MarinePure Spheres
Suits tanks
950–50000 L
Water type
Freshwater and marine
MarinePure Spheres
One sphere replaces roughly 1,350 plastic bio-balls in the same space. MarinePure Spheres are 38 mm (1.5") ultra-porous ceramic biomedia made by CerMedia in the USA. The open, interconnected pore structure gives bacteria a huge surface to colonise, so a modest volume of spheres does the biological filtration work of a much larger volume of plastic media — and the deep pores support the low-oxygen zones that also help bring nitrate down.
Key features
- Ultra-porous ceramic — fired above 1,000°C, inert, and never leaches into the water
- Handles ammonia and nitrite — the primary biological filtration job, at high flow
- Helps reduce nitrate — deep pores create low-oxygen zones plastic bio-balls can't replicate
- Free-pours into any filter — canister filters, sumps, wet/dry towers and trickle filters
- Freshwater and marine — the same media works in either
- Never needs replacing — inert ceramic doesn't wear out or break down biologically
Specifications
| Size | SKU | Approx. media volume | Suitability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9 L Box | 100892 | 2 US quarts | Freshwater and marine |
| 3.8 L Box | 100893 | 1 US gallon | Freshwater and marine |
| 18.9 L Bucket | 102688 | 5 US gallons | Freshwater and marine |
| 56 L Half-Drum | 102666 | ~15 US gallons | Freshwater and marine |
| 100 L Drum | 100896 | ~26 US gallons | Freshwater and marine |
How much filtration does it provide?
CerMedia rates MarinePure media at roughly 1 part media to 500 parts tank water for ongoing ammonia and nitrite control, so the tank volume a pack supports scales directly with the pack size:
| Pack | Media volume | Approx. tank volume supported |
|---|---|---|
| 1.9 L Box | 1.9 L | ~950 L |
| 3.8 L Box | 3.8 L | ~1,900 L |
| 18.9 L Bucket | 18.9 L | ~9,450 L |
| 56 L Half-Drum | 56 L | ~28,000 L |
| 100 L Drum | 100 L | ~50,000 L |
These are guide figures for a typically stocked tank, not a hard ceiling — a lightly stocked system will comfortably run on less, and a heavily stocked one benefits from sitting toward the next size up.
Which size do I need?
Match the pack to your system volume against the table above, then round up if your tank is heavily stocked or you're running the media as your only biological stage. Multiple smaller packs can be combined — the total media volume is what counts, not the number of boxes.
Suitable for, and not suitable for
Suitable for any freshwater or marine system using a canister filter, sump, wet/dry tower or trickle filter. Not suitable as the sole filtration in systems that also need mechanical filtration — MarinePure handles the biological stage only, and pore-clogging debris should be caught upstream by a mechanical stage first.
Care and maintenance
- Rinse before first use — a tap-water rinse followed by a tank-water rinse clears shipping dust from the pores
- Keep mechanical filtration upstream so debris doesn't clog the pore structure
- Rinse gently in removed tank water roughly every three months, or when flow through the media noticeably slows
- Never rinse in tap water once established — chlorine and chloramine will kill the bacterial colony
Goes well with
A MarinePure Vault keeps loose spheres contained and easy to lift out for cleaning, rather than loose in the sump. A mesh media bag sized to the pack does the same job in a canister filter basket.
Warranty and delivery
MarinePure ceramic media carries no manufacturer warranty as such — it's an inert, non-mechanical product with nothing to fail — and is covered by the consumer guarantees available under Australian Consumer Law regardless. Standard freight applies to the box and bucket sizes; the 56 L half-drum and 100 L drum are bulky items and may attract an oversize freight surcharge at checkout.
Common questions
Can I mix MarinePure Spheres with my existing bio-balls or ceramic rings?
Yes. MarinePure can be added alongside existing biomedia — there's no compatibility issue — though replacing the older media over time makes better use of your filter's volume.
Do I need to cycle the tank again after adding MarinePure?
No, provided you're adding it to an already-cycled system. The spheres will pick up bacterial colonisation from the existing water within days rather than starting from zero.
Will MarinePure lower my nitrate on its own?
It helps. The low-oxygen zones deep inside each sphere support denitrifying bacteria, but nitrate control also depends on stocking, feeding and water changes — MarinePure is one part of the picture, not a standalone fix.
Can I use MarinePure in a sump without a container?
Yes, it can be poured loose into a sump baffle chamber, but a MarinePure Vault or a mesh bag makes it far easier to remove for its occasional rinse.
Is MarinePure reef safe?
Yes. It's an inert fired ceramic with nothing to leach, and is used in both freshwater and marine systems including reef tanks.
