Sponge Free Filtration???

DavidG1966 · 07/21/2005, 05:40 PM

Does anyone not use any type of sponge or filter socks? Is that type of mechanical filtration needed? Isnt agressive skimming better. Isnt the stuff that rots in the mechanical filters better off getting skimmed out of the system?

sleezyp1 · 07/21/2005, 05:49 PM

I do not use any sponge or filtersocks. Just skimming live rock and carbon.

DavidG1966 · 07/21/2005, 05:52 PM

Thank you Sleezyp1! That what I want to do. Every time I clean a sponge I question how healthy it is for the tank and ask wouldnt that stuff just get skimmed out if it didnt get trapped?

Anyone else?

DavidG1966 · 07/21/2005, 05:53 PM

Also where do you keep the carbon? In a bag in the sump?

AcroSteve · 07/21/2005, 06:57 PM

A Skimmer is my only active filtration.

gnrlee · 07/21/2005, 07:07 PM

You are right about that stuff rotting in the sponge. It's one big nitrate factory. I bet if you get rid of those sponges, you will get rid of those nitrates, if you have any.

DavidG1966 · 07/21/2005, 07:09 PM

Thank you for your input. I ditched the sponge!!!!!!! If you run carbon do you just place it in a bag in your sump?

gnrlee · 07/21/2005, 07:12 PM

I do. I placed it right under were my protein skimmer lets out. This is how I make sure I get direct water flow through the bag of carbon. I change it religiously once a week.

DavidG1966 · 07/21/2005, 07:15 PM

Great Idea gnrlee Just moved my carbon bag!!! Anyone else with sponge free suggestions????? Its great to be sponge free!!!!!!

gnrlee · 07/21/2005, 07:19 PM

Glad I could help.

DavidG1966 · 07/21/2005, 08:00 PM

How long has everyone been sponge free?

spoon671 · 07/22/2005, 12:13 PM

Wow, I have a question. How do you eradicate undissolved organics (ie. uneaten food, crap, etc) from your tanks? Skimming only removes dissolved organics. Do you guys just let all the crap float around the tank until it dissolves, to let the skimmer take care of it?

Just wondering. For some reason, I cannot imagine not having some sort of mechanism to trap all the floating debris that commonly riddles fish/reef tanks. Thanks in advance guys/gals.

DavidG1966 · 07/22/2005, 12:23 PM

Sponge free people does spoon671 have a vaild point? Should I put my sponge back?

GSerg2 · 07/22/2005, 12:31 PM

I am sponge free. I had filter floss and an overflow sponge in my old tank. On the new one I only have a skimmer, no sponges or floss. It is too early to tell much about how well it is going to work.

DavidG1966 · 07/22/2005, 12:41 PM

People who are sponge free, how long has this been working for you and how sucessful have you been?

sscherin · 07/22/2005, 03:27 PM

Ohh about 3 years now with no sponges..
I run a W/D sump w skimmer and the bio balls removed.
Lots of life in the sump eating up whatever settles to the bottom.

Whatever is left gets siphoned out during water changes.

Codeman00 · 07/22/2005, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by spoon671
Wow, I have a question. How do you eradicate undissolved organics (ie. uneaten food, crap, etc) from your tanks? Skimming only removes dissolved organics. Do you guys just let all the crap float around the tank until it dissolves, to let the skimmer take care of it?

Just wondering. For some reason, I cannot imagine not having some sort of mechanism to trap all the floating debris that commonly riddles fish/reef tanks. Thanks in advance guys/gals.

Exactly my thoughts too. When I got my first system running, I was totally surprised to see so much undissolved stuff in the bottom of the sump. I thought, surely it will go away. Well, it hasn't gone away yet and the only means of removing it is syphoning it out or sucking it up in a baster and squirting it into the skimmer inlet. Syphoning is the only way that really gets rid of it. (for a short time)

DavidG1966 · 07/22/2005, 06:13 PM

any more sponge free testimonials??

