Filter Media & Cleaning

API Bio-Chem Zorb

Freshwater & marineReplaces carbon

API Bio-Chem Zorb is the chemical filtration pouch that does what activated carbon does and then some. Its blend of ion-exchange resins and activated carbon strips dissolved organics — the yellow tint, the smell, heavy metals and toxic gases — from aquarium water, and by removing light-blocking impurities it lets more light reach corals in a reef and plants in a freshwater tank. One pouch treats up to 210 litres; rinse it, drop it into the filter’s water path and replace it every two months. It suits freshwater, saltwater and reef aquariums, and the pouch fits canister baskets and hang-on filters alike.

View at Jungle Aquatics

Live pricing and stock on jungleaquatics.com — purchase through Jungle Aquatics, with delivery across South Africa.

Dosage calculator

Enter your aquarium volume and the calculator works out how much API Bio-Chem Zorb to use for each rate on the pack.

Aquarium volume

Measured in

Use the water the tank actually holds, less substrate and decor.

Pouches needed1 pouches per 210 litres
Enter a volumeReplace every 2 months

Take chemical media out of the filter during any course of medication.

A guide only — always follow the dosing instructions printed on the pack, and measure with the bottle's cap or a syringe rather than by eye.

Technical details

Product type	Chemical filtration pouch — resins and activated carbon
Treats	Up to 210 litres per pouch
Removes	Colours, odours, heavy metals, toxic gases, dissolved organics
Suitable for	Freshwater, saltwater and reef aquariums
Fits	Canister baskets and hang-on filters (standard API size 6 pouch)
Lasts	About 2 months
Rechargeable	No — replace
Made by	Mars Fishcare, USA

Like any chemical media, it will adsorb fish remedies — take it out of the filter for the length of any medication course.

Bio-Chem Zorb or activated carbon?

For day-to-day clarity, Bio-Chem Zorb: it combines carbon with resins, so it clears colour and odour and also takes out heavy metals and toxic gases, and one pouch runs for two months in a tank up to 210 litres. Keep Super Activated Carbon for the job carbon is best at — pulling a fish remedy out of the water at the end of a treatment course, fast. Neither removes ammonia, nitrite or nitrate (that is Nitra-Zorb) or phosphate (Phos-Zorb), and both must come out of the filter while you medicate, or they will remove the medicine too.

Clears the water you cannot see through

Tannins from wood, dissolved waste and the slow yellowing of an ageing tank all absorb light and dull the view. The resin-and-carbon blend adsorbs those dissolved organics along with odours, heavy metals and gases, leaving water that looks freshly changed. Corals and plants get the light that the haze was stealing.

More than carbon in the same pouch

Carbon on its own handles colour and odour. The added resins broaden what the pouch removes, which is why API positions Bio-Chem Zorb as the everyday chemical media and keeps Super Activated Carbon for clearing medication. For ammonia and nitrate, pair it with Nitra-Zorb; for phosphate, with Phos-Zorb.

Rinse, place, replace every two months

Rinse the pouch under the tap to shed loose dust — it does not need to run clear — and set it where the filter’s flow passes through it. Replace it every two months, or sooner in a heavily stocked tank or when colour or smell returns. It is not rechargeable.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Bio-Chem Zorb in a reef aquarium?

Yes. It is labelled for freshwater, saltwater and reef tanks, and by removing light-blocking organics it improves the light reaching corals.

How long does a pouch last?

About two months. Replace it sooner if the tank is heavily stocked or if colour or odour comes back before then.

Does it remove ammonia or nitrate?

No — it targets colours, odours, heavy metals and toxic gases. Use Nitra-Zorb for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

Will it fit my filter?

The pouch is the standard API size 6, which sits in a canister basket or behind the cartridge of a hang-on filter. For a very small filter, the pouch can be opened and part of the media put in a media sock.

Is API Bio-Chem Zorb available in South Africa?

Yes — Jungle Aquatics in Fourways, Johannesburg stocks it and delivers nationwide; live pricing and stock are on jungleaquatics.com.

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South Africa's leading pet and aquarium store since 2007 — with the API range on the floor in Fourways, advice from people who test water every day, and easy ordering from anywhere in the country.

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