Mechanical filtration and sumps

[BullyBee]

mechanical filtration in a sump for brackish is something that has been bothering me for a while now. 1 second I want a filter roller, 2 minutes later im all in on using a small canister in my sump just for polishing. Then at the 5 minute mark I say "the heck with it I am just gonna use a sock."

If I went with a filter roller like the klir I have to go on and modify my sump. I'd have to because I dont have that 1.5" of space for water. If I made the walls of the baffle higher so the emergency baffle height is only 1.25" from the top of the sump instead of 2-3/4" for emergency pass thru due to clogged mechanical media....I hope that made sense....

Then we have just stuffing it with filter floss. Kinda the same as the sock. For some reason in brackish/freshwater I would have to clean a sock or mechanical filtration every few days, even though I clean a canister filter once a month.

im just lost on the most efficient way to do this

 

[ichthyogeek]

It all depends on your stocking list....which now that I think about it in conjunction with filter socks is a pun...

Anyways, what've you got planned for stocking the tank? If it's just mollies or what I consider low-waste fish (livebearers and fish that don't require live foods), then you can probably get away with the sock. But if you want to go with something like a puffer, or fish that produce a lot of waste (monos, scats) or eats stuff like bbs, then I'd go with filter floss over a larger surface area. Mostly this is to prevent clogging.

I change out the filter socks on my tank whenever I do a water change (optimally weekly, but sometimes it's once a month...). It's mostly for polishing the water really. It used to be change the sock time whenever it started to clog.

The filter floss is kind of a "remove a layer once it gets overly dirty" deal, but doesn't clog like a filter sock can. So spreading out the floss over a large area will catch a lot of the detritus, and you can remove it as needed to keep flow running adequately.

Personally, I feel like unless you're going for a super low nutrient system or are really trying to manage phosphates and nitrates, a filter roller is too much money/space. There's definitely a place for it, but if you're not keeping some super sensitive coral, then there are just better options money and space wise like the filter floss or filter sock.

 

[1ocean]

Hi,
I agree , the task of cleaning filter socks is a pain in the butt...
That is why on my 300 gallon I am currently building, I am using those plastic media cups so that I can just put home made filter socks in them or any kind of filter media I want.
Making the socks does take time so now I am just cutting pieces and putting them in my sump and allowing the water to pass through it.
I been getting white natural felt fabric at a fabric store for cheap. I can get like 3 yards by 60" wide for like $5.00 bucks. I cut a bunch into the size I need ahead of time and every few days or so replace the old witha new one and just throw away the old old...
Saves alot of time...

 

[tony'stank]

The concept of the DSB was first popularized by Dr Jean Jaubert of the Monaco Aquarium although its origins go back to Lee Eng‘s natural aquariums in the 1960s . Ronald Shimek has written extensively about DSB.. at Dr Jaubert’s lecture at MACNA in Las Vegas ( and in conversations I had with him) he stated that the development of a plenum was an accident. The tank that he did his experimentation with had an underground filter in it. He now felt that a plenum was unnecessary. There is a great deal of misinformation about DSB on all forums. I ran a 125 Gal. Tank with a 6 inch DSB for ten years without a tank crash. When I had to take the tank down because of a move there was no bad odors, no hydrogen sulfide and no excessive build up of detritus. You can vacuum and stir a DSB if you disturb the top layers only. You never want the disturb the anaerobic lower layers. The lower layers should be a coarse grade to allow diffusion. The DSB is one of many ways a reef tank can be managed

 

[Amstar]

Hi,
I agree , the task of cleaning filter socks is a pain in the butt...
That is why on my 300 gallon I am currently building, I am using those plastic media cups so that I can just put home made filter socks in them or any kind of filter media I want.
Making the socks does take time so now I am just cutting pieces and putting them in my sump and allowing the water to pass through it.
I been getting white natural felt fabric at a fabric store for cheap. I can get like 3 yards by 60" wide for like $5.00 bucks. I cut a bunch into the size I need ahead of time and every few days or so replace the old witha new one and just throw away the old old...
Saves alot of time...

Curious what these plastic media cups are. Seems like an easier way to change out socks/floss/etc that you just fill the cup with?

 

[1ocean]

Curious what these plastic media cups are. Seems like an easier way to change out socks/floss/etc that you just fill the cup with?

I found them on Marine Depot, just search media filter cups and they come up. They come in 4" and 7" diameters.
Super easy to clean, just throw away the stuff you put inside, instead of cleaning filter socks...
I put felt in that I get a fabric stores, course sponge material or anything I need. I also found natural commercial floor scrubber or polishing pads cut into a circle to fit work great too. Again I just toss them out.
I got the ones that come orange and blue. There are white ones too. Red Sea makes a white one.
I did not want white ones cause I felt in time they would look dirty and stained...