2quills
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Landscraper http:///forum/thread/383703/old-tank-new-start#post_3358233
Yes, I just purchased a MRC-1. I appreciate your input. Like I said I have never heard anyone say near 3-5x turnover. Everything I have seen has been 10+. Well Either way I can always dial down the pump. I suppose it makes sense to have a slowwer water flow over the bio ball media then faster. I guess I will just have to play with it and see?I havent set my wet dry up yet, the tank is still not set up also. I wonder if I should take out the bio balls and just use the wet/dry housing as a sump? My plan is to start the tank as a FOWLR I have about 80Lbs +/- now. I am going to do a 6" DSB but eventually get the lighing and start adding some corals. Should I start with the bio balls and as things progress and as I add more LR slowly start reducing the bio balls until they are gone?
No prob...I know when I search around looking up recommend flow rates for filtration I come across so many different responses that it makes my head spin. I'll look around and see if I can dig up some good articles. The reasoning behind the slower flow through the filtration system as I had mentioned before is that the water has an increased amount of contact time with the beneficial bacteria and therefore does a much better job at breaking down ammonia, trites and trates...etc. Faster flow really just removes particulate matter a little bit quicker and I think that's why alot of folks tend to think that this means it's better.
And honestly there really isn't anything wrong with running a wet/dry. But the problem with bio balls and some of the other types of bio media is that if they aren't cleaned regularly then they tend to catch and build up alot of organic matter (deitrus and such) in them and then they turn into nitrate factories, which is counter productive. But they are great for keeping the water saturated with oxygen. A protein skimmer and good flow within the tank will do the same thing though. Sumps with refugiums are just a little more flexible with how or what you want to run in them and a little bit easier on the maintenance side of things. They can be just as effective if not much more so at breaking down the nitrogen cycle than wet/drys which is why most reef addicts use them now a days. Plus you get the added bonus of have a safe place to breed pods and such which is essentially free fish food for the tank. Finicky fish such as mandarins and pipe fish or sea horses love different types of pods depending on what you have. So if you plan on keeping any of those than they are almost a must have.
I think Meowzer has an old wet/dry that she converted into a fuge...maybe she'll show up and offer a picture of her set up. Slowly reducing the amount of bio media as new bio media (live rock) is added sounds good to me.
Originally Posted by Landscraper http:///forum/thread/383703/old-tank-new-start#post_3358233
Yes, I just purchased a MRC-1. I appreciate your input. Like I said I have never heard anyone say near 3-5x turnover. Everything I have seen has been 10+. Well Either way I can always dial down the pump. I suppose it makes sense to have a slowwer water flow over the bio ball media then faster. I guess I will just have to play with it and see?I havent set my wet dry up yet, the tank is still not set up also. I wonder if I should take out the bio balls and just use the wet/dry housing as a sump? My plan is to start the tank as a FOWLR I have about 80Lbs +/- now. I am going to do a 6" DSB but eventually get the lighing and start adding some corals. Should I start with the bio balls and as things progress and as I add more LR slowly start reducing the bio balls until they are gone?
No prob...I know when I search around looking up recommend flow rates for filtration I come across so many different responses that it makes my head spin. I'll look around and see if I can dig up some good articles. The reasoning behind the slower flow through the filtration system as I had mentioned before is that the water has an increased amount of contact time with the beneficial bacteria and therefore does a much better job at breaking down ammonia, trites and trates...etc. Faster flow really just removes particulate matter a little bit quicker and I think that's why alot of folks tend to think that this means it's better.
And honestly there really isn't anything wrong with running a wet/dry. But the problem with bio balls and some of the other types of bio media is that if they aren't cleaned regularly then they tend to catch and build up alot of organic matter (deitrus and such) in them and then they turn into nitrate factories, which is counter productive. But they are great for keeping the water saturated with oxygen. A protein skimmer and good flow within the tank will do the same thing though. Sumps with refugiums are just a little more flexible with how or what you want to run in them and a little bit easier on the maintenance side of things. They can be just as effective if not much more so at breaking down the nitrogen cycle than wet/drys which is why most reef addicts use them now a days. Plus you get the added bonus of have a safe place to breed pods and such which is essentially free fish food for the tank. Finicky fish such as mandarins and pipe fish or sea horses love different types of pods depending on what you have. So if you plan on keeping any of those than they are almost a must have.
I think Meowzer has an old wet/dry that she converted into a fuge...maybe she'll show up and offer a picture of her set up. Slowly reducing the amount of bio media as new bio media (live rock) is added sounds good to me.
