Substrat Pro 1 L and 2 L — Sintered Bead Biological Filter Media 450 m²/L - Eheim

Eheim Substrat Pro — sintered bead biological filter media, 1 L and 2 L

Eheim's Substrat Pro is a biological filter medium made of sintered beads, offered here in two sizes: 1 L (720 g) and 2 L (1440 g). Its box states a colonisable surface of 450 m² per litre — that is where the nitrifying bacteria settle and convert the ammonia and nitrite in your tank. Eheim rates it for both freshwater and marine water, and it is made in Germany.

Why the bead shape matters

Eheim went with beads instead of cylinders or rings for a specific reason: a spherical shape gives a high bulk density. Your filter basket fills up without wasted gaps, so the entire available volume does actual work. The bead surface itself is optimised so that purification bacteria colonise it in a dense layer.

The practical result, in Eheim's own terms: with a high bacteria count, peak nitrite loads are reduced more easily and the maintenance intervals of the media get longer.

Where it goes in the filter

Eheim is explicit about the order of stages: mechanical filtration comes first (their MECH or MECHpro media catch the coarse particles), and biological filtration comes after. That second stage is what delivers clear water and stable parameters. So Substrat Pro sits downstream of the mechanical layer, in the baskets of an external filter or the modules of an internal one.

Building a canister? Look at the Classic 150 coarse filter pad for the mechanical stage, then the Eheim Classic 150 (2211), or the Classic 600 (2217) for larger volumes.

Maintenance: Eheim's warning

The manufacturer is firm on one point that many aquarists learn the hard way: never clean or replace all of the biological media in one operation, and never clean it too rigorously. The bacteria cultures must not be completely destroyed, otherwise re-colonisation is delayed. The baskets of an external filter lend themselves well to partial cleaning — do one part at a time.

Substrat Pro is washable and reusable — Eheim asks that you rinse it carefully.

The two sizes

• 1 L — 720 g · Eheim part 2510051 · box 14 × 17.7 × 7.3 cm (5.5 × 7.0 × 2.9 in)
• 2 L — 1440 g · Eheim part 2510101 · box 16.6 × 21.7 × 8.5 cm (6.5 × 8.5 × 3.3 in)

Eheim's own classification: biological yes · mechanical no · absorptive no · chemical no. It ships loose, with no net bag.

What Eheim does not publish

Eheim publishes no “X litres of media per Y litres of tank” rule, and no rated service life for Substrat Pro. If you see such a figure elsewhere, it did not come from the manufacturer. How much you need depends mostly on your filter's basket capacity and your bioload. Write to us with your exact filter model and tank volume and we will tell you which size to take — we would rather answer you than invent a number.

A note on wording: Eheim describes the material as sintered glass in its English documentation and as sintered quartz in its German documentation. We therefore say “sintered beads” and leave that call to them.

Why buy it from ReefSolution

• In business since 1999, over 118,000 orders processed since 2010 — plus a physical store in Laval where we can show you the product.
• Shipping across Canada. Free shipping available depending on order total.
• We also stock Eheim filters and their mechanical media, so you can build the whole canister in one order.

Frequently asked questions

Can I clean all the Substrat Pro at once?

No. Eheim recommends never cleaning or changing all the biological media in a single operation, and never cleaning it too rigorously: the bacteria cultures must not be fully destroyed, or re-colonisation falls behind. Do it one section at a time, basket by basket.

Is Substrat Pro suitable for saltwater?

Yes. Eheim rates it for both freshwater and marine water, and marks it with a pictogram on the box.

Where does it go in a canister filter?

After the mechanical stage. Eheim puts mechanical filtration first (MECH or MECHpro media), then biological filtration, which is the stage that stabilises your water parameters.

Can it be reused?

Yes, it is washable and reusable. Eheim asks that you rinse it carefully — rinsing it hard defeats the purpose, since it destroys the bacterial colony you are trying to keep.