Is it any surprise which one is taught in the Rockefeller schooling system and which one is described as 'pseudoscience' or nonsense in Google / Wikipedia search results?
Nope....
If you need further proof just recall the curious events in 2020. There was only one solution offered by 'scientists' and politicians: sit in place, hide in your houses, watch TV and wait for 'the science' to save the day but something which was never mentioned by the so-called 'experts' on TV was the simple message of 'get outside into the sunshine and build up your immune system' (since that would not have benefited the pharmaceutical corporations who have paid handsomely for the 'experts' to be on TV pushing their products).
Exactly the same thing happens with fish keeping when paid 'influencers' push unnecessary treatments to keep the water 'right'. Some of them are doing 80% weekly water changes which indicates that the system is almost completely devoid of active bacteria, starved by their water conditioner with the side effects 'treated' with a nation of other treatments. Anyone with a basic understanding of Terrain Theory knows why 80% water changes are 'needed' by unthinking fish keepers and why in reality such big changes would not be needed if the aquatic system was set up properly after some simple research into the Natural habitat of the fish being kept.
Knowing how to set up a Natural environment the fish will be happy to live in is critically important to success and the further the system gets away from Nature the more 'need' there will be to treat problems caused by a non-Natural set up.
Having knowledge of Germ Theory AND Terrain Theory is important since they both teach valuable lessons and both have elements of truth but unfortunately most online Terrain Theory search results on Google or Microsoft search engines will now yield only 'Germ Theory denialism' claims and a 'pseudoscience / fringe' label to deter any further investigation. In reality Terrain Theory complements Germ Theory and allows for a much greater understanding of how sickness is caused and more importantly how it is prevented.
Pasteur (Germ Theory) died aged 72 and Bechamp (Terrain Theory) died age 91.
19 years of extra life for a guy born in the early 1800's .... maybe we should think about it?

1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 15

Pondguru

I've spent ages adding to the Q&A page on the FilterPro site www.filterpro.co.uk/qa-24-w.asp
There are now an extra 40+ questions commonly asked online answered and while some of them relate to Biohome most just relate to general filtration questions and good fish keeping practices.
A few weeks ago I found myself deep in a rabbit hole when I searched for 'Biohome Ultimate' and 'aquarium filtration' online and saw how much useless nonsense was linked in the Google results. That inspired me to answer many of the Google generated questions in a hope to get proper information coming up in the search results. So far, so good as some of it is already showing in search results but see what you think and if there are any other questions you want answered just post them in the comment section and I will add those to the Q&A page. Many questions and answers are very similar but are based on what people are apparently asking Google online.
The new entries on the Q&A page are well down the page so you may have to do some scrolling to find all the work I've done this week. It is best viewed on a laptop and not a phone due to the many thousands of words on the Q&A page.
Feel free to copy and paste any of the questions and answers into forums, facebook pages or online arguments you're having since the only way to combat bad information is with good information.
Groovy.
P.S. I will make a video telling viewers about the expanded Q&A page in the next few days so if you comment with a suggested question here there is no need to comment on the future video - thanks for watching / reading this post.

1 year ago | [YT] | 24

Pondguru

The video featuring this Lord Trout is live on my Thousand Yard Stare channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk5I-...
In the video I catch all the fish on a cheap telescopic fly rod I bought on Amazon and the link to that is in the video description and pinned comment. And here: geni.us/ArDzbGR
Enjoy.

1 year ago | [YT] | 17

Pondguru

This is an extract from a EU funded in-depth university study (Athens University) which involved finding the most suitable and efficient filter media to enable the removal of Nitrate and Nitrate using a biological process .
This trial was conducted for the removal of Nitrite and Nitrate from wastewater of the mining industry and the cost of these trials is considerable so no one is going to fund such a study for anyone's fish tank but it's the same Nitrite and Nitrate in both !
The amounts of Nitrite and Nitrate processed and the processing time seem to be equally incredible compared to what would normally be be encountered in an aquarium or pond but it is what it is - if you're going to provide evidence that the Biohome works as claimed you may as well take the smack down / mic drop approach so feel free to share this post with anyone asking for something other than a nation of 'anecdotal' evidence in comment sections of videos and posts on my channel (including the awesome reports in the post below this one).
The third picture has a highlighted summary and is easy to understand.
*PLEASE NOTE* The University study did NOT use a water conditioner which starves bacteria (e.g Seachem Prime) so the beneficial bacteria population was free to expand and consume all of the food available for it to attain an expansive, strong population - a normal dechlorinator was used. I always recommend API Stress Coat for this reason.
(1 mg/L is equivalent to 1 ppm)
Thanks for your support.

