Lava rock – that igneous rock that’s formed as an erupting volcano’s molten lava cools and hardens – is very porous. When chunks of it live in your filtration system, you’re providing a lot of surface area for those beneficial bacteria to colonize and grow. That’s what makes it such a great filter media.

It does, however, have its drawbacks.

• Clogged Holes: Over time, the porous rock can become easily clogged with muck and debris. Once the holes and pockets are clogged, they can become very difficult to clean out – which ultimately creates less overall surface area.

• Hard Water: Lava rock naturally contains a variety of minerals, including iron and magnesium, that could affect your water’s pH, making it harder. Hard water could make it more difficult to treat algae that forms.

• It’s Heavy!: They may be porous chunks of rock, but hefting bags of it takes some strength – particularly when its wet and full of gunk.

Benefits of BioBalls

• Bioballs, filter media, are plastic spheres made up of dozens of thin rods that provide plenty of surface area for beneficial bacteria to thrive. Two hundred of the bioballs in a mesh media bag will filter about 1,000 gallons of water in a pond with minimal fish.

• Compared to lava rock, bioballs have some definite benefits.

• Easy to Clean: Bioballs can also become clogged, by they’re easy to clean. Just rinse them off with water from your pond and you’ll be good to go.

• Indefinite Lifetime: Because they’re made from long-lasting material, bioballs will not degrade and will function equally well year after year.

• Shape Shifters: The bioballs’ round shape allows them to more easily conform to any filter, no matter its shape.

• Lightweight, Easy to Handle: Each one of these tiny, plastic spheres weighs a scant 0.3 ounces; 200 of them weigh a whopping 3 1/2 pounds. They’re easy to deposit and remove from your filter thanks to a mesh filter bag.

• Consider making the switch from lava rock to bioballs. You’ll see better results and you’ll need to do less maintenance. What’s better than that?

Maybe Fish Floss

light weight and long lasting like bioballs but strapping like plastic with millions of indentations for bacteria to thrive. The best part is the spaghetti like bag doesn't collect debris, virtually never clogs. Clean out at the end of the season and thats it! Switching from lava rock to fish floss can cure pond balancing issues quickly.