Mechanical pre filter, yes or no?
- Thread starter FishHead1
- Start date
- Location
- Palatine IL
I suggest you clean the sponges weekly. One week clean one return the following week do the other return.
I keep my 180G reef without any prefilters in the return. I occasionally place a filter in the sump's return mainly if bubbles from the skimmer start showing up in my tank
I keep my 180G reef without any prefilters in the return. I occasionally place a filter in the sump's return mainly if bubbles from the skimmer start showing up in my tank
I would not use any mechanical filtration what so ever. Anything that can be captured by a mechanical filter can be eaten by something in your aquarium. You essentially starve filter feeders of food.
Yes detritus will occur in your sump, so what? Doesn't do any harm, if you must panic about it toss a few hermit crabs in there to clean it up. Personally I've never seen it do a damn thing to the tank other than no mechanical filtration will yield in a much more bio-diverse population.
Yes detritus will occur in your sump, so what? Doesn't do any harm, if you must panic about it toss a few hermit crabs in there to clean it up. Personally I've never seen it do a damn thing to the tank other than no mechanical filtration will yield in a much more bio-diverse population.
I agree with MickAv8r. Why have something that you have to clean when you don't need it, and will cause problems if you don't clean it. I've run my systems without mechanical filtration (other than a skimmer) for over three years. Detritus settling in the sump is perfect, puts it all in one place to siphon out one a month.
- Location
- Virginia
I disagree with removing the filter sleeves in one way. My suggestion is to get the very porous ones, not the dense ones that trap everything, and to just leave them in there. They will trap detritus, which will be eaten by the pods that live in the sponge, and also, your sponge will house real sponges and also worms and other valuable detrivores. You can turn the filter into a living filter by leaving it in there. I took mine out awhile back because they were falling apart, but I keep one in my sump not to filter stuff out, but as additional living space for all of my sump dwellers (no, not Cheese Sandwich).
Removal of bioballs is another thing, some advocate removing them, some don't. I don't have any on my reef, but on a pond I have them in there as well as the refugium with DSB and macroalgae filter, which is connected to the sump filled with live rock. I have essentially combined the 2 systems together. By the way, the bioballs also provide for excellent living spaces for multitudes of pods and worms as well.
[ October 16, 2001: Message edited by: davelin315 ]
Removal of bioballs is another thing, some advocate removing them, some don't. I don't have any on my reef, but on a pond I have them in there as well as the refugium with DSB and macroalgae filter, which is connected to the sump filled with live rock. I have essentially combined the 2 systems together. By the way, the bioballs also provide for excellent living spaces for multitudes of pods and worms as well.
[ October 16, 2001: Message edited by: davelin315 ]
davelin315,
The sponge acts just like bio-balls. It provides a place for ammonia to break down to nitrate, but it not reduce it further, so it adds nitrate to your water column to be used by algae and others. You might try using crushed coral if you really like the nitrate effect.
[ October 17, 2001: Message edited by: cwa46 ]
The sponge acts just like bio-balls. It provides a place for ammonia to break down to nitrate, but it not reduce it further, so it adds nitrate to your water column to be used by algae and others. You might try using crushed coral if you really like the nitrate effect.
[ October 17, 2001: Message edited by: cwa46 ]
- Location
- Virginia
I don't think that my sponge is doing that in my sump, I believe it is more providing living space in my sump, almost like a sump dweller apartment complex. If I look in my sump with a flashlight, the sponge is absolutely filled with life. I'm sure it does have bacteria in it, but since my nitrates are normally undetectable (when I do my bi-monthly water test) I don't think it's producing that extra bit of nitrate in my system.
Dave, if you get 2 identical box, one filled with bio balls and the other filled with sponge. I can assure you that the one with sponge has more surface area, regardless how porous the sponge is. Plus, the sponge clogs. I would bet with you, Dave, that if you take out your sponge in the sump, go to a faucet and rinse, you will be surprised how much junk is trapped inside and your detrivores are not processing it further.
