Bead filters

[jim barry]

Hi all

Looking for some experienced people who are using or have used bead filters on their tanks?
I have a 9x4x2 with stingrays. Have run a sump for years but thinking of changing to a bead filter but have no idea how to set one up. Would I still run mu sump and just run the bead filter along side it?
I have never been happy with my sump but could keep it for extra water volume and holding area for fish but use the bead filter as main source of filtration.
Do bead filters deal with mechanical filtration or are they only really used as bio filtration?
Any suggestions or help appreciated.
I am looking at the Powerbead PB85 model

 

[duanes]

I had a bead filter on a swimming pool in a place I rented for a while.
It needed to be backwashed regularly (lots of bat feces at certain times of the year, leaves and other debris at other times), and used about 500 gallons per backwash, which went to the garden.
In aquariums it may need to be backwashed considerably less, depending on whether you prefilter the water before it enters the bead filter. This may be where your sump comes in handy, by using mechanical media such as scrubbies or matts to remove larger solids before entering the bead chamber.
For tanks the beads are a combination mechanical, and biological media.