Wet/Dry or Sump/Fuge

[greenwolf52]

What type of filtration does everyone use?
I'm using a wet/dry with bio-balls right now. Want to change to a sump/fuge, and just let my 80 lbs of live rock and 100lbs of live sand do most of the work. Not sure if it will handle the bioload though. ANy thoughts?

 

[xdave]

Save the wet dry and position it over, as in draining into, the fuge. There's no such thing as too much filtration.

 

[95harley]

I'm curious of the same thing. I have a FW tank with a wet/dry on it with bio-balls. Wondering as I convert it to salt if I should remove the balls and replace with live rock in the wet/dry.
No exp with a sump fuge, but interested to see what others here say is the better solution.

 

[agrsiv210]

I have an XL refugium, that had bio balls in it, but I replaced those about 2-3 weeks ago with live rock. Bio balls are great at breaking down waste from the ammonia stage-nitrite stage-nitrate, but once the cycle reaches the nitrate stage it stays there. I figure, there aren't any bio balls in the ocean, so why wouldn't the most natural way work the best for breaking down waste in your tank. Not to mention the macroalgae is great for breaking down nitrates. In 3 months my tanks nitrates went from 80-100 ppm to 10-15, literally. I wouldn't go any other way but a sump/refugium. Good luck with whatever route you choose.

 

[95harley]

Ok so I need some help here. If you replace your Bio balls with LR in your Wet/Dry.
1. Won't the LR need to have some light for the algae to grow?
2. Won't the LR die as it will not be completely underwater?
3. What benefit does this add versus say 1lb/gal of LR in your main tank?
Just trying to understand as well as I'll be converting an Amiracle 400 from a Fresh to a Salt this month and need to understand what to do with my Wet/Dry for a FOWLR.

 

[agrsiv210]

No, live rock doesn't need the light to thrive, you would be surprised to know that the beautiful purple coralline algae that people love in their tanks prefers little to no light at all. I have the Amiracle XL refugium and my live rock in the prefilter chamber is completely submerged.The live rock serves as a biological filtration in the prefilter before the water gets to the macroalgae for the waste to be broken down even further. What better way to break down waste than the most natural way, LIVE ROCK.

 

[ackermsb]

I recently converted my wet/dry with bioballs into a refugium and added and extra 20G tank. It is now 4 comaprtments. Water drains into wet/dry which has a skimmer on it and a baffle separates it in to with a refugium on the other half. Then it waterfalls into the 20g where half is refugium as well and then 3 baffles and back to the main tank. I love it!!! Hated my bioballs

 

[95harley]

Wow, I'm gonna need some pictures or help with that. When I set my first Wet/Dry up 2.5 yrs ago I was at a loss for how the thing went together. And in all honesty my Skimmer is still somewhat of a challenge for me as I feel it isn't working most of the time.
Feel like goning over for the Playoff's Sat night..LOL
GO RAVENS!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ackermsb]

I have a post in the New hobbyist forum with pics of my setup. Just do a search on my username for my posts and you will find it.
Are you a Baltimorian as well. Cant wait for the game Sat. Ill be cheering my face off in Section 103

 

[95harley]

Yep, Baltimoron here. Work near BWI, can almost see the stadium. I'll be in Section "Joe's House" in Severn plumbing in a new 180 I'm setting up....LOL

 

[ackermsb]

Ha!!!! Someone sent that to my email earlier.
My band Feinwood is playing at the Red House Tavern that night hopefullly as a victory party. You should try to stop by and say hello, Ill be the dude with the mandolin
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Did you see my DIY picks that I posted

 

[95harley]

Yep found them. Nice set-up. Neat with the corner through the wall. Nice job. I'm converting my 240 Fresh to Salt and setting this 180 in the wall for fresh.
The challenge I have is that it's at the end of a pool table. So I'll have to set it back in the room and frame a plexi-glass or acrylic window in for protection from drunken house guests.

 

[ackermsb]

Pool sticks, drunk people and fish tanks can be a deadly combination

 

[95harley]

Amen, talked to the glass place tonight. They are making me a 6'x2' sheet of 1/4" Auto glass with the shatter proof film for $144. I'm going to frame it in with stained red oak to match the pool table...Oh I can't wait to have a 180 fresh and a 240 salt in the same room....

 

[ackermsb]

Sounds like an awesome setup. Cant wait to see it.!!! Just dont tell anyone your gonna play loud music in the room or the music police will come down on your aZZZ!! ha

 

[ophiura]

Personally, for me it depends on the type of animals being kept. If it is a reef, with low bioload, then I would have no issues with not having the wet/dry. But on a predator tank, which tends to have large somewhat messy fish with big appetites, I would have a wet dry and good skimmer, no questions asked. There is no reason not to have a refugium as well - because that deals with the nitrates - but I would certainly not risk that system. Nitrates tend to not be as significant a problem with fish as it is with corals, but ammonia is...I would rather have something extremely efficient at handling ammonia and nitrite and deal with any nitrate problems (which may happen with LR rubble as well).
Nitrate issues with wet dry filters oftem stem from getting a lot of gunk trapped in there -and if that is a factor in your tank, it will be if you change to LR rubble as well.