Charlie Davidson · 07/22/2005, 06:17 PM

Me too! ---- BTW, Gnrlee you are a the Man!

spoon671 · 07/22/2005, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sscherin
Ohh about 3 years now with no sponges..
I run a W/D sump w skimmer and the bio balls removed.

Show us a picture of your sump. Particularly at the point where your overflow hoses meet your wet/dry. Below you will see pictures of what I am running. I swear, I just can't imagine fish poop getting sucked into the overflow, traveling down hoses to the sump, only to immediately get pumped right back up to the display tank. Take a look...

This first one obviously is a pic of my overflow tubes. (Coarse filter pad on top of a 50 Micron filter pad)

The crap that you see there on the dirty pads accumulated after only 2 days of filtration. I change these pads about 3 times a week.

DavidG1966 · 07/22/2005, 08:39 PM

I took the sponges out yesterday... maybe its me??? but my skimmer seems to be much more productive.. much more. But I still don't know what to do long term. I would like to hear from people who have been running spongeless for an extended period of time.

spoon671 · 07/22/2005, 09:29 PM

What else can I say.

spoon671 · 05/17/2006, 07:47 PM

Told ya.

KEstep · 05/17/2006, 08:10 PM

I have seen solid chunks of food (brine and mysis) go into the collection cup of my skimmer. I ran a skimmer on my qt tank and any food that was pulled in was pushed up the foam into the cup.

xtrstangx · 05/17/2006, 08:40 PM

The only sponges I have in my tank are on the Phosban reactor because they are required to run.

07/21/2005, 05:40 PM	#1
DavidG1966 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 325	Sponge Free Filtration??? Does anyone not use any type of sponge or filter socks? Is that type of mechanical filtration needed? Isnt agressive skimming better. Isnt the stuff that rots in the mechanical filters better off getting skimmed out of the system?

07/21/2005, 05:49 PM	#2
sleezyp1 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Farmingville,NY Posts: 449 Blog Entries: 1	I do not use any sponge or filtersocks. Just skimming live rock and carbon. __________________ Joe Current Tank Info: 72 gal bow front,90 gallon reef 30 gallon clown host. 12 gallon nano, 2.5 eclipse explorer

07/21/2005, 06:57 PM	#5
AcroSteve Make my Funk a P-Funk Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Electric Avenue Posts: 5,092	A Skimmer is my only active filtration. __________________ **************** "Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard, grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em." -- The Webb Wilder Credo -- don't go ninjin' nobody that don't need ninjin'! Current Tank Info: 220g custom plywood. SPS heavy with Sequence Hammerhead return with 4-Way OM. Tunze 6100, 6200 and Wavebox. 5000btu DIY Chiller. Lighting is 10K mh 250W / VHO Actinic Skimer - H&S A200-2x1260

07/21/2005, 07:07 PM	#6
gnrlee Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 378	You are right about that stuff rotting in the sponge. It's one big nitrate factory. I bet if you get rid of those sponges, you will get rid of those nitrates, if you have any. __________________ " If it ain't broke; you can always make it work better"

07/21/2005, 07:12 PM	#8
gnrlee Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 378	I do. I placed it right under were my protein skimmer lets out. This is how I make sure I get direct water flow through the bag of carbon. I change it religiously once a week. __________________ " If it ain't broke; you can always make it work better"

07/21/2005, 05:52 PM	#3
DavidG1966 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 325	Thank you Sleezyp1! That what I want to do. Every time I clean a sponge I question how healthy it is for the tank and ask wouldnt that stuff just get skimmed out if it didnt get trapped? Anyone else?

07/21/2005, 05:53 PM	#4
DavidG1966 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 325	Also where do you keep the carbon? In a bag in the sump?

07/21/2005, 07:09 PM	#7
DavidG1966 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 325	Thank you for your input. I ditched the sponge!!!!!!! If you run carbon do you just place it in a bag in your sump?

07/21/2005, 07:15 PM	#9
DavidG1966 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 325	Great Idea gnrlee Just moved my carbon bag!!! Anyone else with sponge free suggestions????? Its great to be sponge free!!!!!!

