Jump to content

seachem matrix imposter?


revolutionhope

Recommended Posts

can someone please graciously confirm for me whether i have been ripped off -

1) does this look like seachem matrix?

9fa298980ad073d41ae84b6c22d24132.jpg

2) does seachem matrix "crumble" when agitated and cloud water as a result (at the same time as increase TDS?

5b151b528cb22c299769936affe60879.jpg

if i have been ripped off and given "fake" matrix then i will be happy because i will have likely found the answer to something majorly confounding me!

love n peace

will

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so that "dusty" lookinf stuff isn't right then? i can literally keep grinding it against itself with my fingers til it all becomes particulate

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only particulates I've ever washed off seachem matrix is the dust when the new packet is first opened and the 'dirt' that collects as part of the natural formation of a biofilm in a filter. Doesn't sound right at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I get a small amount of "sand" in the bottom of a bucket when rinsing matrix from a canister filter (tip it all into a bucket, swirl it a bit and tip it back into a canister). If I forcibly rubbed it together I think I might be able to turn it to sand... but certainly not the powder plume that your pic shows. Mine is 15 years old though :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could this be seachem matrix off spec version?

The off spec version is an irregular shaped smaller sized granular form as compared to the normal matrix. I have the off spec version and washing it creates similar cloudy water.

I use them in a reactor on very low flow to encourage anaerobic bacteria to colonise it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matrix raising TDS is not unheard off.

i have read many instances of that happening.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thankyou all very much for your input. i think I'm gonna bin it regardless. the tds in the 2 tanks with the stuff were definitely rising considerably while cycling.

the pH was table though - this is a new occurrence only since adding livestock...

cheers

love n peace

will

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it came inside a second hand filter i got from gumtree.. eheim pro2. worst purchase of my whole life.. seals were screwed. was missing an intake strainer and spray bar i think? i was just naive and trusting.

when j got home i thought wtf it's got rocks inside! then i went and showed it to my (formerly) fav LFS and he said it was matrix..

im not happy with said LFS i recently found they sold me a fishtank ornament that they had re-glued in two places at full price! nvm they also have been wrong about their lava rock being inert and a few other issues...

thanks for the opportunity to rant @nogi much appreciated ;-)

love n peace

will

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I just joined so this might be a little late, I have used matrix in my one filter for about 3 years now and moved house with it almost a year ago (I moved the matrix out of the overhead filter into a bucket and back into the filter) and it's still 100%, no crumbling or any other problems, in fact, I like it so much I'm going to be switching all my filters to matrix..

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Join Our Community!

    Register today, ask questions and share your shrimp and fish tank experiences with us!

  • Must Read SKF Articles

  • Posts

    • ngoomie
      Alright, I've done a bit more research on gentian violet's cancer-causing potential but I haven't yet done research on malachite green's to compare. But from reading the California propositon 65 document about GV (North Americans incl. some Canadians will recognize this as the law that causes some products they buy to be labelled with "known to the state of California to cause cancer", including the exact product I bought) it seems that the risk of cancer is related to internal use, either injection or ingestion. Speaking of ingestion, I think GV bans mainly relate to its use in treating fish/shrimp/etc. which are intended for human consumption, because of the above. And in countries where GV isn't banned for this purpose, it does seem to get used on various species of shrimp without causing any issue for the shrimp themselves (at least enough so for shrimp farming purposes). See the following: In February, the FDA Began Rejecting Imported Shrimp for Gentian Violet and Chloramphenicol (2022 article by Southern Shrimp Alliance) FDA Starts New Calendar Year by Refusing Antibiotic-Contaminated Shrimp from Three BAP-Certified Indian Processors and Adding a BAP-Certified Vietnamese Processor to Import Alert (2024 article by Southern Shrimp Alliance) Southern Shrimp Alliance and some other organizations have tons of other articles in this vein, but I'd be here for a while and would end up writing an absolutely massive post if I were to link every instance I found of articles mentioning shrimp shipments with gentian violet and/or leucogentian violet registering as contaminants. That being said, I know shrimp farmed for consumption and dwarf shrimp are often somewhat distantly related (in fact, the one time a shrimp's species name is listed that I can see, it's the prawn sp. Macrobrachium rosenbergii, who at best occupies the same infraorder as Neocaridina davidi but nothing nearer), but this at least gives a slightly better way of guessing whether it will be safe for aquarium dwarf shrimp or not than my bladder snail anecdote from the OP.
    • sdlTBfanUK
      I would hazard a guess that perhaps those eggs were unfertilized and thereby unviable? Did the eggs change colour, usually yellow to grey as the yolks used up, or any eyes in the eggs. Is your water ok, using RO remineralised and the parameters in range, as I have heard others say that if the water isn't good it can 'force' a molt? How is it going overall, do you have a good size colony in the tank, you may have reached 'maximum occupancy' as a tank can only support so many occupants.
    • beanbag
      Hello folks,  The current problem I am having is that my Taiwan bee shrimp are molting before all their eggs have hatched.  Often the shrimp keep the eggs for 40+ days.  During that time, they lose about half or so, either due to dropping or duds or whatever.  Shortly before molting they look to have about a dozen left, and then they molt with about half a dozen eggs still on the shell.  Then the other shirmp will come and eat the shell.  These last few times, I have been getting around 0-3 surviving babies per batch.  I figure I can make the eggs hatch faster by raising the water temperature more (currently around 68F, which is already a few degrees higher than I used to keep it) or make the shrimp grow slower by feeding them less (protein).  Currently I feed Shrimp King complete every other day, and also a small dab of Shrimp Fit alternating days.  Maybe I can start alternating with more vegetable food like mulberry?  or just decrease the amount of food?
    • ngoomie
      Yeah, cancer risk was a thing I'd seen mentioned a lot when looking into gentian violet briefly. I kinda just figured it might only be as bad as the cancer risk of malachite green as well, but maybe I should look into it more. I've been doing a pretty good job of not getting it on my skin and also avoiding dunking my unprotected hands into the tank water while treating my fish at least, though. Maybe I'll just not use it once I'm done this course of medication anyways, because I know a store I can sometimes get to that's pretty distant carries both malachite green and methylene blue, and in pretty large quantities.
    • jayc
      Can't help you with Gentian Violet, sorry. It is banned in Australia violet for potential toxicity, and even possible cancer risks. I thought it was banned in Canada as well. At least, you now know why there isn't much info on gentian violet medication and it's use. But keep an eye on the snails after a week. If it affects the snails, it might not kill them immediately. So keep checking for up to a week. Much safer options out there. No point risking your own life over unsafe products.
×
×
  • Create New...