Reticulated Foam as a biofilter/refugium

[WDLV]

Have you ever experimented with high volumes of reticulated foam as a primary source of filtration? I'm thinking of using 10PPI reticulated foam to fill my overflows and sump with the mind set that the surface area would allow high surface area for bacterial populations as well as large pore size to act as a breeding ground for copepods.
I would also use 20 or 30PPI foam in the overflows as a mechanical filter that could be squeezed out every so often.

 

[T Diddy]

lots of people use retic foam in the overflows for mechanical filtration...just don't forget to rinse them out on occasion. As for the pod breeding, it'll certainly work. I've got two big pieces in my sump that are just floating at the surface...been there for a year. detritus has built up in them pretty good though.

 

[WDLV]

I'm thinking of using about 8 cubic feet.

 

[T Diddy]

...8 cubic feet as in filling your entire sump with it?? I would think that the eventual flow reduction through the sump would cause it to overflow.

 

[WDLV]

...8 cubic feet as in filling your entire sump with it?? I would think that the eventual flow reduction through the sump would cause it to overflow.

Yes. The entire sump. I don't know how familiar you are but you'd be hard pressed to clog it that much.

I'm thinking of two possible scenarios. Both would have removable mechanical prefilters.

1. One large block 48x18x18. This option would allow for a floating block and could not be removed for maintenance without destroying the biofilter. However, pods should be able to keep detritus at bay.

2. Alternating up and down baffles spaced one inch apart with 1" sheets in them. This option would eliminate dead spaces but would be more likely to hold detritus. The obvious benefit being that sheets could be alternately removed for cleaning allowing minimal impact to the biofiltration but would kill pods in the process.


EDIT: I can't help but think putting a 30PPI prefilter in the overflow would act not just asa prefilter but would quiet the water flow considerably.