Adding Marinepure Ceramics?

Fate · Jul 11, 2016

My 50g has been up and running for about 3 months now. I wanted to up my biological filtration so I bought some of those Marinepure Cermic blocks. If I add them all in my sump at once will it cause a mini cycle? Or is it best to add them in slowly?

cpschult · Jul 11, 2016

If rinsed and drained and rinsed with tank water shouldn't have a cycle. If concerned just dose some prime after you add them.

Diesel · Jul 11, 2016

Second the rinsing a few times in water from when you do a water change.
Let them soak for a day or so and add them to the sump one every week or so.
How many blocks did you got for your 50G?

Fate · Jul 11, 2016

I bought the 1/2 cubic feet but more than likely won't use them all. I was going to rinse them pretty good but I'm curious as to why soaking for a few days? Do they leach anything?

I was going to throw in some Microbacter7 just in case. Too much money invested in coral to play with fire

Diesel · Jul 11, 2016

Fate said:
I bought the 1/2 cubic feet but more than likely won't use them all. I was going to rinse them pretty good but I'm curious as to why soaking for a few days? Do they leach anything?

I was going to throw in some Microbacter7 just in case. Too much money invested in coral to play with fire

There is evidence of Aluminum in the blocks,
@Randy Holmes-Farley can tell you more about.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/i...d-is-it-havent-any-ill-effect-on-your.182740/

Fate · Jul 11, 2016

So evidence of aluminium in the blocks but not at a high enough level to damage coral? I know many reefers that use it and never had any problems. If it does leach is 2 days of soaking really doing anything?

Diesel · Jul 12, 2016

When I was using them I soaked them for a month in a trash can with old tank water and a few pieces of live rock out the sump with a pump and I used detox on them to bind any metals and removed it with a GAC reactor.
I sold all three of the blocks 8 months later to a friend for a 1200 gallon system.
It was pulling all my No3 out the tank to 0.0. and that ain't good.

Fate · Jul 12, 2016

I was just worried adding them all at once to the sump would cause a mini cycle

jason2459 · Jul 12, 2016

Fate said:
I was just worried adding them all at once to the sump would cause a mini cycle

You wont cycle from adding something that isn't organic that would need to be broken down through an ammonia nitrate cycle.

Fate · Jul 13, 2016

jason2459 said:
You wont cycle from adding something that isn't organic that would need to be broken down through an ammonia nitrate cycle.

That's exactly what I thought Jason till a few others folks told me otherwise. Thanks for clarifying

Lazys Coral House · Jul 13, 2016

100% agree. You can add all and as many as you want at one time. If you want them to consume ammonia and nitrite. Put them where water flows through them. If you want them to consume nitrate put them in a stagnant area.

Mfreddy · Jul 13, 2016

Diesel said:
When I was using them I soaked them for a month in a trash can with old tank water and a few pieces of live rock out the sump with a pump and I used detox on them to bind any metals and removed it with a GAC reactor.
I sold all three of the blocks 8 months later to a friend for a 1200 gallon system.
It was pulling all my No3 out the tank to 0.0. and that ain't good.

I'm sorry, newbie question. Why are 0 nitrates bad?

saltyhog · Jul 13, 2016

I added two of the 4x4x8 blocks to the sump of my 155 gallon/52 gallon sump back in Jan. Agree with the above. They have no organic matter and can't create an ammonia spike. I actually removed the small amount of live rock that was in my sump when I added them.

I have not seen the nitrate reduction claimed by the manufacturer. I had been carbon dosing with nitrates running about 2-4. I discontinued carbon dosing a few weeks after placing the blocks and my nitrates rose to 12 over about 4 weeks and have been stable there since. I was going to resume carbon dosing but my tank is so happy I've still not restarted. I was hoping to avoid carbon dosing since I've had a lot of problems with first bacterial blooms on rocks/plumbing and then cyano when I changed from vinegar to NoPox.

Diesel · Jul 13, 2016

Mfreddy said:
I'm sorry, newbie question. Why are 0 nitrates bad?

Corals as well bacteria need nitrates to be healthy.
Without enough of them you will starve both and with a lack of bacteria you create a SULNS.

Mfreddy · Jul 13, 2016

SUNLS? Help me understand

Fate · Jul 14, 2016

How would the ceramic blocks reduce Nitrates?

jason2459 · Jul 15, 2016

The blocks will not do anything to reduce any nutrients. They are purely a surface area to allow bacteria to grow. It is very good at doing that.

Then it depends on the type of bacteria on what it consumes. All consume some type of carbon, some type of nitrate, and some type of phosphorous. Then various other elements.

http://reef2reef.com/threads/how-much-aluminum-will-it-leach-lets-guess.247034/

bif24701 · Dec 9, 2016

jason2459 said:
The blocks will not do anything to reduce any nutrients. They are purely a surface area to allow bacteria to grow. It is very good at doing that.

Then it depends on the type of bacteria on what it consumes. All consume some type of carbon, some type of nitrate, and some type of phosphorous. Then various other elements.

http://reef2reef.com/threads/how-much-aluminum-will-it-leach-lets-guess.247034/

This is correct. MarinePure is one of my favorite products. I have two blocks in a 275 system and they prevent me from having to fill up my display and sump with a bunch of LR with my large bioload.

It's incorrect to think they will reduce Nitrates, MarinePure does not claim that it does.

What it does do is reduce the nitrates produce. There is a difference.