Dirty wet/dry prefilter question...

m3ntal · 02/21/2006, 10:30 PM

I'm current curing rock in my main tank and the prefilter in my wet/dry is getting pretty brown and gross...

should i take it out and toss it? Replace with a new one? Go without one?

are there any beneficial bacteria growing on it?

Do i take out the bioballs and shoud i put anything back in its place?

PatMayo · 02/21/2006, 10:47 PM

Personally I would change the prefilter often. i would also take out the bioballs and put nothing in its place.

I have never curred rock in my main tank, but it just makes sense to me.

Hopefully someone else will chime in as well.

Regards,

Pat

artful-dodger · 02/21/2006, 10:53 PM

Depends on what the material is...if sponge, then just clean it. If a felt-like material then you can toss it or clean it and reuse (if you're cheap...)

I wouldn't go without the pre-filter, though. It's there for a reason...to keep the bio-balls or other media from getting clogged with that gunk.

There are some bacteria on all of the surfaces of your tank, filter and contents of both. I wouldn't be worried about killing the bacteria on the pre-filter, though. It should be a small part of the total mix.

To clean, you can just rinse and squeeze in running tap water or, better still, afterwards soak in a dilute bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water). Rinse again thoroughly and then let it dry completely. The chlorine from the bleach evaporates even faster than water. You should have a spare of whatever pre-filter media you have. If its a sponge, buy an extra one and switch back and forth.

(You really don't need to use the wet-dry during your initial rock curing though. A protein skimmer is the best help during this phase. The foamy, gunky mess you're probably experiencing will dissipate in a few weeks and then you can start building up bacteria on the bio-balls as well as the rock. And, of course, some will tell you not to use it at all...)

02/21/2006, 10:30 PM	#1
m3ntal Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 122	Dirty wet/dry prefilter question... I'm current curing rock in my main tank and the prefilter in my wet/dry is getting pretty brown and gross... should i take it out and toss it? Replace with a new one? Go without one? are there any beneficial bacteria growing on it? Do i take out the bioballs and shoud i put anything back in its place?

02/21/2006, 10:47 PM	#2
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	Personally I would change the prefilter often. i would also take out the bioballs and put nothing in its place. I have never curred rock in my main tank, but it just makes sense to me. Hopefully someone else will chime in as well. Regards, Pat __________________ 90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06) 120 Lbs. Liverock EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer 2 X 150 MH 2 X 96 watt PC Actinic 2 Clarki Clowns (31 months old) 1 Niger Trigger (Owned 6 months) 2 Tunze 6055 PH Current Tank Info: 90 AGA Megaflow To Be Mixed Reef

02/21/2006, 10:53 PM	#3
artful-dodger Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Highlands Ranch, Colorado Posts: 3,011	Depends on what the material is...if sponge, then just clean it. If a felt-like material then you can toss it or clean it and reuse (if you're cheap...) I wouldn't go without the pre-filter, though. It's there for a reason...to keep the bio-balls or other media from getting clogged with that gunk. There are some bacteria on all of the surfaces of your tank, filter and contents of both. I wouldn't be worried about killing the bacteria on the pre-filter, though. It should be a small part of the total mix. To clean, you can just rinse and squeeze in running tap water or, better still, afterwards soak in a dilute bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water). Rinse again thoroughly and then let it dry completely. The chlorine from the bleach evaporates even faster than water. You should have a spare of whatever pre-filter media you have. If its a sponge, buy an extra one and switch back and forth. (You really don't need to use the wet-dry during your initial rock curing though. A protein skimmer is the best help during this phase. The foamy, gunky mess you're probably experiencing will dissipate in a few weeks and then you can start building up bacteria on the bio-balls as well as the rock. And, of course, some will tell you not to use it at all...) __________________ "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." -- Thomas Jefferson Current Tank Info: 140g RR Oceanic "Ultimate" mixed reef, 37g softies, 40g RBTA tank, 65g FOWLR, 40g breeder frag, and (of course) a 29g QT! ...next up is a 240g! (Gotta go to K-Mart and buy a life...)