Your tank may have a excellent nutrient export mechanism that the NO3 level stays low. However, perhaps we should find out from this thread orginator and see if his tank has high NO3?
To go back to the original question. I will leave the sponge out completely (I had the same accessories too when my tank first ordered). When the detritus accumulates, you will have 2 choices.
1. agitate the detritus to feed your filter organisms in the main tank.
2. Siphon the detritus out while you do water changes. Letting the detritus settle in the sump makes regular maintenance a simple task.
[ October 18, 2001: Message edited by: danmhippo ]
Your tank may have a excellent nutrient export mechanism that the NO3 level stays low. However, perhaps we should find out from this thread orginator and see if his tank has high NO3?
To go back to the original question. I will leave the sponge out completely (I had the same accessories too when my tank first ordered). When the detritus accumulates, you will have 2 choices.
1. agitate the detritus to feed your filter organisms in the main tank.
2. Siphon the detritus out while you do water changes. Letting the detritus settle in the sump makes regular maintenance a simple task.
[ October 18, 2001: Message edited by: danmhippo ]
- Location
- Virginia
cwa46, you should really learn to read more carefully and also, calm down. I'm not sure why you've chosen to jump all over me, but I didn't start this thread, I just added a post to it.
Hippo, you are absolutely correct, there is detritus that is building up in the sponge, but I don't think that it is any different from the bottom of a sump, or in bunches of macroalgae. If you stir up your sump, no doubt there is a buildup of detritus somewhere in it. The same goes for macroalgae in a refugium, when I shake mine out, a lot of critters and detritus falls out of it. Under live rock, detritus builds up as well, in our tanks as well as in the ocean, and you will find lots of critters in there that are eating and processing it.
And yes, cwa46, I have a magic sponge. It's really quite lovely if you'd like to buy a piece of it, I'll trade some to you for a milk cow. Just be careful when climbing up the beanstalk, your attitude could knock it over.
Hippo, you are absolutely correct, there is detritus that is building up in the sponge, but I don't think that it is any different from the bottom of a sump, or in bunches of macroalgae. If you stir up your sump, no doubt there is a buildup of detritus somewhere in it. The same goes for macroalgae in a refugium, when I shake mine out, a lot of critters and detritus falls out of it. Under live rock, detritus builds up as well, in our tanks as well as in the ocean, and you will find lots of critters in there that are eating and processing it.
And yes, cwa46, I have a magic sponge. It's really quite lovely if you'd like to buy a piece of it, I'll trade some to you for a milk cow. Just be careful when climbing up the beanstalk, your attitude could knock it over.
Palar, I have the same overflow kit on my 92 Gallon that I just set up. I kept the prefilter on because it seemed to make the kit function better with the float valve and all. It is also much quiter with the filter on. Just make sure you clean it once a week and I think you will do fine. I have a question though since we are talking about prefilters. I put one on the intake of my sump pump. Is this a bad idea? I have a live sand bed in my sump and was worried about crap getting sucked up into the pump(mag 1200). Should I remove this or just clean it once a week as well?
- Location
- Virginia
I added my contribution to it already hippo, another interesting topic, wonder if somebody out there (how about one of you marine biologists?) can give us a scientific answer to the age old question of "where does all the poop go?"
Roach,
Just give it a rinse every few days as the sponge used in conjunction with the return pump could clog easily and reduces overall water flow.
A minor concerns though, using a sponge there could prevent some of the beneficial sand fauna to return to the main tank (as food), You may want to find the most porous prefilter available, or simply a plastic/acrylic pump intake screen to prevent large particles entering the pump.
Just give it a rinse every few days as the sponge used in conjunction with the return pump could clog easily and reduces overall water flow.
A minor concerns though, using a sponge there could prevent some of the beneficial sand fauna to return to the main tank (as food), You may want to find the most porous prefilter available, or simply a plastic/acrylic pump intake screen to prevent large particles entering the pump.
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