What Micron Size Filter Pad Do You Use?

[JerseyGuy]

I have a 75 g. FOWLR that's lightly stocked and I've been using a 100M filter pad in my sump (change it weekly) for about a year. I used to just use the blue/white filter floss now I use the blue/white on top of the 100M. pad.

But, every week I have change the pad and it's completely BROWN, every week. I expected to eventually get most of the junk out of the water but every week it's exactly the same. BYW my water is crystal clear and I have a good skimmer.

What do you guys run? How often do you have to change it? Any advice or just keep doing what I'm doing?

[FraggledRock]

Sounds like if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

what is the brown stuff? Is it fish waste? Diatoms?

also you will never "eventually get most of the junk out of the water" because your fish expel waste everyday.

Sounds like your filter is just doing its job of, well, filtering things out =)

I am using a filter sock and if I checked everyday I would see something every day.

What is your feeding schedule like? maybe you're overfeeding a bit?

[JerseyGuy]

I'm not exactly sure what it is. I'm sure there's fish waste in there but the pad is just completely brown and if I don't change it every week it starts to clog up and the flow through it slows down. I know some people don't run any mechanical filtration at all which I can't understand. Every week I just look at that brown pad and think wow, where's all that stuff coming from.

[FraggledRock]

Originally Posted by JerseyGuy

I'm not exactly sure what it is. I'm sure there's fish waste in there but the pad is just completely brown and if I don't change it every week it starts to clog up and the flow through it slows down. I know some people don't run any mechanical filtration at all which I can't understand. Every week I just look at that brown pad and think wow, where's all that stuff coming from.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2467819
Funny you say that. I took off my filter pads two days ago.

one reason is that you have to disconnect from the typical goldfish fish tank logic in regards to waste control and removal. reef system are a balancing act of what goes into it and what is taken out.

One reason I learned recently and witnessed with my own eyes is the ability of plankton, zooplankton and phytoplankton to make its way around your filtration system without getting caught in the "net". (some fish mostly or primarily feed of phytoplankton & zooplankton)

Mechanical filtration removes the bad AND the good. the removal of the good is probably worse than the bad you are removing(which actually feeds the good)

my example: Your fish poos. the poo circulates. some gets eaten by bacteria and then it turns to nitrites, the rest sits in your filter for a week decaying. if nothing can get to the decaying food/waste/poo (cleanup crews, worms, certain omnivores, bacterias) then it just sits there, decaying. HOWEVER if you didn't have the mechanical filter on there, then the tank will handle what keeps circulating it by continually breaking it down day in and day out. the final outcome less physical material, "brown stuff".

Technically speaking a mechanical filter other than your live rock and clean up crews defeats the purpose of cycling a tank imho, since the bio-load should be managed by the balance of life within the tank where our eyes cant see =)

[whosurcaddie]

His filter pad is 100 microns so hes not catching zooplankton or anything else beneficial to his livestock given the fact that zooplankton has a size of 1-2 microns. The only thing that pad is catching is poo and uneaten food. Op you should change it out every three days though because that uneaten food will brake down polluting the tank.

I use 10 micron socks and change them every three days.

[FraggledRock]

Originally Posted by whosurcaddie

His filter pad is 100 microns so hes not catching zooplankton or anything else beneficial to his livestock given the fact that zooplankton has a size of 1-2 microns. The only thing that pad is catching is poo and uneaten food. Op you should change it out every three days though because that uneaten food will brake down polluting the tank.

I use 10 micron socks and change them every three days.

http://marinebio.org/oceans/zooplankton/

I think you may need to brush up on the science of what Zooplankton really consists of...

[whosurcaddie]

Originally Posted by FraggledRock

http://marinebio.org/oceans/zooplankton/

I think you may need to brush up on the science of what Zooplankton really consists of...

Touche.. I didn't realize pods were classified as zooplankton. You learn something new every day.

[FraggledRock]

Originally Posted by whosurcaddie

Touche.. I didn't realize pods were classified as zooplankton. You learn something new every day.

=P

In this hobby it is every minute for me!

[JerseyGuy]

Really interesting discussion. I have no "pods" and it's a FOWLR tank, so no coral. I'm fairly sure the brown stuff in the filter pad is the same stuff I'm taking out of the skimmer (food/poo). If I don't filter it out it just floats around and eventually accumulates someplace (rock, sand). I'm inclined to keep filtering since the tank is doing really well and my water is super crystal clear.

Am I missing something?

[whosurcaddie]

Originally Posted by JerseyGuy

Really interesting discussion. I have no "pods" and it's a FOWLR tank, so no coral. I'm fairly sure the brown stuff in the filter pad is the same stuff I'm taking out of the skimmer (food/poo). If I don't filter it out it just floats around and eventually accumulates someplace (rock, sand). I'm inclined to keep filtering since the tank is doing really well and my water is super crystal clear.

Am I missing something?

Your right if you don't remove it it will eventually be broken down by the nitrogen cycle into nitrate. Just don't leave it for too long or your defeating its purpose.

[FraggledRock]

Originally Posted by JerseyGuy

Really interesting discussion. I have no "pods" and it's a FOWLR tank, so no coral. I'm fairly sure the brown stuff in the filter pad is the same stuff I'm taking out of the skimmer (food/poo). If I don't filter it out it just floats around and eventually accumulates someplace (rock, sand). I'm inclined to keep filtering since the tank is doing really well and my water is super crystal clear.

Am I missing something?

If its working for you then, I think you're not missing anything.

If you're tired of cleaning the brown stuff from the filter, then it might be time to have a ROT/ROD Tank. (Rock Only Tank Tank, Rock Only Display Tank) =P

[toothybugs]

I have half a dozen lil fishies in my 40B, 65-70lbs of rock with a bunch of softies going, and run 50m socks with the occasional 75 that slipped through. I change things out every 2-3 days after blowing out the rocks. It only gets kinda sludgy after about a week when the crud starts growing where it shouldn't, which is my clue that I got lax in my maintenance.

[brycerb]

In my canister filter (Rena XP4) I run a basket with the sponges in it too catch the big stuff. The next basket for polishing the water is full of batting, like for stuffing pillows or toys. I have a giant box of it, I got it at Wal-Mart years ago. I rip off pieces and roll into balls and stuff them were I need them. I wash them in old salt water like the sponges. They work amazing, and when they get too gunky throw them away and get more.

[JerseyGuy]

This discussion makes me wonder what percentage of the good folks in this hobby don't use any type of mechanical filtration. To me it's a must but that may just be the OCD talking.

[FraggledRock]

Originally Posted by JerseyGuy

This discussion makes me wonder what percentage of the good folks in this hobby don't use any type of mechanical filtration. To me it's a must but that may just be the OCD talking.

Its almost a debate that is on the level of water changes! =P

Im keeping them off for a month and seeing what my water parameters tell me. if anything spikes and stays high, im putting it back on.

my bio load is very low so the food delivery(feedings) is small and the consumption is fast.

[Sk8r]

Stony coral reef here, lps, and I don't use any filtration at all, unless you count a honking large tangle of cheato moss in my sump. I rely totally on live rock and sandbed, plus that cheato and rock/sand refugium in the sump. And a skimmer. I have a filter sock I use if something nasty has gotten loose, but ordinarily I use nothing at all. LPS does like slightly richer water than SPS, and so does soft coral.