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1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 51

Pondguru

(prepare for a massive rant....)
I've started offering free samples of Biohome media on the FilterPro website (Biohome page) www.filterpro.co.uk/ so if you're curious about how good this media is and want to crack some open, put it under a microscope or do a wick test (dip the tip in water to see how porous it is) then this is your opportunity.
The cost is £0, just pay postage ..... and if you order a free sample with an order for other media or foams you won't even pay extra postage but you'll get some extra media for free. It's a win-win if you were going to buy something from the website ...... and you'll get some extra media.
Limited to 1 sample per person - you can order more (since I don't know how to limit the amount on the website) but only 1 sample will be sent out per order.

This offer of free samples comes in response to several unfortunate sellout (ambassador) clowns online saying that Biohome is nothing special ..... even though they've never used it, never held it (you can tell how good it is just by feeling it if you've got any idea about filtration) and never looked at it under a microscope (which is the most important way to view it).
If you want to see different media types under a microscope (at a sensible magnification) check out my video titled 'Looking inside filter media' on YouTube since that is very important. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTtAU...

....and if you've got a reasonably successful YouTube channel and want a larger amount of media to test in your system get in touch and I will send it out for your independent testing and reporting with no interference from myself.

Basically as long as you have a suitable amount of media and make sure that you're not using damaging water conditioners which detoxify / bind / remove ammonia, nitrite and nitrate (since it will starve bacteria and maintain an artificially low population) you will have perfect water (0,0,0).

If you use a damaging water conditioner then the choice of filter media is largely irrelevant since the beneficial population will be so small that nitrate will always be high and you will never achieve a full cycle (reduction in nitrate). Ammonia and Nitrite is very easy to control with minimal bacteria population but to get the full cycle completed (reduction in Nitrate) you have to let the beneficial bacteria population grow in line with the available food.
Locking up / binding that 'food' starves bacteria - it's a simple cause and effect but sadly there is a nation of (paid) influential 'ambassadors' online doing 80% water changes every week and using lots of unnecessary 'treatments' telling their viewers that to be normal - that is not normal.
*Look at your bottle of water conditioner - it will state if it messes with the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate*
I always recommend API stress coat since it does not mess with the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and when people switch from a damaging conditioner the full cycle completes (as long as they have plenty of suitable media for the tank and stock). If you want me to send you emails from people stating that fact get in touch - sales@filterpro.co.uk

Basically the further we get from Nature the more we will spend on unnecessary 'treatments' in a pharmaceutical business template (which requires lifetime customers to pay shareholders who want increased yearly profit) and that is unsustainable for many people keeping fish, especially with the increasing cost of electric.
Properly set up filtration is the antithesis to the pharmaceutical business model since it will prevent people spending stupid money every month (that's why I'm censored from most FBIbook pages and forums) - once you have a proper filter system set up and are not holding the bacteria back it will process the fish waste into perfect water with no problems.
A full cycle is a Natural process that sadly all too few people understand due to a critical lack of (censored) information.
It's basically a Terrain Theory vs Germ Theory argument which is most definitely (in this age of rampant censorship) a black belt conversation.
If you want me to make a video explaining the Terrain Theory vs Germ Theory argument let me know in the comments and I will do it , just don't expect it to get many views, lol - if you can comprehend the information in the possible future video you will not only save money but you will change your mode of thinking regarding aquarium 'treatments' and what you 'need' to add every water change. It's a deep issue which few are prepared to delve into since it's a proper 'rabbit hole' topic which will yield only the censored (fake) result if you search for 'terrain theory' on Google or Bing.

Anyway, sorry if I got well off track there but that's where being passionate about Nature and filtration takes you, lol

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1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 123