Mechanical Filtration

reeftanker04 · 03/21/2007, 11:24 AM

I know I've read about the pros/cons of mechanical filtration. I have a 30 gallon with a Penguin 330 as well as a Prizm HOT Skimmer w/ surface attachment.

I've read that mech. filters become nitrate factories and deterius (sp) collections. What if I was to remove the cotton sponge all together and just put in some LR rubble? If possible I would like to keep the carbon in there for water clarity until I can purchase a new skimmer. Also, should I remove the bio wheels themselves?

Any info or advice would be much appreciated. TIA.

papagimp · 03/21/2007, 11:30 AM

There are no "con's" of mechanical filtration. It's actually a neccesity for the most part. Just pro's and con's for thevarious types of mechanical filtration.

It's not the mechanical ascpect of the filtering that becomes a nitrate factory, it is the biological filtrations portion that does this.

Lets take your penguin for instance, the "biowheel" part, or "biosponge" is the biological filter that can easily become a nitrate factory, while the carbon filter cartridges are the "mechanical" filtration. Keep up with cleaning and maintance on the mechanical filters and they won't be a problem. Remove the biowheel or biosponge or whatever "bio" material you have to reduce the "nitrate" problem.

and to clarify for those interested: The biological filtering is done by bacteria that colonizes on the biomaterial. Because of the location of different types of bacteria, they filter differently. For isntance, the bacteria on your biowheel gets loads of oxygen and this makes the bacteria great for removing ammonia and nitrite from the water column. But does nothing for the nitrates. Having an anerobic zone or a no/low oxygen zone, such as you get with a deep sand bed, or with loads of liverock with anerobic zones deep inside the rock will cause bacteria colonized their to eat up nitrates and convert them to somewhat harmless gas's that escape our systems through evaporation/surface agitation. So, if you are unsure about the type of filtration you are considering, ask yourself how much oxygen do you think will end up on the biomaterial. Obviously a wet/dry filter or biowheel filter will get the most oxygen. A canister as well, but removing the biomedia and using liverock works wonders. Even though canisters are horrid at biologically filtering a reeftank, they are awesome mechanical filters since all the water pushes through the media, where in a penguin filter, alot of water passes around or over the sponges and is not forced through it.

Enjoy!

reeftanker04 · 03/21/2007, 11:37 AM

OK thanks for the info. The Penguin is a "3 stage filter". The biowheel itself, a sponge type of thing with carbon in it, as well as a cartridge of just carbon.

So by your logic, I should remove the sponge and the wheel it seems. Is that accurate?

papagimp · 03/21/2007, 11:42 AM

I use a penguin on a couple smaller tanks. The biowheel should be removed, but any other "sponge material" that you replaced regularly is a mechanical filter, and should be used. I don't run carbon in my display system, so instead of a carbon cartridge, I use the plain blue sponge cut to fit stuff from petsmart and replace it or clean it as needed.

Now all that said, if you do not have a nitrate problem, then no need to remove the biowheel. I only recommned this to people who obviously have a nitrate problem. I have a 20g long tank, few small colonies of button polyps, GSP's, shrooms, and I use the tank to grow out juvinile fish. The tank does not have a nitrate problem so I left the biowheel on the filter. I also have a 42 g that does have nitrate levels way higher than I would like, so I keep any "extra" biofiltering out of that system, I let the rock and sand do it all.

drummereef · 03/21/2007, 12:10 PM

I use a hang-on for carbon. I remove all other media for the reason you mention. The reason people have nitrate problems with mechanical media is because they let their maintenance go. Any mechanical media needs to be cleaned on a regular basis.

papagimp · 03/21/2007, 04:20 PM

agreed. Even biomedia can be cleaned as well. simply wait until your next water change, remove the biomedia, and rinse it in the used tank water. This will keep the bacteria alive and remove alot of debris that builds up over time. Rinse only, don't squeeze too much or you risk rinsing all the good stuff off.
This is in addition to cleaning the normal sponges/prefilters/and other mechnical filtration media.

