Leave foam on mag drive?

[Lynnmw1208]

so my new mag drive 12 came with this huge chunk of foam for the intake. Should I leave this on as a form of mechanical filtration or just leave it off? I'm not sure how well the pods can get from the sump to the DT with it on but it keeps my chaeto out of it.

 

[syrinx]

I usually keep it on especially if cheato or sand is anywhere in the sump.

 

[MarkGP]

You can leave it on, I never did when I ran my mag 12. You will have to clean it every day or two so nitrates don't build up.

 

[tkeracer619]

Foam sponge? Yuck.

Its great if you don't mind cleaning it regularly (weekly or every couple days before it clogs up). Otherwise leave it off.

 

[allsps40]

I have it on my mag 5, stays pretty clean. I clean it about once a week. Keeps anything unwanted from entering the pump. I had a fuge and it also kept unwanted algae out of the DT.

 

[syrinx]

Wow I clean the one on the mag18 once or twice a year. I wonder why my nitrates are zero, and I have no unwanted algae?

 

[Lynnmw1208]

can the pods still fit through the sponge? I would kind of like to keep it on to keep gunk out of the pump. It's easy to pull off so cleaning won't be an issue.

 

[syrinx]

No the pods won`t get through, unless the burrow through the foam. I just periodically will use a baster or shake out some cheato in the display.Only the small pods get through a pump anyway,so the ideal is to have a refugium gravity drained. I also use a scwd wavemaker that needs a prefiltered water source.

 

[Pallobi]

sponges on a pump will rapidly collect rotting detritus and quickly... and all that water that goes back to your display is pulled right throught that nasty'ness... i removed mine... so sponges of any kind or filter socks for that matter in my system.. jmho

 

[dibeezy]

There's nothing wrong with leaving it on. Nitrates and detritus shouldn't be an issue since your return chamber, if your sump is designed properly, should hold nothing but nice clean filtered water. Just rinse in ro or freshly drained tank water ( after a water change ) and it'll be perfectly fine. And btw, filter socks are also great IMHO, they are the easiest way to remove waste truthfully. Just have a handful of them to swap out every three days or so.

 

[pmrossetti]

I don't use them, but since it looks like your pump is in the same chamber as your chaeto and stuff, it's better to keep it on. imho

Do you think one of these might work for you? 3/4" male threaded for your mag 12.:fish2::fish2::fish2:

http://www.aquacave.com/intake-strainers-mpt-threaded-686.html

 

[brian762]

I don't use them, but since it looks like your pump is in the same chamber as your chaeto and stuff, it's better to keep it on. imho

Do you think one of these might work for you? 3/4" male threaded for your mag 12.:fish2::fish2::fish2:

http://www.aquacave.com/intake-strainers-mpt-threaded-686.html

The mag pumps have those on them already and the sponge goes over that.

 

[Flagswipe]

I dont have any scientific research but I was told to take all sponges off so I have for years. When your system grows so does the extra maintenance of cleaning 1-12 sponges every week or so

Easier to just remove them

 

[Thumbster]

I cleaned mine.......last summer maybe. No trouble with it clogging up.

I also just take it off and throw it in the washing machine with a little bit of soap and it comes out nice and clean. I just rinse and repeat in the sink to get any residual soap out. No problems with nitrates.

I'm sure some pods get down into the sump and can't make it through the foam but they would probably be whipped into a puree if they did.

 

[Lynnmw1208]

I cleaned mine.......last summer maybe. No trouble with it clogging up.

I also just take it off and throw it in the washing machine with a little bit of soap and it comes out nice and clean. I just rinse and repeat in the sink to get any residual soap out. No problems with nitrates.

I'm sure some pods get down into the sump and can't make it through the foam but they would probably be whipped into a puree if they did.

lol that last sentence cracked me up! :lol: like it was said, the mag does come with a strainer already on the pump, but I just left the sponge on so nothing can get inside. I was thinking of putting some eggcrate to separate the cheato but I think it would eventually get through that as well. I may put it in the protein skimmer side I haven't decided yet. I really have to see where my GFO/carbon reactor will fit when it arrives. I would rather put it on the return side with the chaeto in the protein skimmer side, but I'm not sure I have room for 2 pumps. we'll see. I'm not too concerned with the pods getting up into the DT, but it'd be nice.

 

[MarkGP]

You can separate it with gutter guard to keep it out of your return pump. I have one of my tanks set up this way and none of the chaeto gets through.