Substitute for Filter Sock?

[CStrickland]

I just recognized OP from their other thread :lolspin: at least they'll have some perspective.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2484274

 

[mcgyvr]

For Uncleof6 there is only one way to do things..Its his way or the wrong way.

Just have to learn to live with him.. "HIS WAY" is usually a good direction to go..
But its clear that as a kid he couldn't play nice with others..

 

[stinkyreef]

What works for me is cut as you need type filter media and get it thick enough to slide between your sump baffles. You will have to change it regularly or rinse and reuse. Its not something to leave in the baffles for long periods.
Like this stuff
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=25534

 

[PhaneSoul]

Basically anything you can use as a 'filter' will work. As long as you clean it regularly to keep it from becoming a nitrate factory. I used to use filter socks then I switched to using my sump as a settling chamber that I would clean out once a month. Either way worked to keep nitrates where I wanted them. Now I'm experimenting with high flow in the sump to keep all detritus in the display tank with high flow in the display tank to keep detritus suspended so the fish and coral have every opportunity possible to grab what they want.

 

[PIPSTER]

I just recognized OP from their other thread :lolspin: at least they'll have some perspective.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2484274

:lmao:

When I first pulled this thread up I thought I was reading the other one!

That's ok, I welcome the responses.

So, on Friday night I measured all parameters and results were as follows...

ammonia...about 0.50ppm
nitrites...0
nitrates...0
phosphates...0
pH...8

I measured ammonia again Sunday night, and it looked more like 0.25ppm...??? Still no nitrites.
So, I've increased the amount of flake fish food to something like 20 flakes at a time.
:reading:From what I've read, on a dry rock\sand tank, nitrites can take up to 10 days to start showing up from the first ammonia reading, which seems to me to be last friday night. The tank now has had saltwater for 9 days.

My 450 GPH powerhead will be in my mailbox when I get home from work today, hopefully it will allow the sand to sit still, while still circulating the tank. I have a 250 GPH pump to my HOB skimmer, BakPak type, which I have running, but do not have the cup in the water yet, which adds some additional circulation. The cloudiness is gone! I have a layer of white dust on everything, I'm guessing some bacteria must be starting.

I think the ammonia is supposed to build until it starts getting converted to nitrites, then just needs to be added enough to simulate a bioload from fish.

 

[PIPSTER]

Got the powerhead in the mail last night, put it in the tank, took out the 800GPH. The new one is actually 425GPH, It seems less than half the flow, but still blows the food around the tank, without stirring the sand. I'm happy for now.
Tested the ammonia last night, too, and it appeared to be somewhere between 0.50ppm and 1.0ppm, so I'm guessing 0.75ppm...no nitrites. Slowly, but surely it's rising. Tank's pretty clear, except for floating food particles...they are breaking down enough where I don't see them anymore when I am feeding the tank the next time.

 

[CStrickland]

Sounds like ur on track!
As the bacteria populate your sand their slimes will weight it down too, so things get less cloudy over the first month or so. I've been reading that 20-50X tank volume is a good range for Lps, so for you I guess that would be 40 x 30 = 1200? Maybe as things progress you'll want to swap the 800 back in, and then maybe even add the 400 on top of it? I'm sure it depends on the way the rocks are positioned, and the particular coral though.

I thought it was really amazing to see how hard the bacteria were working during my cycle, I did it barebottom so all their detritus was easy to see. If you get bored it might be fun to push some sand away from the bottom of one of your rocks and check out how much crud is landing there after a day or two. I woulda never guessed how much of my sand bed isn't sand at all keep enjoying the ride!

 

[PIPSTER]

Tested ammonia and nitrites last night...ammonia now at 1 ppm! YAY! :bounce3:

Nitrite had a slight purple tinge to the blue, so not enough to be 0.25ppm, but more than zero, so that's started now. From what I have read it should take about 21 days to start seeing nitrites start going down, and nitrates really start going up, and ammonia disappear.:reading:

 

[PIPSTER]

Tested ammonia and nitrites last night...ammonia now at 1 ppm! YAY! :bounce3:

Nitrite had a slight purple tinge to the blue, so not enough to be 0.25ppm, but more than zero, so that's started now. From what I have read it should take about 21 days to start seeing nitrites start going down, and nitrates really start going up, and ammonia disappear.:reading:

Ammonia tested last night at between 1-2 ppm, nitrites dark purple, so over 5ppm, and ...first test of nitrates to show more than 0. I'm guessing about 5ppm-this was earlier than I expected. Phosphates still 0.

I think I'm seeing some diatoms. I think I'm just supposed wait them out?

Water is clearer than ever.

 

[PIPSTER]

I tested ammonia last night, and it's finally now at zero, after 2.5 weeks!

Nitrite is off the charts, nitrates already at 20ish ppm.

Now for some cheato, as my diatom population has spread all over the sand and rock now.

I had tried the 800GPH powerhead again before last weekend, but it just blew everything around, and re-clouded the tank. Back to the 425.

 

[PIPSTER]

Now, no nitrites! Nitrates somewhere between 10-20ppm.

:dance:
:bounce3:

Happened sooner than i expected.