Is Too Much Filtration a Thing?

[stevetcg]

I just finished setting up my new sump. This is the first time ive ever set up something without budget or space constraints so wanted to get some feedback.

My DT is a 72 Bowfront with 90# LR, 80#LS. Bioload is very light (2 baby clowns, 2 Banggai) for the time being.

The sump is a 65 long. Input section drops into a 200 micron filter sock, flows under the first baffle. Main section contains a Bubble Magus Curve 5 skimmer (plus ATO, heater, probes, etc). Water then flows over/under another baffle into the return section. The return pump Tees back to tank and into a 2 sided, 8x5in turf scrubber which drains into a fuge with 20# LR and 40# LS (6 inches deep). The fuge then drains back into the main reservoir of the sump but down current of the scrubber (so it flows right back into the return section).

Have I over filtered the tank? I will primarily be keeping LPS and fish.

 

[mcgyvr]

Well.. It is possible to strip a tank of beneficial nutrients and starve corals/drive nutrient levels to ultra low levels..
That typically requires the use of phosphate binders/excessive carbon dosing/aggressive algae exports and lack of feeding,etc.. or some aggressive combination of those or similar..

What you have is not "excessive" on any level at this point and is a typical setup.. I HIGHLY doubt you need to worry at all..
Just the fact you asked the question makes me believe it 100% will not be a problem you will need to worry about

 

[Daddyrawg]

Well.. It is possible to strip a tank of beneficial nutrients and starve corals/drive nutrient levels to ultra low levels..
That typically requires the use of phosphate binders/excessive carbon dosing/aggressive algae exports and lack of feeding,etc.. or some aggressive combination of those or similar..

What you have is not "excessive" on any level at this point and is a typical setup.. I HIGHLY doubt you need to worry at all..
Just the fact you asked the question makes me believe it 100% will not be a problem you will need to worry about

Sarcasm at its finest

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[Bpb]

"œFilter" is a funny term if you really break it down. Can you have too clear of water? To little particulate junk suspended? Nah probably not. Can you have too low of nitrogen and phosphorus levels to the point of coral starvation? Yes absolutely. But that stuff isn't really "œfiltered out". It's consumed or chemically bound. But not really filtered:removed mechanically. So no, I don't thin you can (and I don't think YOU personally are) over filter the water mechanically. You can absolute strip it too void of nutrients.

But even that is relative. Most corals are pretty adaptable. I've grown the same stuff in filthy water with phosphate up over 0.4 ppm, and the same stuff in barely detectable phosphate at 0-2 ppb on the phosphorous meter. They tend to do better at lower numbers but ok when it gets higher. The real problem comes when it spikes or drops sharply, quickly. Corals need time to gradually change their metabolic rate when raising or lowering nutrients. I still have a few burnt tips from slamming phosphate down a few weeks ago to 0.03 from 0.2 over the course of a couple days.


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