sponge on skimmer? nitrate problem?

[Cozen89]

Anyone use a sponge that wraps around the intake of your powerhead of your HOB skimmer? Seems to me this sponge might house bad bacteria and or collect a lot of stuff that should be getting to the skimmer. Thoughts please.

 

[reefshadow]

I wouldn't use one unless you have anemones or anything that is likely to find the intake. Sponges unless rinsed very often are biological filters that will contribute to nitrate problems. I would also think that you want stuff to go into the skimmer rather than being trapped in the sponge.

 

[rfdoc]

Really? So the sponge that is on a Remora no one would recommend using?

 

[reefshadow]

Oh yeah. If you can find or make one for your skimmer type, a surface skimming prefilter box is great for HOB's. Besides being another barrier to prevent animals from getting near the intake, the surface skimming is an excellent thing for your water quality. Lots of stuff sticks to the waters surface.

 

[Cozen89]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9696246#post9696246 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefshadow
I wouldn't use one unless you have anemones or anything that is likely to find the intake. Sponges unless rinsed very often are biological filters that will contribute to nitrate problems. I would also think that you want stuff to go into the skimmer rather than being trapped in the sponge.

Yeah I thought the sponge would house some bad stuff.

Is it the sponge that helps with the surface skimming? Because I did notice after I added my fuge w/ built in skimmer the surface of my water is clear as day. The remora I was running didn't quite keep the surface clean.

If it is the sponge that helps with the surface skimming, what could I do to skim the surface if I take it off. I don't want to have to tke it out and rinse it every couple of days.

 

[rfdoc]

Thanks for the post Cozen and the reply reefshadow, still have lots to learn I guess! This is one I didn't know.

 

[reefshadow]

I did notice after I added my fuge w/ built in skimmer the surface of my water is clear as day

If you have a built in overflow to the fuge or a HOB overflow, it is acting as a surface skimmer. A regular intake (sponge or not) won't usually surface skim because it is fully submerged and collecting water from below the surface.

 

[sclark]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9696246#post9696246 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefshadow
Sponges unless rinsed very often are biological filters that will contribute to nitrate problems.

How does a sponge contribute to nitrate problems? I ask because I find that I have them all of a sudden - see http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1094220

 

[Cozen89]

I think you might be confused. The sponges were are talking about are manufactured sponges that you attached to filters or powerheads.

You are talking about the natural live sponges that grow on live rock etc.

 

[sclark]

I use 'sponges' in my overflow box as a filter to keep undesirables from entering the plumbing, and in my sump to keep the noise down. In the sump, they are completely submerged, but in the overflow box, there’s plenty of air and water movement for aerobic bacteria to grow.

What I don’t understand is how this contributes to an increase in nitrates. The nitrate is there for the anaerobic bacteria to eat whether it was converted from the bacteria in the sponges or in the substrate/live rock. What difference does it make? Is it important for the aerobic bacteria to be near the anaerobic bacteria as they would be in live rock or the substrate (but not a sponge)?

In my system, I’ve had high nitrates for about 3 weeks now (10-15 ppm). For the previous 5 months, they have been zero. I’m trying to figure out what’s changed.

Sorry if I'm getting off topic from the original thread...