03/21/2007, 11:24 AM	#1
reeftanker04 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: New York, NY Posts: 259	Mechanical Filtration I know I've read about the pros/cons of mechanical filtration. I have a 30 gallon with a Penguin 330 as well as a Prizm HOT Skimmer w/ surface attachment. I've read that mech. filters become nitrate factories and deterius (sp) collections. What if I was to remove the cotton sponge all together and just put in some LR rubble? If possible I would like to keep the carbon in there for water clarity until I can purchase a new skimmer. Also, should I remove the bio wheels themselves? Any info or advice would be much appreciated. TIA.

03/21/2007, 11:30 AM	#2
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	There are no "con's" of mechanical filtration. It's actually a neccesity for the most part. Just pro's and con's for thevarious types of mechanical filtration. It's not the mechanical ascpect of the filtering that becomes a nitrate factory, it is the biological filtrations portion that does this. Lets take your penguin for instance, the "biowheel" part, or "biosponge" is the biological filter that can easily become a nitrate factory, while the carbon filter cartridges are the "mechanical" filtration. Keep up with cleaning and maintance on the mechanical filters and they won't be a problem. Remove the biowheel or biosponge or whatever "bio" material you have to reduce the "nitrate" problem. and to clarify for those interested: The biological filtering is done by bacteria that colonizes on the biomaterial. Because of the location of different types of bacteria, they filter differently. For isntance, the bacteria on your biowheel gets loads of oxygen and this makes the bacteria great for removing ammonia and nitrite from the water column. But does nothing for the nitrates. Having an anerobic zone or a no/low oxygen zone, such as you get with a deep sand bed, or with loads of liverock with anerobic zones deep inside the rock will cause bacteria colonized their to eat up nitrates and convert them to somewhat harmless gas's that escape our systems through evaporation/surface agitation. So, if you are unsure about the type of filtration you are considering, ask yourself how much oxygen do you think will end up on the biomaterial. Obviously a wet/dry filter or biowheel filter will get the most oxygen. A canister as well, but removing the biomedia and using liverock works wonders. Even though canisters are horrid at biologically filtering a reeftank, they are awesome mechanical filters since all the water pushes through the media, where in a penguin filter, alot of water passes around or over the sponges and is not forced through it. Enjoy! __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011 Last edited by papagimp; 03/21/2007 at 11:37 AM.

03/21/2007, 11:42 AM	#4
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	I use a penguin on a couple smaller tanks. The biowheel should be removed, but any other "sponge material" that you replaced regularly is a mechanical filter, and should be used. I don't run carbon in my display system, so instead of a carbon cartridge, I use the plain blue sponge cut to fit stuff from petsmart and replace it or clean it as needed. Now all that said, if you do not have a nitrate problem, then no need to remove the biowheel. I only recommned this to people who obviously have a nitrate problem. I have a 20g long tank, few small colonies of button polyps, GSP's, shrooms, and I use the tank to grow out juvinile fish. The tank does not have a nitrate problem so I left the biowheel on the filter. I also have a 42 g that does have nitrate levels way higher than I would like, so I keep any "extra" biofiltering out of that system, I let the rock and sand do it all. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

03/21/2007, 12:10 PM	#5
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	I use a hang-on for carbon. I remove all other media for the reason you mention. The reason people have nitrate problems with mechanical media is because they let their maintenance go. Any mechanical media needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

03/21/2007, 04:20 PM	#6
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	agreed. Even biomedia can be cleaned as well. simply wait until your next water change, remove the biomedia, and rinse it in the used tank water. This will keep the bacteria alive and remove alot of debris that builds up over time. Rinse only, don't squeeze too much or you risk rinsing all the good stuff off. This is in addition to cleaning the normal sponges/prefilters/and other mechnical filtration media. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

03/21/2007, 11:37 AM	#3
reeftanker04 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: New York, NY Posts: 259	OK thanks for the info. The Penguin is a "3 stage filter". The biowheel itself, a sponge type of thing with carbon in it, as well as a cartridge of just carbon. So by your logic, I should remove the sponge and the wheel it seems. Is that accurate?