• Folks, if you've recently upgraded or renewed your annual club membership but it's still not active, please reach out to the BOD or a moderator. The PayPal system has a slight bug which it doesn't allow it to activate the account on it's own.

Thought & opinions please, re: filtering

Mark_C

Mark_C

Staff member
Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
Moderator
So I have a 30g IM nuvo, dual overflows. Behind each overflow is a media basket with floss.
SPS dominant, lots of fish (9 tangs or something like that).
Both overflows catch a decent amount of detritus and floss is changed every 3-4 days when mildly browned.
I have a Tunze 9004 which will fit in place of one of the media baskets (and only in place of one of the media baskets).

An option is to buy a Tunze 9001 and fit it in a different chamber, but I have a 9004 on hand.
If anyone has a 9001 for sale or for equal trade for a 9004 let me know.

So, back to the main Q:
Is it better to have one media basket with floss and a protein skimmer
or
Is it better to maintain two media baskets with floss?

Thoughts?
 
Jamie S

Jamie S

NJRC Member
Mark_C said:
So I have a 30g IM nuvo, dual overflows. Behind each overflow is a media basket with floss.
SPS dominant, lots of fish (9 tangs or something like that).
Both overflows catch a decent amount of detritus and floss is changed every 3-4 days when mildly browned.
I have a Tunze 9004 which will fit in place of one of the media baskets (and only in place of one of the media baskets).

An option is to buy a Tunze 9001 and fit it in a different chamber, but I have a 9004 on hand.
If anyone has a 9001 for sale or for equal trade for a 9004 let me know.

So, back to the main Q:
Is it better to have one media basket with floss and a protein skimmer
or
Is it better to maintain two media baskets with floss?

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Following as an I’m having a terrible time with micro bubbles from my skimmer and would love to ditch it if I could.
 
Sponge

Sponge

I’d never say no to a protein skimmer. I am aware that there are people who run tanks without them. But using my tank as an example. All water that goes into my protein skimmer. Must pass thru floss. There is no option its how i set it up. And I change my floss. Almost every day. But surly every other day. And my skimmer still pulls out some pretty terrible stuff. I absolutely wouldn’t want anyone to dump what comes out of my skimmer into a tank. But the way I see it. If I’m not skimming it. Than it’s still in there. Floss is great and it gets dirty as well. But it does not catch the super tiny stuff the skimmer gets. Plus. Whatever the skimmer pulls. It literally takes it out and dumps it in its cup. If you don’t take out the floss for a few days than the particles will have A chance to start rotting and that rot is getting into your water. Skim skim skim.
 
jgraz

jgraz

In my 20 I use both baskets with floss on the top.
In one i have the bottom and middle filled with marine pure pearls. In the other i have chemipure blue nano in the middle and purigen in the bottom.

No skimmer, no reactors. 5 g WC per week.
No issues......yet
 
Sponge

Sponge

Jgraz You surely know better than I do. But I am curious . What are the chemical bags for. Or should I say what is there purpose.
 
Jamie S

Jamie S

NJRC Member
I know that this has been brought up in other posts but what is the general consensus of swapping out a protein skimmer for an algae scrubber to use in conjunction with the floss and chemical bags?
 
Sponge

Sponge

Jamie S said:
I know that this has been brought up in other posts but what is the general consensus of swapping out a protein skimmer for an algae scrubber to use in conjunction with the floss and chemical bags?
Click to expand...
Well they do similar things. But not the exact thing. In an ideal world both the skimmer and the scrubber would be utilized. While the scrubber removes nutrients. The skimmer removes particles, hopefully before they become nutrients. Is really more of a space/preference thing. Personally I prefer the skimmer because it also helps to remove chemicals released by war-faring corals. But again. I also use a refugium. And have nothing against a scrubber. It’s all about ease of use and maintenance. If you don’t clean the skimmer. Or scrub the algae it’s all mute.
 
jgraz

jgraz

Sponge said:
Jgraz You surely know better than I do. But I am curious . What are the chemical bags for. Or should I say what is there purpose.
Click to expand...
Chemical bags?
Do you mean chemipure blue?
If do it is carbon and purigen in a bag. Tge nano version is pretty much tailor made for the nuvo media baskets.
 
Mark_C

Mark_C

Staff member
Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
Moderator
Sponge, yeah, the purigen is an upscale phosphate remover. The Chempure is just a mix of carbon, gfo, and a resin with an extended in tank life of 3-4 months.

Now, back to opinions on 2 baskets or basket and skimmer :)
 
Jamie S

Jamie S

NJRC Member
Mark_C said:
Sponge, yeah, the purigen is an upscale phosphate remover. The Chempure is just a mix of carbon, gfo, and a resin with an extended in tank life of 3-4 months.

Now, back to opinions on 2 baskets or basket and skimmer :)
Click to expand...
What would you put in the second basket?
 
M

Miketc17

As you know, I recently purchased the IM Lagoon 50. I plan on running one media basket and the 9004 in the other big chamber. I've been reading a lot of bad reviews about the 9001, so I'm trying to say away from that model. The 9004 seems like the way to go.
 
Mark_C

Mark_C

Staff member
Officer Emeritus
NJRC Member
Moderator
OK, went with the Tunze.
image.jpg
Far chamber to near:
Tunze 9004
Marine Pure bio-media
Return pump, ATO, 2 heaters & fan (connected to controller
Intake to hob fuge (contains more Marine Pure and cheato, returns to middle chamber)
Overflow with floss and media (Those 'cottonballs are the new IM media, will go back to plain old floss when I run out of them)
With this much going on may have to cut back my water changes a bit.
Will see how it goes numberwise compared to the 2 basket option and report back if anyone interested.
 
Last edited:
M

Miketc17

Mark_C said:
OK, went with the Tunze.
View attachment 31141
Far chamber to near:
Tunze 9004
Marine Pure bio-media
Return pump, ATO, 2 heaters & fan (connected to controller
Intake to hob fuge (contains more Marine Pure and cheato, returns to middle chamber)
Overflow with floss and media (Those 'cottonballs are the new IM media, will go back to plain old floss when I run out of them)
With this much going on may have to cut back my water changes a bit.
Will see how it goes numberwise compared to the 2 basket option and report back if anyone interested.
Click to expand...

Looks sweet! Please keep us updated!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top