Mechanical Filtration Clogs in 48 Hours -Waterbox 50.3 AIO

[NHDude47]

TLDR: Looking for a filter media solution for this tank's setup, which will still have flow after 5 days without changing or cleaning. Only looking for things people have experience with (e.g. "inTank 3-tier basket with [x, y, z] specific filter media.") as even with more tiers or surface area I'm not sure what filter pads won't clog.

I've had my Waterbox 50.3 AIO running for 6 months. Mostly smooth, but I have yet to figure out a mechanical filtration setup that doesn't clog way too fast. My wedding is coming up at the end of the month and I need to leave the tank without care for 5 days (with an auto-feeder). I just left it for 48 hours for my bachelor party and the mechanical filtration was completely clogged with the display overflowing into the rear chambers. Clearly it won't make it 5 days...

I've tried the Waterbox filter socks and gotten 72 hours or so but that's not enough and they're a pain to clean. The attached picture is my current setup where I'm using looser floss in a media cup on the left and this pink filter pad on the right. Both are clogging in ~48 hours. The middle-left and middle-right chambers have very-coarse sponge, with ceramic bio balls below them (downstream). I don't want to run without mechanical filtration because I think a lot of food and detritus will get into the course sponges and the bio balls. I also don't run a skimmer (no room without it being visible) so nutrient buildup is also a concern if I'm not catching it, to be removed after the 5 days.

Anyone have experience with this setup with the inTank 3-shelf media basket? If so, with what media? Anyone have ideas for a more course mechanical filtration option that will get me by for 5 days without clogging? The filter sock openings are only 2.75" diameter by the way, which is one of the limiting factors on sock selection.

 

[LeftyReefer]

If no other solution is found, pull the socks and run a small in-tank or HOB skimmer for the 5 days?

 

[NHDude47]

If no other solution is found, pull the socks and run a small in-tank or HOB skimmer for the 5 days?

That's a possibility for nutrients but I don't have a nutrient problem. Also don't mini skimmers need to be emptied pretty often? My nutrients are sitting around 0.01-0.02 PO4 and 3-4 NO3.

From a nutrient standpoint, with light feeding, I wouldn't be opposed to running without mechanical filtration. I just don't want to clog up my chemical filtration media and a skimmer won't help with that part.

 

[homer1475]

Unless you want pristine water clarity, just run without mechanical filtration for that period of time.

Gave up my socks(only means of mechanical filtration in my tank) a while back. Other then some particles floating around from time to time, I see no difference.

 

[NHDude47]

Unless you want pristine water clarity, just run without mechanical filtration for that period of time.

Gave up my socks(only means of mechanical filtration in my tank) a while back. Other then some particles floating around from time to time, I see no difference.

Does your bio filtration media not get clogged up as a result? I’ve always understood mechanical filtration comes first so your bio filtration isn’t doing double duty when it’s not meant to be removed.

 

[homer1475]

What chemical filtration? I use GFO and carbon in a reactor fed from a pump where my filter sock used to go. Doesn't clog any faster then when I used my filter sock.

Of course this is a divided sump setup and not an AIO setup, but the principle is still the same.

A few days(think you said 5?) without mechanical filtration isn't going to crash your tank or anything like that.

 

[homer1475]

Think of it this way.....

Most nano's/pico's(under 10 gallons) run no form of filtration other then live rock and flow. Thier "filtration" is water changes.

I have a friend I mentored many years ago in the SW hobby. His setup was a 55G tank with no filtration other then rock and flow, still running as a mixed reef today with the same exact setup.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

5 days is pushing it with a aio, especially with a intank basket setup. I had the same setup on a 30g water box aio. I'd usually just pull the filter pad from the top rack, leave the cheato and bag of carbon and let the skimmer work on its own. I had a tunze 9004 that fit in the second chamber with a remote drain cup so overflow wasn't a issue.

 

[Tamberav]

Why do you feel you need the biomedia? You have live rock which does the same thing. Just because they sell it and you have an empty chamber doesn’t mean you need it.

I would just remove the media and run the coarse sponge while gone. On the next water change, siphon the back chambers.

I did not have my media baskets clogged with just plain white floss and I have inTank ones but your tank could simply have more debris than mine.