Product Information

What is BioQuartz Cube YJW18?

BioQuartz Cube YJW18 is a porous biological filter medium designed to provide a large amount of usable surface within a compact cube-shaped form.As aquarium water passes through the media, the porous structure provides places for beneficial microorganisms to establish themselves. These microorganisms form an important part of the aquarium’s biological filtration system. The YJW18 is therefore best thought of as habitat for beneficial bacteria, rather than a chemical treatment product.

What problem does BioQuartz Cube solve?

One of the biggest challenges in an aquarium is maintaining enough biological filtration capacity for the amount of livestock being kept.Fish waste, uneaten food and other organic material ultimately contribute to ammonia production. In a mature biological filter, microorganisms process ammonia into nitrite and then nitrate. BioQuartz Cube gives these microorganisms a dedicated porous surface to colonise.

It can therefore be particularly useful when:

• Your aquarium has a relatively high fish load
• You are upgrading the biological capacity of an existing filter
• Your canister filter has unused media space
• You are setting up a sump
• You want to add more biological media without using very large pieces
• You are replacing or supplementing older biological media
• You are setting up a new filtration system

Important: BioQuartz Cube is not an instant ammonia detoxifier. It needs to become biologically established before it can contribute meaningfully to the aquarium’s nitrogen cycle.

How does the porous structure help?

The key feature of this media is its porous construction. Instead of providing only the outside surface of a solid block, porous filter media provides numerous surfaces and protected spaces where microorganisms can attach. Once established, the bacterial community can contribute to biological filtration as water continuously passes through the media.

This is why porosity and water flow matter more than simply filling a filter with material.

Why the cube design is useful

• The cube/block format gives YJW18 a different physical design from conventional ceramic rings.
• Compact use of filter space
• Cube-shaped pieces can be packed into a media chamber while still leaving pathways for water movement.
• Porous internal structure
• The value of the media comes from its porous structure rather than simply its external dimensions.
• Easy to contain
• The cubes can be placed inside a suitable aquarium media bag, making them easy to remove when the filter needs maintenance.
• Suitable for different filter systems
• The compact format makes them practical for canister filters, sumps and other filtration chambers where loose media can be accommodated.

Biological filtration explained simply

A healthy aquarium relies on a biological process commonly referred to as the nitrogen cycle.

Ammonia → Nitrite → Nitrate

Beneficial microorganisms involved in nitrification colonise surfaces throughout the aquarium, particularly within dedicated biological filter media. BioQuartz Cube provides additional surface and protected porous areas for this microbial community. That means it supports biological filtration rather than replacing the biological processes themselves.

Freshwater and saltwater use

BioQuartz Cube YJW18 can be used in both freshwater and marine aquarium filtration systems.

Freshwater aquariums

Suitable for:

• Community aquariums
• Planted tanks
• Goldfish aquariums
• Cichlid systems
• Shrimp tanks
• Breeding and grow-out systems
• High-bioload aquariums

Saltwater aquariums

Can be used as additional biological media in:

• Marine fish-only systems
• Fish-only-with-live-rock systems
• Marine sumps
• Quarantine systems
• Other saltwater filtration setups

In marine aquariums, it should be considered additional biological media, not a replacement for the biological filtration provided by live rock or other established filtration systems where those are part of the setup.

Where can you use BioQuartz Cube?

YJW18 can be incorporated into many types of filtration systems.

The important requirement is consistent water flow through the media without excessive packing.

Biological media vs mechanical and chemical media It is important to understand that different filter media perform different jobs.

A good filtration system often combines multiple stages rather than expecting one material to perform every filtration function.

How to use BioQuartz Cube

1. Rinse before use – Rinse the media gently before putting it into the filter to remove loose manufacturing dust.

2. Place it after mechanical filtration – Where possible, position BioQuartz Cube after sponge or other mechanical media. This prevents large debris from immediately accumulating inside its pores.

3. Allow water to flow through the media – Don’t compress the cubes tightly into a solid mass. Water should be able to circulate through and around the media.

4. Allow the media to mature – New biological media does not instantly contain a mature bacterial colony. Give it time to become biologically established, particularly when setting up a new aquarium.

5. Maintain gently – When cleaning becomes necessary, gently rinse established media in removed aquarium water rather than aggressively scrubbing it.

Something Fishy recommends

Don’t treat biological media like filter floss. –Mechanical media is supposed to collect dirt and therefore gets cleaned regularly. Biological media is different. Its job is to provide a stable home for microorganisms.

A practical filter arrangement is: Mechanical filtration → BioQuartz Cube → Optional chemical filtration

Keeping the biological media protected from excessive debris helps maintain better water flow and makes the media easier to maintain. Also, avoid replacing all your mature biological media at once. Doing so can remove a significant portion of the established bacterial population.