wet dry filters
- Thread starter drewk1
- Start date
mudplayerx
Active Member
If you clean them every single day, then there is no proble... but who wants to do that? I would get rid of the wet/dry and buy another skimmer.
You see, the wet/dry traps detritous and holds it instead of removing it entirely like a skimmer. This trapped detritous is constantly in contact with the water, so you aren;t actually removing contaminants from the water, you are just breaking them down and reintroducing them right back.
The same goes with hang-on power filters. They at least have activated carbon though, which absorb most of the contaminants. Unfortunatly carbon has a very short life in saltwater (1-2 weeks). Keeping carbon in a saltwater tank 24/7 is sort of counter-productive as it absorbs beneficial elements and trace elements as well.
I utilize hang-on powerfilters with bags of live sand in place of the carbon.
You see, the wet/dry traps detritous and holds it instead of removing it entirely like a skimmer. This trapped detritous is constantly in contact with the water, so you aren;t actually removing contaminants from the water, you are just breaking them down and reintroducing them right back.
The same goes with hang-on power filters. They at least have activated carbon though, which absorb most of the contaminants. Unfortunatly carbon has a very short life in saltwater (1-2 weeks). Keeping carbon in a saltwater tank 24/7 is sort of counter-productive as it absorbs beneficial elements and trace elements as well.
I utilize hang-on powerfilters with bags of live sand in place of the carbon.