Marinepure Block 8x8x4″

Description

Marinepure Block 8x8x4″ — Porous ceramic biomedia block for sumps and large reef filtration systems

Live rock used to be the biofilter in a reef sump, but it brings pests, takes up room and varies from piece to piece. Marinepure Block 8x8x4″ (SKU: 100895) is a solid block of MarinePure ceramic biomedia made by CerMedia, a highly porous ceramic with greater than 80% open porosity that gives nitrifying bacteria a large, stable area to colonise. MarinePure lists about 150,000 sq ft of accessible surface per cubic foot of media (around 510 m² per litre), which works out at roughly 23,000 sq ft (about 2,140 m²) in this 8 × 8 × 4 in (about 20 × 20 × 10 cm) block. It is designed to target ammonia and nitrite removal and to minimise nitrates; it does not remove phosphate.

One block weighs just under 3 lb (about 1.3 kg) dry. It can sit in a sump, a trickle or wet/dry filter chamber, or directly in the tank, and works in any orientation. It can be cut with a bandsaw, tablesaw or hacksaw to fit a chamber, although the ceramic is fragile and may crumble at the cut; broken pieces keep their surface area. Media in a high-flow zone behaves much like live rock for ammonia and nitrite conversion, while the deep, low-flow interior can host anaerobic bacteria that turn nitrate into nitrogen gas, though Bulk Reef Supply cautions that this denitrification does not occur readily in most aquariums. The block can be cleaned, reused and sterilised, and the MarinePure Vault (124722) holds one block in an acrylic cage.

Usage & Application

When to Use

• New reef sumps: A clean, pest-free biofilter in place of rock in the sump.
• Heavily stocked systems: Extra bacterial surface for tanks carrying a high bioload.
• Wet/dry and trickle filters: A solid block that sits in the chamber in any orientation.
• Freshwater sumps: The same ceramic serves freshwater systems with a sump.

Placement & Usage Guide

• Rinse before use: Rinse off loose ceramic dust in tank or RO water before placing.
• Keep water moving: Place it where water flows through and around it, not standing on a baffle where it can clog.
• Cut to fit if needed: Saw slowly and keep the offcuts, which retain their surface area.
• Optional cleaning: Rinse in old tank water every month or two, never in chlorinated tap water.

Product Specifications & Highlights

Key Features

• Over 80% open porosity: Water passes through the ceramic, not just over it.
• About 23,000 sq ft of surface: Roughly 2,140 m² of colonisable area in one block.
• Ammonia and nitrite focus: Designed to remove both and keep nitrate down.
• Any orientation, cuttable: Fits sumps and filter chambers of different shapes.
• Reusable: Can be cleaned, reused and sterilised.

Product Details

• Brand: MarinePure (CerMedia)
• SKU: 100895
• Barcode (GTIN/UPC): 857246002035
• Product Type: Filter Media > Ceramic Biomedia Block
• Dimensions: 8 × 8 × 4 in (about 20 × 20 × 10 cm)
• Material: Porous ceramic, greater than 80% open porosity
• Surface Area: About 23,000 sq ft (2,140 m²) per block; about 510 m² per litre of media
• Approx. Weight: Just under 3 lb (about 1.3 kg)
• Removes: Ammonia and nitrite; minimises nitrate; does not remove phosphate
• Companion Products: MarinePure Vault (124722); MarinePure Gems 90g (102665)
• Target Environment: Marine and reef sumps; also freshwater filtration