Nano filter? Help please

[Bphilpott15]

So my 30l nano marine has been going for about two weeks now and I decided to go filter free letting the live rock,sand and critters do all the work, but I was wondering if it would be better to get a cheap hang on filter and replace the sponge with poly filter to act as a protein skimmer would this be a good idea? Or will my tank be fine without this, Thank you

 

[CuzzA]

Well it won't act like a protein skimmer. Two different forms of nutrient export. However, I would go to a fabric department like in WalMart or JoAnn Fabrics and pick up a big roll of quilt batting for a few bucks. Poly filter is too expensive for daily use. Just tear off the old filter material from the original plastic filter cartridge and rubber band the cut to size piece of quilt batting to it. It's a cheap and effective way to preform continuous mechanical filtration on your tank. And because it's so cheap, you'll likely find you will do it more often.

I also like to pick up a box of panty hose to use as bags for carbon and GFO. Cut the panty hose up, tie an end, put x amount of product in, tie the other side and drop it in the HOB filter. Be sure to rinse the carbon/GFO mix in RO/DI water. The passive flow is not as effective as a reactor, but works very well.

 

[Bphilpott15]

Well it won't act like a protein skimmer. Two different forms of nutrient export. However, I would go to a fabric department like in WalMart or JoAnn Fabrics and pick up a big roll of quilt batting for a few bucks. Poly filter is too expensive for daily use. Just tear off the old filter material from the original plastic filter cartridge and rubber band the cut to size piece of quilt batting to it. It's a cheap and effective way to preform continuous mechanical filtration on your tank. And because it's so cheap, you'll likely find you will do it more often.

I also like to pick up a box of panty hose to use as bags for carbon and GFO. Cut the panty hose up, tie an end, put x amount of product in, tie the other side and drop it in the HOB filter. Be sure to rinse the carbon/GFO mix in RO/DI water. The passive flow is not as effective as a reactor, but works very well.

Would you say this is needed or would my tank be okay without the filter? Also what is quilt batting? I live in the uk

 

[Bphilpott15]

Here's a picture of the filter

 

[CuzzA]

I would add a filter and do as I described before. Yes, a filter like that will be fine. Search the Internet for quilt batting. It's nothing more than a material used in comforters, pillows and quilts. Avoid brands that add any chemical for fire retardant, etc. or just buy replacement filter cartridges. You'll find the filter cartridges are using the same material only glued on to the plastic cartridge. For the cost of ~3 cartridges you can buy a ton of batting.

 

[Bphilpott15]

I would add a filter and do as I described before. Yes, a filter like that will be fine. Search the Internet for quilt batting. It's nothing more than a material used in comforters, pillows and quilts. Avoid brands that add any chemical for fire retardant, etc. or just buy replacement filter cartridges. You'll find the filter cartridges are using the same material only glued on to the plastic cartridge. For the cost of ~3 cartridges you can buy a ton of batting.

Would I have to remove the cartridge that is already in this filter? As I read they can be bad for reef aquariums as they do more bad than good?

 

[CuzzA]

The cartridge is not bad for aquariums. Poor husbandry is. Change the filter once a week and it will work great.

 

[Bphilpott15]

The cartridge is not bad for aquariums. Poor husbandry is. Change the filter once a week and it will work great.

Okay thanks for your help I purchased that filter and will try and find some of this batting in a shop, another quick question would pure reef balance balls or carbon filter work better in this?

 

[Bphilpott15]

Okay thanks for your help I purchased that filter and will try and find some of this batting in a shop, another quick question would pure reef balance balls or carbon filter work better in this?

Anyone please

 

[CuzzA]

I don't know what reef balance balls are, but if you're referring to bio balls, no they are not necessary in this setup, nor would they fit well in that filter.

As for carbon filled filter cartridges, yes they will help your tank. That's why I suggested the money saving tip earlier. It's sounds as if you need to do a little research on the different types of filtration for aquariums. There are hundreds of good articles on the subject and a "setting up" thread stickied at the top of the "new to the hobby" forum.

To summarize what you can expect from this filter using filter media (mesh/quilt batting), carbon and GFO is as follows. The hang on back (HOB) filter you linked earlier will draw water from the tank and pass it through the mesh filter and then back to the tank. The mesh filter will capture organics (nutrients). Those organics will not be removed from your system until you replace the cartridge. If they are left too long the organics will break down into disolved organics like nitrates and phosphates. Algae feeds off excessive nitrates and phosphates. That it why I recommend changing either the cartridge or mesh material attached to it once a week.

Now, there are also other chemicals and toxins (produced by corals), metals and disolved organic compounds that your mechanical filter will not remove; thus, we use granular activated carbon (GAC). GAC assimilates these toxins, metals, etc. into the granual to be removed from the tank. Finally there is the issue of phosphate. High phosphates can cause issues with corals and fuel algae growth. In many tanks, especially small tanks, the phosphate levels can rise very quickly due to the reduced volume. So we use granular ferric oxide (GFO) which specifically binds phosphate to remove it from the tank.

As side from that, water changes are our best friend as they replace what is essentially polluted water from our inhabitants with clean seawater.

There are other considerations to make for a marine tanks as well, like nutrient export by completing the nitrogen cycle, but for your size tank it's unlikely this will happen with noticeable benefit.

I would definitely visit the setting up thread. It goes over all of these things and then some.