Intake placement Debate

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Gr8KarmaSF

Gr8KarmaSF

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I recently read about spillway designs which states that, "this design takes advantage of the fact that the protein wastes, which account for the majority of fish waste products, tend to form a layer where air and water meet" (Freshwater Stingrays - Richard Ross pg. 27).

Does this mean that I should place my canister intakes more towards the top of my tank instead of the bottom???

:feedback:
 
Yes it is true the highest concentrations of what you don't want in your tank form on the surface.They do make skimmer attachments for cannister filters but I would leave your intake near the bottom. You will get better circulation. I run wet-drys and canisters on my big tanks.
 
Im afraid a canister or HOB filter wont be too effective to remove that surface film that you are talking about. But if you do regular water changes or you can also skim the top off once in a while, that should suffice.

The best filters to remove surface film it is through a wet dry, where the intake ( overflow ) is at the top. You can also use a protein skimmer, and its a myth that protein skimmer does not work on fw. .. just not as effective and it can be overkill.
 
Red,

What do you mean "overkill"?
 
i agree with redtail i use a p/skimmer on my cat tank for airation and to break the surface tension works great also stuffing a bit of foam in the bottom adds a little more bio filtration
 
Well using a protein skimmer on a freshwater setup can be considered overkill because removing protein matter on a fw tank is as easy as a water change. With a sw setup ,its a different matter altogether. Water changes arent as frequent and can be a bit tedious.
 
:thumbsup: Got it...

so in the end as with most water quality debates and issues, there are no short cuts!!! it again all comes down to simply doing your water changes. :grinyes:
 
Yeah.. having a wet dry will definitely clear up the substrate film but its all dissolved protein. a water change can take care of that.
 
If you have a lot of surface slime you can lay a couple of paper towels on top to absorb it and then toss away after a minute or so
 
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