What to do with filters in Wet/Dry

[tangman99]

I recently converted my FO to a Reef and I am slowly removing all the bioballs from the wet/dry to use it for a sump. I have already removed the large wet/dry sponge but was wondering should I remove the filter media from the filter tray. This thing catches a lot of gunk and I'm sure it breaks down and adds to my nitrates. If I let it pass through with no filtration, I'm thinking my protein skimmer should remove this stuff, but I'm not sure.
If anyone is using a wet/dry as a sump, what did you do? If I do remove the filter media from the tray, then the wet/dry will be a true sump with no fitration at all. It will just hold the return pump and the protein skimmer.
Tangman

 

[dave flood]

Good question , in my canister filter I put carbon in when I took out bio balls,but I really don't no if I need it Ill be watching for replys.

 

[slick]

I think you should leave in your filter floss. It will catch the larger pieces of junk floating around in your tank. Look at it like this. Will it hurt anything?

 

[tangman99]

I'm not sure that it does not hurt anything. I usually clean this filter every weekend and change it every month and it is real nasty when I clean it. This leads me to believe that it contributes to the nitrate as it breaks down over the week. If it passes immediately, I think the protein skimmer would take it out before it could break down. I may be wrong in that a protein skimmer may not be able to handle larger particles.

 

[arkman]

I'm reading Fenners book --- he thinks that some form of mechanical filtration is necessary, but points out that in a sump the detritus often falls to the bottom of the sump and sits there "filtered"
both of my LFS are using a couple of bioballs as mechanical filters --- maybe rock rubble would be the best?
Ive got the same thing going on as you do...I dont have and floss or bioballs - but I did leave in the sponge...for now. I kicked up a dustcloud the other day and a lot of it settled to the bottom of my sump.