Is mechanical filtration still bad

[kbradner]

I was just wondering if mechanical filtration is a big no no for reef aquariums ? I am having some brown hair algae and I was thinking about getting an external eheim filter and running it for a few weeks to see if it helps with my water quality. I am not sure if its a coincidence, but ever since I started using aquavetro, I have had "dirty" looking water.

 

[Hunter1998]

Jjust my opinion and not a suggestion but I have a 210 and I run sumpless. My filtration is a skimmer, live rock and a Fluval FX5, go figure but it works for me..

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[Hunter1998]

Yes the tank is fairly new (8 months) mainly all fish. Powder blue, purple tang, mystery wrasse, 2 clowns, RBTA, elegance coral and a few heads of zoas waiting for them to start spreading. I went against the grain but I believe there were many successful tanks before sumps were even a thought so why can't mine be successful. I plumbed it to my pre drilled overflows and hide my heaters in the overflow. The only thing visable in the tank is my MP40's and my HOB skimmer

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[ACBlinky]

Filter socks are a form of mechanical filtration, and many of us use them 24/7. What's generally viewed as a 'no-no' is leaving mechanical methods (sponges, socks, etc.) in place long enough for them to collect a lot of detritus and become biologically active -- the bacteria will break down ammonia and nitrite, but unlike live rock and deep sand beds, they don't continue on and reduce the resulting nitrate to nitrogen. A buildup of nitrate is something you want to avoid, which is why things like canister filters, bio media and long-term mechanical media aren't often used.

If you're seeing lots of particulates in the water column, there's nothing wrong with filtering it out mechanically IMO; I put my diatom filter on my tank for a couple of hours today to do just that! Try some finer media, don't run it more than a few days before you change out the media, and I see no problem with the canister filter

 

[freezetyle]

as long as you keep it clean of detritus. I think the majority of the complaints came from people who neglected to clean it out, change media, etc. Its the same thing as running a media reactor.

 

[Palting]

I use it. I have all my sump flow go through two levels of mechanical filtration: first level coarse fiber and second level a bilayer sponge sheet. I rinse both out weekly in tap water, takes all of 1 minute to rinse clear. Been doing it for 3 years, have healthy coral and fat pod eaters like mandarins and wrasse.

 

[B.BASH]

as long as you keep it clean of detritus. I think the majority of the complaints came from people who neglected to clean it out, change media, etc. Its the same thing as running a media reactor.

this is why people stopped using bio balls when they build up with detritus the become nitrate factories

 

[brob22]

id spend the money on a skimmer upgrade instead and use filter socks as mechanical filtration