500g Mechanical Filtration

[nzafi]

Hi All. I am new to this forum and to be honest I am a freswater hobbyist, not a saltwater. The reason I am posting this is because reefing keep tech is significantly more advanced than what we do and I was recommended to reach out to you folks. Here goes.

I am setting up a 450-550g tank and the objective is to make it as maintenance free as possible. One of the biggest issue for us freshwater guys is cleaning the substrate and then dealing with constant clogged filter socks in a sump. I want to avoid both. I was told that you guys use various pool/jacuzzi filters to help with mechanical filtration. Specifically, I have linked below to a pentair filter that was recommended to me and is suppose to be one used by reefers with large tanks.

https://pstpoolsupplies.com/cartrid...Ft9W-GyGF3rgtjTSGREoSMuPuFd8GBVxoCKLkQAvD_BwE

My questions are as follows:
1) Do you use these filters or something similar? Not sure if this is consider old tech. I tried searching the forums and could not find much frankly.
2) When you use filters like this, how do you determine pump type and size? I could not find much on the manufacturers website. The folks I know using this are running reeflo hammerhead pumps
3) Do you find using this filter gets clogged with sand? I want to use a substrate but the 1-2 people using this filter in freshwater have barebottom tanks with the inlet all the way on the bottom.
4) Do these types of filters get clogged quickly? Can the cartridges be re-used?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Some additional background on the tank in case you need it:
- Will be about 8x4x30in (tall)
- Bio filtration will be run completely separately
- Will be running an auto drip to do automatic water changes
- Plan on having two holes drilled on the bottom of the tank with strainers attached to bulkheads.
- I want to use substrate. Not sand but something a heavier like black diamond blasting sand which is relatively heavy. The substrate will go up to the height of strainers to somewhat "hide" them without blocking
- Stocking will be a single aimara wolf fish. These guys are aggressive feeders and will get between 30-36in.

 

[mcgyvr]

FYI... We can't see your post yet which likely means you are a new user and posted some external links.. This site blocks your post when you do that until a moderator approves it..
That usually happens in 24 hours or less..

Just letting you know whats happening since the site sadly doesn't..
We aren't ignoring you.. We just can't see anything you wrote in your post..

 

[nzafi]

Thank you for the heads up. I am a new user and did not realize that. I have included one external link so I guess I will have to wait!

 

[bertoni]

It should be fine now.

 

[fishguy306]

I'll start with I'm mostly a FW guy as well, rays are my addiction. I've tried a few different methods, but I do agree, the reef guys have all the coolest tech.

I used a pair of pool cartridge filters on my 1200 gal pond, I believe they were 24" each. Honestly, I hated them. Pain in the butt to clean and change out cartridges, heavy when wet, got water everywhere. Because of that I let them go more often than I should have. If I were to do it again I would skip it and recommend to do the same. I used a hammerhead to power mine. I wouldn't have the intake right at the bottom, you don't want sand in your pumps. The cartridges can be cleaned, though they are a pain in the butt. You really need to hose them down, then soak them in a bleach mixture for a while to fully clean them. I changed mine every few weeks.

My new system build, about 1000 gal total by the time it is all done will be done with socks. Probably about a half dozen large socks.

That said many people are using the Ultima filters. They seem to work pretty well. Every so often you do need to flush them to clean them out, but that is less of a mess than changing socks or a giant cartridge. It just uses a lot of water.

 

[HBtank]

Mechanical filtration is actually where reefers are weak

But honestly, there really is nothing more cost effective and easier to maintain than socks (withstanding something with an actual waste stream, looks like the poster above linked a filter like that). At some point almost every filter requires YOU to clean it, and socks are easy to swap and cheap to wash.

 

[See_Loong_Chin]

Take a look at the roller mat
I have two theiling roller mat on a 450 gal system and it's the biggest time saver in maintenance work


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[nzafi]

I'll start with I'm mostly a FW guy as well, rays are my addiction. I've tried a few different methods, but I do agree, the reef guys have all the coolest tech.

