IceCap Bio Sphere Media Tower
SKU: IC-BSTWR
MSRP: $ 13,85
-
Available Through Authorized Retailer
- Detritus-Free Vertical Stacking: Elevates biological spheres into structured columns, allowing heavy particulate waste to drift past instead of packing tightly inside a messy mesh bag.
- 45-Sphere Holding Capacity: Outfitted with nine clear vertical support rods, with each rod specifically proportioned to hold exactly five stacked biological media spheres.
- Universal Media Compatibility: Universal rod diameter is perfectly tailored to fit IceCap Bio-Spheres, Maxspect Nano-Tech Bio-Spheres, and Mantis Nano-Tech media lines.
- Heavy-Duty Weighted Foundation: Engineered with a rigid solid black acrylic base plate that keeps the tower firmly anchored to the floor of your filtration sump chamber.
- High-Exposure Water Flow-Through: Open-air design exposes the maximum surface area of each ceramic ball to moving water, speeding up the biological conversion of toxins.
- Compact Equipment Footprint: Small 4.3 by 4.3-inch layout stacks up to 1 Kilogram of loose media vertically, saving valuable horizontal space for skimmers or pumps.
IceCap
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IceCap Bio-Sphere Media Tower (SKU: IC-BSTWR)
The IceCap Bio-Sphere Media Tower (SKU: IC-BSTWR) is an authentic, structural filtration accessory distributed by CoralVue to maximize the efficiency of your biological sump media. Traditional methods of housing ceramic bio-spheres often involve packing them into nylon drawstring mesh bags and dropping them into a corner of the under-cabinet sump. Over a few months, these limp bags compress, turning into dense, muddy dead zones that trap raw fish feces, loose macroalgae strands, and organic detritus. This trapped sludge suffocates the underlying beneficial bacteria, starving them of oxygen and causing hidden nitrate factories to form. The IC-BSTWR entirely resolves this flaw by ditching the bag and organizing your media into an open-air "high-rise condo" framework.
Visually, the tower features a premium solid black acrylic base plate matched with nine crystal-clear vertical alignment pegs. By sliding your media spheres straight down over the rods, you lock up to 45 biological balls into clean, neat columns. This layout keeps the media separated and perfectly aligned in the direct path of your water current. Because water can flow effortlessly through and around every single piece of media from all directions, your nitrifying bacterial colonies receive a continuous supply of highly oxygenated water. This ultra-compact vertical array packs a full 1KG media capacity into a tiny square footprint, freeing up space in your filtration room while keeping your water parameters exceptionally clean.
Key Features
Prevents Sudden Salinity Shifts: Stacking your media vertically inside the sump means you can safely lift the entire tower out for a quick rinse during maintenance without spilling water or shifting loose pieces into return pump impellers.
Eliminates Channeled Bypass: Forces incoming water to pass uniformly over every biological sphere rather than tunneling around the sides of an unevenly packed media bag.
Transparent Acrylic Rods: Clear structural pegs stay hidden inside the central holes of your ceramic spheres, maintaining a clean, high-tech appearance in your equipment chamber.
(Note: This e-commerce item includes the standalone acrylic base plate and integrated rod assembly tower. Biological ceramic spheres, filter socks, and water booster strains are sold under separate product catalog lines).
Model Technical Profile Reference
| Tower Part Number | Base Footprint Surface Area | Vertical Unit Standing Height | Total Sphere Stacking Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| IC-BSTWR | 4.3 Inches x 4.3 Inches | 7.45 Inches | Holds Up to 45 Spheres (1KG) |
What’s Included:
(1) IceCap Bio-Sphere Media Tower Core Module Frame Array
(Note: Stacking biological media spheres are shown for structural assembly visualization and are sold separately).
Technical Specs:
Official Manufacturing Title: IceCap Bio-Sphere Media Tower
SKU / Factory Part Identifier: IC-BSTWR
Universal UPC Product Barcode: 6974415981589
Total Base Layout Dimensions: 4.3 Inches x 4.3 Inches (10.92 cm x 10.92 cm)
Total Vertical Stand Elevation: 7.45 Inches (18.92 cm)
Total Stacking Rod Alignment: 9 High-Clarity Acrylic Extension Rods
Max Component Stacking Depth: 5 Standard 1.25" Ceramic Spheres Per Rod
Primary Construction Matrix: Heavy-Gauge Cast Acrylic Sheet Stock
Warranty
CoralVue, Inc. hereby guarantees this product to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of:
- 1 Year
Warranty is activated on the date of purchase.
This Standard Limited Warranty applies and is limited as follows:
- To the product only as long as it remains in the possession of the original purchaser.
- To the product that has not been subject to accident, misuse or abuse.
- To the product that has not been modified, altered, defaced, or had repairs made or attempted by other than CoralVue, Inc.
- That CoralVue be immediately notified in writing within ten (10) days of first knowledge of defect by owner or his agent.
- That CoralVue, Inc. shall be given first opportunity to make any repairs, replacements or corrections to the defective construction within a reasonable period of time.
- Under no circumstances shall CoralVue and/or the Manufacturer be liable by virtue of this warranty or otherwise for damage to any person or property whatsoever for any special, indirect, secondary or consequential damages of any nature however arising out of the use or inability to use because of the product defect.
- Unpack your IceCap Media Tower and rinse the frame under fresh tap water to clear away any static dust or plastic shavings left over from manufacturing.
- Place the tower on a dry towel. Take your compatible biological spheres (such as the IceCap 1.25-inch ceramic spheres) and slide them down over the rods one at a time.
- Load exactly five spheres onto each of the nine acrylic support lines until all 45 media pieces are securely stacked across the grid.
- Position the loaded media tower directly into your under-cabinet aquarium sump basin. Ideal placement: Position it in a high-flow chamber after your mechanical filter socks and before your return pump.
- Ensure the surrounding water level in your sump covers at least the bottom two tiers of the tower to keep your biological bacterial colonies submerged in moving water.
- Clean and maintain the bio-tower every 6 to 12 months by lifting the entire frame out and gently swishing it up and down inside a bucket of salvaged aquarium water to shed light surface slime.
Pro Tips:
- Always Place the Media Tower After Your Mechanical Filter Socks. To keep your biological spheres filtering at peak efficiency for years, ensure the tower sits downstream from your mechanical pre-filtration area (like filter socks or automated roller mats). If raw, unfiltered water directly from the display tank dumps over the tower, loose fish feces and uneaten food will quickly coat the porous ceramic surfaces. This can choke out the underlying bacterial colonies. Feeding the tower clean, pre-filtered water allows your bacteria to focus 100% of their energy on processing dissolved chemical toxins.
- Keep the Tower Submerged in a High-Flow Area to Avoid Gas Pockets. Nitrifying bacteria require a high volume of dissolved oxygen to process toxic ammonia into safe nitrates. For best results, place the tower in a zone with constant, active water movement. Avoid placing the tower in stagnant corners of your sump or dead zones behind large equipment. A strong, continuous cross-current keeps oxygen moving through the core of the ceramic spheres, preventing slow-moving anaerobic zones from forming.
- Swish the Tower in Salvaged Tank Water During Regular Maintenance. Over months of continuous running, a natural layer of bacterial biofilm will coat your spheres. While some biofilm is necessary, a very heavy accumulation can slow down water penetration into the porous core. During your routine water changes, simply lift the entire tower out by its base plate and plunge it up and down a few times inside your bucket of discarded tank water. This easily dislodges excess surface sludge without exposing your sensitive bacteria to shocking temperature drops or chlorine.