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i read in a book that wet dry filters are bad for saltwater tanks with coral. Is that true?

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pnh

Nope, not true at all. Quite the opposite- wet/dry sumps are great filters with multiple uses, from adding water volume; to providing space to hide equipment; to helping circulate the tank; and of course filtering the water. The one main drawback (besides the plumbing, which can be a pain) is that the filtration media can become clogged with detritus over time, resulting in tank pollution. Any other filter can experience the same problem, so it isn't unique to sumps. This can be easily remedied with regular clean-outs. A sump is probably the best filtration equipment you can buy, live rock excluded.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

As books said sumps, included in wet/dry filters, are good but sometimes the bioballs can help create waste by trapping detritus and breaking it down into nitrates. In a reef tank I'd tend to take the bioballs out and use liverock for biological filtration because they can actually reduce nitrates into nitrogen gas.

However, in a FO tank, it's hard to surpass wet/dry sump filters in terms of biofiltration.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Matt, do you think that i should take out my bioballs and replace it with LR? My nitrates were a little higher than i would have liked a while ago, do you think this is because of the bioball problem?

Nick
"Impossumable- unable to play dead"

Well if you feel that's the problem, then yes. But there's also many other places nitrates can come from - feeding a little too much, not enough water changes, something dieing off without taking it out of the tank, or not finding it or whatever the case may be. Because I personally wouldn't use them doesn't mean they can't be used with success. I wouldn't literally replace the bioballs with LR. I would just slowly remove the bioballs over a number of weeks, maybe buy some more LR for the display during the time(making sure it's cured in a bucket with filtration). Maybe use the extra space for macroalgae growth or a deep sand bed or something. Just my opinion after seeing the success of my system and seeing others do it this way before me. Something is working right, be it the large amount of live rock, nutrient export in macroalgae, and a deep sand bed in the fuge, or a decent skimmer, or all of the above. I don't feed a ton either, but I make sure everything is fed well without worrying about it, because I know the system is pretty stable after 8 or so months.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

that sounds like a good idea but id like to have somebody else back Matty (such as a moderator)before i go and spent my money on live rock and find that i made a mistake.

and matty do you have any pictures of your setup with the LR ? id like to see how you have it setup.

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pnh

Most of the people that haunt this forum will agree that live rock is very much the best filtration you can buy. It can eliminate ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate from a well-maintained aquarium, and comes with extra critters as a bonus. The biggest problem people have with live rock is the curing process, which can take a few weeks and results in rock die-off. This fouls up the holding tank, so curing new rock is best done in a seperate bin, or when a tank has no live organisms.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

*shakes fish at fishkid*

You'd think I hadn't answered him truthfully up to this point.

I have my whole setup documented here.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Hmm, i have over 200 pounds of LR in my tank already, i think i have plenty of LR filtration. Lately i have been noticing large buildups on the bottom of my wet dry, which i've had to syphen out. Im questioning buying more LR to replace the Bioballs, which might just end up being a cleaner solution.

Nick
"Impossumable- unable to play dead"

In my sump i have bioballs in the baffles, so it makes a small wet and dry on its way the refuge. tank is only running with water and its sand bed so far but i let you know how it goes

matty i knew that you were telling to truth (about the live rock) but i wanted to see if other people would agree with your idea. I think its a great idea and i may go get some LR soon. sorry if i hurt your feelings lol.

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pnh

Nah I understand that second opinions are important. I don't like to go on one person's opinions either. If you had stopped in last night before the crash DRO and a couple others chimed in as well.

No hurt feelings, I was just messing around.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

You can always send the water thru a spray bar to a pad for mechanical removal of a lot of detitrus before it hits the bio balls, this helps distribute the water and stops that buildup and all you have to do is change that pad.

mys not a spray bar and i dont have the taime to set one up

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pnh