I used a pair of pool cartridge filters on my 1200 gal pond, I believe they were 24" each. Honestly, I hated them. Pain in the butt to clean and change out cartridges, heavy when wet, got water everywhere. Because of that I let them go more often than I should have. If I were to do it again I would skip it and recommend to do the same. I used a hammerhead to power mine. I wouldn't have the intake right at the bottom, you don't want sand in your pumps. The cartridges can be cleaned, though they are a pain in the butt. You really need to hose them down, then soak them in a bleach mixture for a while to fully clean them. I changed mine every few weeks.

My new system build, about 1000 gal total by the time it is all done will be done with socks. Probably about a half dozen large socks.

That said many people are using the Ultima filters. They seem to work pretty well. Every so often you do need to flush them to clean them out, but that is less of a mess than changing socks or a giant cartridge. It just uses a lot of water.

Thanks for the feedback. I am also looking at Ultima's. My biggest issue is that I have been told you need a 3in drain which I do not have. Also, historically I have always had redundancy on everything (filters, heaters, etc). Doing redundancy on an Ultima means I am speaking $2K on filtration alone, not to mention I need to upgrade electric panel potentially.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I think you should be looking into pond filtration techniques, not necessarily reef tank techniques.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mcgyvr]

Take a look at the roller mat
I have two theiling roller mat on a 450 gal system and it’s the biggest time saver in maintenance work

This is the only really useful mechanical filtration IMO.. Its actually removing the crap,etc.. BEFORE it breaks down into ammonia/nitrites/trates,etc..
Now some do go crazy and clean their filter socks,etc... every few days but dang thats a lot of work..
Let the bacteria in the tank do most of the heavy work IMO.. not the human/filter sock..

If you aren't removing it quickly to just capture detritus and let it break down in the water is basically useless/pointless IMO..
Thats why most don't employ/recommend any mechanical filtration..

I prefer to let it flow through the system to be potentially consumed/used vs just trapping it and letting it break down anyways.. Might as well try to have that being used for energy/food vs just sitting there..


Frankly though I'm not really sure why there is such a freshwater vs saltwater thing with this all.. The same applies to freshwater..
A filter just trapping the fish poop is just letting it breakdown in freshwater just like it is in saltwater...
You know darn well most aren't changing out their canister filters floss,etc... every couple days..

 

[nzafi]

This is the only really useful mechanical filtration IMO.. Its actually removing the crap,etc.. BEFORE it breaks down into ammonia/nitrites/trates,etc..
Now some do go crazy and clean their filter socks,etc... every few days but dang thats a lot of work..
Let the bacteria in the tank do most of the heavy work IMO.. not the human/filter sock..

If you aren't removing it quickly to just capture detritus and let it break down in the water is basically useless/pointless IMO..
Thats why most don't employ/recommend any mechanical filtration..

I prefer to let it flow through the system to be potentially consumed/used vs just trapping it and letting it break down anyways.. Might as well try to have that being used for energy/food vs just sitting there..


Frankly though I'm not really sure why there is such a freshwater vs saltwater thing with this all.. The same applies to freshwater..
A filter just trapping the fish poop is just letting it breakdown in freshwater just like it is in saltwater...
You know darn well most aren't changing out their canister filters floss,etc... every couple days..

Agreed. My biggest concern is I want to get the crap out of the tank and somewhere I can remove it easily. I hate doing gravel vacuuming versus pulling out socks or filter floss is easy.

One thing us FW guys do is actually dose our tanks with probiotics (essentially rid-x which is used in septic tanks). It helps significantly in reducing waste that gets traps in mechanical filtration as it performs the same function in septic tanks.

 

[outy]

I hate doing gravel vacuuming.

Most of have fine enough sand that you never vacuum the sand.

Filter socks are a personal decision I have ran then off and on over decades, and find no advantage to using them.

Using them can help clean detritus, and not using them lets pods and other stuff go through the system without being trapped.

 

[outy]

One thing us FW guys do is actually dose our tanks with probiotics (essentially rid-x which is used in septic tanks). It helps significantly in reducing waste that gets traps in mechanical filtration as it performs the same function in septic tanks.

Here we use circulation to keep detritus suspended and let it settle in sump for water changes, often we use no mechanical filtration. Here a DSB will often reduce nitrates for 5=7 years before one need to maintain it.

Some take a more natural method to Nitrate reduction, but many here will use bioballs and other media such as nitrate vodka dosing for nitrate reduction.

Popular now is continuous water changes as well