Besides its wide range of substrates, CO₂ accessories and fertilizers, the Korean manufacturer AQUARIO also offers various filter media. With the Neo Media Premium, the entire range of filter materials has been revised and optimized once again. In this article, we present the new filter material in more detail.

What's new?

While the filter media of the previous model lines had a rather rounded shape, the bodies of the new Premium line are now clearly flow-optimized. The particles now have a shape reminiscent of a ship's propeller and have three "blades," each extending from the center at the same angle.
In principle, AQUARIO filter materials are designed as biological filter media, which offer plenty of space for beneficial bacteria to colonize thanks to their large surface area. Because of the new shape, however, you could also imagine that the medium might also have qualities for mechanical filtration, with larger dirt particles now being retained in the filter due to the larger gaps.

Material & properties of Neo Media Premium

The Neo Media Premium is made of natural materials from Korea, where it is also manufactured. Besides the mixing, shaping and drying processes, the material is also exposed to high temperatures to harden it further. Due to the manufacturing process and the fact that the starting materials are originally natural, the size, shape and color of the individual particles can differ slightly at times. However, this has no negative effect on the quality and effectiveness of the filter media.
The material offers a surface area of around 3,200 m² per liter. A large surface area is an important property for a biological filter material, in order to offer suitable habitat to as many beneficial bacteria as possible. Thanks to the many pores of different sizes, a large variety of bacteria is also attracted to settle on and in the filter medium. Because of the special manufacturing, there are also enough pores deep inside the filter material that ensure good water flow and can thus provide the necessary transport of nutrients and oxygen for aerobic bacteria.

The different models of the Neo Media Premium

In principle, three different variants are available in the Neo Media Premium product line. Depending on the model, there is a certain effect on the pH. The Neo Media Premium in the Pure version is water-neutral and hardly influences the pH, if at all. Neo Media Premium Soft can be used to acidify the water in a targeted way. This brings the pH into a slightly acidic range, which is preferred by many soft-water-loving ornamental fish, shrimp and aquatic plants. The Neo Media Premium Hard brings the pH into an alkaline range and is therefore well suited for use in aquariums with African cichlids (Malawi, Tanganyika).

Both the Soft and Hard versions are also equipped with dormant bacteria. On contact with water, these are activated and then begin their work within the nitrogen cycle. These bacterial additives should not be washed and can simply be placed between the filter media in the filter.