Do I really need filter floss?

[g_langley]

I have to change it out every 3 days to stop it affecting the water level and flow in my internal sump. It is a bit mucky when I take it out but I'm wondering what would happen if I stop using it and just let all the gumph recirculate?

The chiller I use recommends using a prefilter on marine tanks, but I don't mind doing some regular maintenance to flush it out.

I have a low bio load and don't feed heavily. Twice a day.

 

[eddiereefs]

If it clogging every 3 days you are prob feeding too much. I change mine every week, are u using the blue filter pads? Either way check nitrate and phos levels, i would highly recomend keeping it or adding socks

 

[jayball]

The only mechanical filtration I use is my skimmer.

 

[chimmike]

twice a day is too much for essentially two fish.

 

[Bogue Chitto]

You better keep the floss if it is getting that much out of the water.

 

[chimmike]

now I had to stop and think about this for a minute. How is the filter floss affecting the water level in your sump?

Are you linking that to evaporation?

 

[cloak]

It kind of sounds like the return pump is pumping the water up to the DT faster than the water is flowing back down to the sump. Not enough to overflow the DT, but they're definitely not in sync due to the clogged filter floss. JMO.

 

[tzylak]

After moving my tank or rearranging the rock-scape I used filtering to help the system clean up. I would change filter every week. Once the system settled (1-2 months) I removed my filter altogether.
Now my skimmer and Chaeto do all the bio cleaning. That's the goal.
With 10% wc I am down to checking water parameters every 2-3 weeks.
OK to do a LITTLE of overfeeding IF that's IF your CUC is plentiful (dozens).
Good luck

 

[g_langley]

The stuff I use are polyfilter pads, and the sump is internal. I use one pad in the top of the media container which sits behind the weir.

The twice a day feed involves either NLS pellets or home made frozen for one feed for the fish and then sometimes another feed would be D&D Filter Feeder powder for the critters and other stuff I have going on. So really only once for the fish although they do like the D&D as well. Maybe it's the powder that is building up in the filter, I will reduce this feed a bit and see.

But if I do ditch the floss, what negatives can I expect?

 

[chimmike]

without a lot of flow, detritus will collect. That filter floss is very effective at excess nutrient/detritus export.

 

[g_langley]

I think my flow is OK, total output is 33x

 

[A1t2o]

I use filter floss for occasional cleanings. When I take my turkey baster and blow off all the rocks, in the cracks and everything, (yes I know how that's sounds) then I will put the filter floss in between the baffles of my sump and pull it out the next day when it looks brown and grey. I use pillow stuffing for my filter floss and I like to put it in thick so it clogs up quickly and pulls out a ton of crap while it is stirred up.

 

[CStrickland]

the polyfilters are quite expensive. I like the pillow stuffing as a low cost option. or let that stuff settle and siphon it out when you do water changes, either from the sump by poking your hose around, or from the sand with a gravel vacuum. It will land in a low flow nook, so it can be less risky nitrate-wise than trapping it in a pad.

 

[chimmike]

the beauty in it getting trapped in the floss is, bam, pad is removed, so is the detritus and bad stsuff.