mechanical vs biological

dstyling

dstyling

Member
if you have a biological system--what i mean by that is:
1. fuge/sump
2. chateo
3. live rock
4. live sand
5. cuc
6. protein skimmer
is it really necessary or needed to run a tank...your opinions are greatly appreciated. i've been running a tank for about a yr and a half and never used a filter system or fluval or any other mechanics. Would like to know what you use or what you think of either of them...would you use them together??
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
I use all of these in a high light, low feed tank
2. chateo
3. live rock
4. live sand
5. cuc
6. protein skimmer
7. fluval ( resins and more bio-filter)
Remember that the type and amount of animals determine the amount of waste!
 
dstyling

dstyling

Member
kool thanks man...just wondered if any one like myself use just biological..great to hear ur doin good with what you have
 
T

tizzo

Guest
a protein skimmer is a mechanical filtration device.
I have lr, ls and an awesome skimmer for filtration. Nothing else, never have.
it is my opinion that a canister or sock only corral the waste, since it doesn't remove it and most aren't diligent about cleaning the canister, that it is of no benefit... Pending you have enough lr of course.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Many people run total bio filtration on their systems. All I can say is if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Tell us about yours, pics would be wonderful.
 
robdog696

robdog696

Member
Got ya all beat. I don't use a skimmer!
OMG, get him! My 150 will have one. But all I use in my 58 is a filter pad in the overflow, a 10g sump with bioballs, and a 5 gallon fuge with liverock rubble and chaeto.
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
Originally Posted by Tizzo
http:///forum/post/2601422
a protein skimmer is a mechanical filtration device.
I have lr, ls and an awesome skimmer for filtration. Nothing else, never have.
it is my opinion that a canister or sock only corral the waste, since it doesn't remove it and most aren't diligent about cleaning the canister, that it is of no benefit... Pending you have enough lr of course.
This may be true in a high feed tank where lots of waste gets in the filter, but in a low feed to no feed tank there is little to no waste trapped. I opened my fluval after neglecting it for one year and there was very little build-up. I use it for Phosguard and other chemical polishers.
So it is more, how you use what you have that determines success or fail. Canisters have limitations stay within them and you will be fine.
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Originally Posted by GeoJ
http:///forum/post/2601451
This may be true in a high feed tank where lots of waste gets in the filter, but in a low feed to no feed tank there is little to no waste trapped. I opened my fluval after neglecting it for one year and there was very little build-up. I use it for Phosguard and other chemical polishers.
So it is more, how you use what you have that determines success or fail. Canisters have limitations stay within them and you will be fine.

So the purpose of a canister is what then?? Biological filtration surface area?? I would think they would incorporate some sort of sponge over the intake though...

I always thought it was SUPPOSED to collect waste but if not then that would...sorta...make sense.
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
Originally Posted by Tizzo
http:///forum/post/2601500
So the purpose of a canister is what then?? Biological filtration surface area?? I would think they would incorporate some sort of sponge over the intake though...

I always thought it was SUPPOSED to collect waste but if not then that would...sorta...make sense.
Well just like LR you need a big enough filter to handle the load. The recommendations given by manufactures as to size of canister filter for a given tank makes them ineffective as a bio-filter. They are just too small for the amount of waste that can get trapped. Yet they’re very good if used as a chemical filter as long as the media you use dose not leach unwanted chems.
Incorporate some sort of sponge over the intake is a good fix.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
A complete system does not need mechanical filtration. Mechanical filtration captures detritus and needs to be cleaned. A complete system incorporates a DSB, and a refugium together with detrivores.
 
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