Sump Design Help - Mechanical filter between chambers

[Fritzhamer]

Ive found matt and sponges to be problematic as they clog. I use an aquarium divider. It allows water to pass through freely but not macro algae. It’s easy to wipe off if errant pieces of cheato get in there.

For what it’s worth I always found my reactors to work counter to my fuge. Since pulling my reactors offline my fuge has grown fantastically. I use a variety of macro algae so your mileage may vary.

 

[CJ Monty]

I have been using aquamesh blue, medium, for over 3 years now as an algae and large particle collector at my baffle from fuge to return pump. I purchased it from BRS and it does a great job of keeping loose chaeto, and small critters ie. snails out of my return chamber. When it gets a little dirty i just take it out and scrub it with a nylon brush and it cleans right up. It just sits on top of my lower baffle panel.

Thanks for the info and picture. I got the mesh yesterday. Was going to do it over the weekend. The stuff is quite stiff so I think it will just stay in place. No need to do the slit method discussed above. I was a little disappointed as how "holey" it was. I think too much would pass through and was going to get the fine mesh.

Do you like the medium or wish you got the fine mesh?

 

[Sonor]

I like the medium mesh size. Originally I ordered the fine but returned it. IMO, the fine will clog to quickly, and I really wanted something that would catch the heavy stuff and let pods and such thru to the system. I just cut mine to length, front to back so it fits snug. It is stiff and just sits on top of my baffle.

 

[CJ Monty]

I like the medium mesh size. Originally I ordered the fine but returned it. IMO, the fine will clog to quickly, and I really wanted something that would catch the heavy stuff and let pods and such thru to the system. I just cut mine to length, front to back so it fits snug. It is stiff and just sits on top of my baffle.

Do you use filter socks or is the only mechanical filtration in your system?

 

[Sonor]

I have 2 overflows in my DT 1 each rear corner. One drains into a filter sock the other doesn't, so i get some particulate removal from the one side with the sock, the other no filtration. My sump design is a little different, I have sump with skimmer and reactor on the right side where the over flows drain. then i pump from there to the left side where my fuge is, my return is in the middle. The separate pump to the fuge allows me to control the flow thru sump and fuge at different flow rates. I do use a filter sponge in the baffle between the sump and the return. This sponge is from the aquaclear HOB filter so it is pretty fine. The mesh at the baffle between the fuge and return chamber is really just to keep the large stuff out of the return, ie, chaeto strands and snails.