Chemical Filtration for Freshwater Sump

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M

Madayew

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 5, 2009
56
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NC, USA
Hey guys, first post here. I bought a 90 gallon tank pre drilled. The last owner had it as a saltwater setup. I'm going to do an african cichlid tank. The sump of course has the mechanical and biological filtration. What should I do for chemical? I looked at buying a reactor filter and filling it with carbon and placing it in the sump or should I buy a powerfilter or canister filter in addition to the sump? Money is an issue but I want to have a clean and clear tank as well.

Thanks
 
also, is there any way I can simply place carbon somewhere in my sump such as under or on my filter pad if it is encased some how?
 
Hi and welcome to MFK! I don't use carbon at all unless I'm actually trying to remove something from the tank like medication. Actually, the last time I used it, my Green Terror's tank water looked pink. I found some carbon in the shed, rinsed it, and two days later, all pink-ness was gone. I have no idea why it was there, but the carbon took care of it.

So, it's good to use if you have a reason, but otherwise, it can be left out altogether. I have many tanks, and they are all clear, without the use of carbon. The thing that's going to let you achieve that clarity is fine-grade filter pads which will capture any of the particulate matter which is moving around in the tank. You can buy these in sheets from most LFS's and just cut to fit where you're trying to put it.

The "clean" part depends on you! Not overstocking, a regular cleaning schedule, and weekly testing should result in a clean tank.

Edit: If you were to place carbon, you would want it in the path of the water's flow in order for to it be most effective.

I would fill any space you intended with carbon with more biological media. It can't hurt, and having extra space for the bacteria to grow ensures that should something go wrong, things have a better chance of going right.
 
thanks for the input, now if I wanted to use carbon as you said "to remove medication" how would I then add this to my tank? I have no delivery format, would I just drop a filter pad filled with carbon somehwere in the tank?
 
No, you'd want to put it in the path of water flow. Most carbon comes in little bags, but if you buy it in bulk, then you either buy the filter bags separately (they're usually white, with drawstrings or clips, and made of really fine mesh) or I use pantyhose (the knee-highs work quite well). Just add carbon into the foot, tie a knot, and cut off the excess, if you like. Carbon is cheaper to buy in bulk, and knee-highs are cheap, also. Keep in mind that carbon lasts about a month; after that, it's not going to absorb any more, and should be removed.

Edit: If you don't have room in the sump, you can buy an Aqua-Clear hang-on-back filter and use it for emergencies. I have a few AC's hanging around which I got in craigslist buys, and didn't get rid of. That way, you don't have to mess with the sump at all, but you're still moving the water through the carbon. In this case, you wouldn't use any media in the AC filter, but just use the above method to add carbon to it, and remove carbon and filter when you're done removing what you need to remove.
 
No problem. Of course, others may have differing opinions (we always do LOL) so definitely keep an eye out for what they have to say so you can make the best decision. But this method has always worked for me!
 
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