MACNA Question

[Packman@90]

Hi Anyone know what the name of the Vendor that was selling the blocks of material that they had in a sump under their skimmer. you had to buy it from Pop Coral, I am trying to find the name so I can see if I can buy one as they where out when I went to Pop Coral, and I lost the name of the product.

 

thanks

[WilRams]

MarinePure

[AlanM]

Yep.

 

http://www.cermedia.com/

[AlanM]

I think monkiboy was using it in his build.  Might ask him for personal impressions.

[matt]

I believe they told me that one of the largest blocks (priced at $50 at MACNA) was the equivalent of what you would need for a 100g tank...if you didn't have any live rock. The bigger block is best (in their opinion) if you also want anaerobic bacteria, as the flow will be slower in the middle. For straight up ammonia/nitrite -> nitrate conversion they also have a freshwater pond product (smaller cubes) where water flow is better enabled and apparently they price that cheaper than the balls and plates they sell to marine aquarists.

 

It's definitely an interested product. Maybe monkiboy will chime in...I think I remember him using it too. I would also like to hear from someone who has some real experience with it over a decent period of time. I'm wondering if remains just as effective over its life as when it's new and relatively clean. I had a freshwater canister years ago and media was a pain to clean as I was always afraid I'd kill off too many bacteria if I did too much to it.

Edited September 8, 2015 by matt

[AlanM]

I know every surface of my sump and tank is covered with some kind of life.  little tubeworms, spirobid worms, random slimy sponge gunk, coralline algae where the light shows, etc.  Hard to see how that media wouldn't get so fouled that nothing would flow through it, but maybe not.

[Coral Hind]

I had the large blocks of it and it all eventually turned to a fine sand. My sump has strong flow and the turbulence just wore it away. After a year the squares were round balls. Just saying if you use it, don't keep it in really strong flow areas.

[Bruleyii]

That caught my attention there too.

[miggs76]

I have the big block in my sump for a 60 gallon cube. It works. i have only 10 pounds of live rock in the display and my nitrates are undetectable. I currently have 8 fish in the tank.

[smallreef]

I know every surface of my sump and tank is covered with some kind of life. little tubeworms, spirobid worms, random slimy sponge gunk, coralline algae where the light shows, etc. Hard to see how that media wouldn't get so fouled that nothing would flow through it, but maybe not.

They recommend that you use it in a sump that uses a filter sock, so that most of the detritus and such is caught...

Edited September 9, 2015 by smallreef

[treesprite]

I think it's kind of like a DSB without having to deal with loose sand.

[GOSKN5]

I have heard you can just give it a good rinse to clear the detrius etc...

[monkiboy]

I've had great performance with it and minimal scapes on the builds we have used it. it is much nicer than using live rock in sumps. as for surface area and how it relates to rock I'm trusting the work BRS did on their analysis.

 

what dave said about the product breaking down over time in very high flow or turbulent areas is my experience as well. had a client put them in their bubble tower box and the marine pure balls turned to sand and in their filter socks within a few months. they are best used outside of very high flow or less turbulent areas. I use them in almost all the builds I have going on and the spheres are great for qt as you only need one or two for a 20g in my experience with diligent feeding and cleaning no water changes needed with a properly seeded marine pure spheres.

 

feel free to PM if you have any specific questions or would like some blocks or spheres to try out.

[Packman@90]

thank you all for the information and the product link, I really wanted one but they where out by the time I found out about it.