Biohome has two of the best nitrates reducing filter medias on the market with the Ultra Mini and Ultimate. So, which of these products is better when it comes to improving the water quality of your fish tank?
You can find out in this comparison guide between the Biohome Ultra Mini and Biohome Ultimate.
Quick Summary
Unlike the Biohome Ultra Mini, the Biohome Ultimate comes with trace elements that will speed up the growth of the beneficial aerobic bacteria (which will consume ammonia and nitrites) as well as the beneficial anaerobic bacteria (which will consume nitrates).
So, if you would like to establish your colony as quickly as possible, then you should get the Biohome Ultimate.
Aside from the lack of trace elements, the Biohome Ultra Mini is identical to the Biohome Ultimate. Thus, if you don’t mind having to wait longer for the beneficial colonies to establish, then the Ultra Mini is the more affordable option out of these two products.
Biohome Ultra Mini vs. Biohome Ultimate Comparison Chart
You can take a look at Aquarium Blueprints’ comparison table for the Ultra Mini and Ultimate filter medias below.
| Biohome Ultra Mini | Biohome Ultimate | |
|---|---|---|
| Pellet Size | Approximately 1.5” x 0.5” | Approximately 1.5” x 0.5” |
| Packaging Sizes | 1 lb. 2 lbs. 5 lbs. | 1 lb. 2 lbs. 5 lbs. |
| Recommended Amount | 1 kg per 100 liters for a normally stocked tank 1.5 kg to 2 kg per 100 liters for a heavily stocked tank | 1 kg per 100 liters for a normally stocked tank 1.5 kg to 2 kg per 100 liters for a heavily stocked tank |
| Porosity | At least 50% | At least 50% |
| Detoxification | Ammonia Nitrites Nitrates | Ammonia Nitrites Nitrates |
| Mechanical Filtration Requirement? | Yes | Yes |
| Trace Elements | None | Titania Alumina Ferric oxide Lime Magnesia Potash Soda Phosphorus pentoxide Chromium sesquioxide Manganic oxide Zirconia Hafnia Zinc oxide Barium oxide Strontia Stannic oxide Sulphur trioxide |
| PH Alteration? | No | No |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
Pellet Size
Each pellet of the Ultra Mini and Ultimate should be around the same in size with an approximate measurement of 1.5” by 0.5”.
Packaging Sizes
On Amazon, both of these filter medias are available in the following package sizes:
- 1 lb.
- 2 lbs.
- 5 lbs.
Recommended Amount
When it comes to how much Biohome Ultra Mini or Biohome Ultimate you should be using for your aquarium, the company recommends using 1 kg per 100 liters of water for a normally stocked tank. If your tank is heavily stocked, then Biohome suggests using 1.5 kg to 2 kg per 100 liters.
If you are using the U.S. metric system, that translates to 2.2 lbs. per 26.42 gallons for a normally stocked tank or 3.31 lbs. to 4.41 lbs. per 26.42 gallons for a heavily stocked tank.
Porosity
The structures for both the Ultra Mini and Ultimate medias have extremely porous structure as you should expect at least 50% porosity.
Detoxification
Biohome Ultra Mini and Biohome Ultimate should provide plenty of surface area for nitrifying aerobic bacteria, which will consume ammonia and nitrite, to grow.
Both products also feature chambers that are devoid of oxygen, allowing the nitrate-consuming denitrifying anaerobic bacteria to grow.
Mechanical Filtration Requirement
For the biological filtration of the Ultra Mini and Ultimate to work efficiently, you will need to prevent any mulm from clogging its pores. Otherwise, the lack of water flow could kill off the beneficial aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.
Biohome recommends that you use good mechanical filtration to remove small particles before they get the chance of clogging the Ultra Mini or Ultimate.
You can use a prefilter on the intake of your filter.
Furthermore, you can make sure that the filter pads, sponges or other mechanical filtration is setup in a way that the incoming water will go through them before reaching the biological filtration.
You can also rinse these pellets with tank water once in a while to remove any mulm that could be clogging the pores.
Trace Elements
Unlike the Biohome Ultra Mini, the Biohome Ultimate comes with the following trace elements:
- Titania
- Alumina
- Ferric oxide
- Lime
- Magnesia
- Potash
- Soda
- Phosphorus pentoxide
- Chromium sesquioxide
- Manganic oxide
- Zirconia
- Hafnia
- Zinc oxide
- Barium oxide
- Strontia
- Stannic oxide
- Sulphur trioxide
The aforementioned trace elements should help speed up the growth of the beneficial aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Normally, it can take 14 to 21 days for the for the beneficial aerobic as well as 4 to 6 months for the beneficial anaerobic bacteria to establish themselves in your tank.
With the Biohome Ultimate, you can speed up this process.
PH Alteration
Both of these filter medias won’t alter the pH in your fish tank. The Biohom Ultra Mini is completely inert. While the Biohome Ultimate has trace elements, they won’t alter the parameters of your aquarium.
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