07/21/2005, 07:19 PM	#10
gnrlee Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 378	Glad I could help. __________________ " If it ain't broke; you can always make it work better"

07/21/2005, 08:00 PM	#11
DavidG1966 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 325	How long has everyone been sponge free?

07/22/2005, 12:13 PM	#12
spoon671 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The East Bay Posts: 948	Wow, I have a question. How do you eradicate undissolved organics (ie. uneaten food, crap, etc) from your tanks? Skimming only removes dissolved organics. Do you guys just let all the crap float around the tank until it dissolves, to let the skimmer take care of it? Just wondering. For some reason, I cannot imagine not having some sort of mechanism to trap all the floating debris that commonly riddles fish/reef tanks. Thanks in advance guys/gals. __________________ - Enthusiast, In Transit Current Tank Info: IM Nuvo 16 Mixed Reef

07/22/2005, 12:23 PM	#13
DavidG1966 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 325	Sponge free people does spoon671 have a vaild point? Should I put my sponge back?

07/22/2005, 12:31 PM	#14
GSerg2 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Owasso, Oklahoma Posts: 1,037	I am sponge free. I had filter floss and an overflow sponge in my old tank. On the new one I only have a skimmer, no sponges or floss. It is too early to tell much about how well it is going to work. __________________ - Greg Current Tank Info: 215g RR, 30g sump, 10g refugium, 750w 14K Hamilton MH + 500w URI VHO

07/22/2005, 12:41 PM	#15
DavidG1966 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 325	People who are sponge free, how long has this been working for you and how sucessful have you been?

07/22/2005, 03:27 PM	#16
sscherin Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 697	Ohh about 3 years now with no sponges.. I run a W/D sump w skimmer and the bio balls removed. Lots of life in the sump eating up whatever settles to the bottom. Whatever is left gets siphoned out during water changes. __________________ William's Law-- There is no mechanical problem so difficult that it cannot be solved by brute strength and ignorance. Current Tank Info: 14gal construction zone

07/22/2005, 06:13 PM	#18
DavidG1966 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 325	any more sponge free testimonials??

07/22/2005, 06:17 PM	#19
Charlie Davidson Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Deltaville , Va Posts: 10,977	Me too! ---- BTW, Gnrlee you are a the Man! __________________ Richmond Reef Club Current Tank Info: Doing without for a while :)

07/22/2005, 08:39 PM	#21
DavidG1966 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 325	I took the sponges out yesterday... maybe its me??? but my skimmer seems to be much more productive.. much more. But I still don't know what to do long term. I would like to hear from people who have been running spongeless for an extended period of time.

07/22/2005, 09:29 PM	#22
spoon671 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The East Bay Posts: 948	What else can I say. __________________ - Enthusiast, In Transit Current Tank Info: IM Nuvo 16 Mixed Reef

05/17/2006, 07:47 PM	#23
spoon671 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The East Bay Posts: 948	Told ya. __________________ - Enthusiast, In Transit Current Tank Info: IM Nuvo 16 Mixed Reef

05/17/2006, 08:10 PM	#24
KEstep Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Amarillo, TX Posts: 550	I have seen solid chunks of food (brine and mysis) go into the collection cup of my skimmer. I ran a skimmer on my qt tank and any food that was pulled in was pushed up the foam into the cup. __________________ A bartender is just a pharmacist with limited inventory. If you drink don't park, accidents cause people. If only closed minds came with closed mouths. Have a great day. Kris Current Tank Info: 150g. DAS Oak Aquarium, 3 250w. Reeflux 10k on Coralvue Dimmable E-ballasts, 150lbs. Live Rock, DAS EX-2 Skimmer, Remote Deep Sand Bucket, Reefkeeper 2, 10 gallon fuge, 2 Vortechs, Coralvue Dual Chamber Calcium Reactor, Coralvue Kalkwasser Reactor.

05/17/2006, 08:40 PM	#25
xtrstangx Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Shawnee, Kansas Posts: 4,568	The only sponges I have in my tank are on the Phosban reactor because they are required to run.