Bio-media controversy

[metalyx]

Really no mechanical filtration which isn't so bad as long as I keep up on water changes. It's a pred tank so they happen every two weeks at ten gallons. I would very much like to reduce the necessity of even that but I'm not familiar with running a good canister off of my siphon line. In the end that will be the plan. The sump attached to the tank will just be propagation space for algae types. The other sump only has two chambers but in an ideal world the first chamber would be full, top to bottom with live rock rubble. The second chamber holds the sump and return pump. Maybe that's what I'll do. Fill the first chamber as said and add my AquaC Remora skimmer that's currently in use in tandem with the excalibur. Since there's always something of a water level in there I'll add the canister pump and return into the same area. What's that add up to, 4 pumps? At least the water will be moved well after that. Even better I'll tie the excalibur return system to the cannister return system and straight back into the tank. Not bad.

On a final note, perhaps not to relevant to the forum but do the chaeto/agar algaes need to be completely submerged all the time or will a drip system be enough?

Thanks guys.

 

[tcarswell]

Really no mechanical filtration which isn't so bad as long as I keep up on water changes. It's a pred tank so they happen every two weeks at ten gallons. I would very much like to reduce the necessity of even that but I'm not familiar with running a good canister off of my siphon line. In the end that will be the plan. The sump attached to the tank will just be propagation space for algae types. The other sump only has two chambers but in an ideal world the first chamber would be full, top to bottom with live rock rubble. The second chamber holds the sump and return pump. Maybe that's what I'll do. Fill the first chamber as said and add my AquaC Remora skimmer that's currently in use in tandem with the excalibur. Since there's always something of a water level in there I'll add the canister pump and return into the same area. What's that add up to, 4 pumps? At least the water will be moved well after that. Even better I'll tie the excalibur return system to the cannister return system and straight back into the tank. Not bad.

On a final note, perhaps not to relevant to the forum but do the chaeto/agar algaes need to be completely submerged all the time or will a drip system be enough?

Thanks guys.

No mechanical filtration ? Highly reccomended just to keep your bio media strictly covered in BIO bacteria. You must have floaties all over that media.

 

[FSM]

Bio balls are nitrate factories if not cleaned regularly. In salt water a big sump with a good skimmer, and an algae scrubber. and deep sand it the tank and lots of LR is the best filtration.

yeah that's pretty much the whole point of biofiltration...converting ammonia and nitrite into nitrate. Calling it a nitrate factory is just kind of stupid.