BioCube 14 filter issues

[Bnaum85]

I have been running a Biocube 14 (with stock filter setup) for the last few months. I have two freshwater planted tanks and this is my first go at a marine setup. I've noticed that I need to clean the carbon filter/pad every day which is strange to me since I only have two very small fish (lemon chromis and purple firefish goby) and the clean up crew. I doubt they are making this much waste! I don't have to clean my freshwater filters nearly as often (bi-weekly if that). I think the filter is being saturated with sand from the substrate. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

[saf1]

I can't speak for everyone but I have two 29 gallon cubes both of which are Oceanic. I do not use the stock filter in either. I won't speak for everyone here but in my opinion it does nothing but collect junk which then blocks flow which then yields a place for bad things to turn nasty. Same rule applies with the bio balls. I don't use them at all in any tank nor do I understand why they continue to sell them in so called "reef ready" tanks. But has I said, this is just one mans opinion.

Having said that in one of the tanks I do run a pre-filter if you will. It is the standard white on one side and blue on the other side pad. I buy them from marine depot or in-tank which I use has I said for a pre-filter. It sits in the media basket which water passes through so it doesn't dirty up my bag of puregen which water passes through to a bag of chemi-pure. This is the only tank that I use these because of the heavier feeding then my other one. This tank started with a pair of clowns and a rose bubble time but now turned into the same pair of clowns but 3(!) rose bubble tips because they keep splitting (honestly, never again will I buy these for a 29 gallon tank - they get large!)

To your question about pre-filter. In the tank I noted above I change the little square about once a week. Sometimes every 3 days but it depends on what is going on in the tank honestly. If I'm in there cleaning then it gets changed about 2 hours after things settle down. If the clown fish get crazy and party or the tiger tail cucumber works over the sand and the Goby then plays, I get more silt or dust which means I need to change. On the other hand if water is passing through and its a normal day in the tank, once a week give or take works great and no one is hurt.

In "MY" case the pre-filter catches the stuff before chemi and purgen bags so they do their job. If I leave the pre-filter any longer it blocks the water flow and nutrients turn into bad things that can hurt the tank like nitrites, nitrates, ammonia, etc. I'm not a chemist but you get the idea...