Fluval

[edress714]

I'm thinking of just removing my fluval. My rocks and sand should be enough filtration right? So no fluval and no sump. My nitrates are high. Have been using Rodi water for awhile now and nitrates have only gone higher. Thoughts?

[Jason Rhoads]

 

We would need to know more about the setup. For starters, how long has it been operating? Do you have plans to incorporate a skimmer or other nutrient export mechanism?

[YHSublime]

We would need to know more about the setup. For starters, how long has it been operating? Do you have plans to incorporate a skimmer or other nutrient export mechanism?

+1

 

It's probably making some surface agitation as well. Remember, what goes in, should go out, be it mechanical or biological means.

 

 

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[edress714]

It has been running since August of 2014 I have the biochem balls inside of it with some filtration. I don't clean it every month so that's my problem but it's really difficult for me to clean it once a month.

[edress714]

I would love a sump but I'm really worried about putting a overflow box and then it's going to overflow one day.

 

I have a reef octopus skimmer and two decent powerheads on each side.

[edress714]

What would you recommend I do to decrease the nitrates and phosphate in my tank if I remove the Fluval filter. I appreciate the feedback

[YHSublime]

So you want to remove the filter so you don't have to do tank maintenance? The bio balls are just acting as additional surface area like your live rock. I would run some sort of combo of sponges and carbon and use it as a passive reactor. I don't know if that's helpful or not. Additionally, you could add a HOB refugium and grow some sort of macro like cheato you could harvest as an export.

 

I wouldn't run an external overflow, but that's just me. What's stopping you from drilling it and adding a sump?

 

 

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[edress714]

It's not the bio balls but the ones for the fluval itself. They're hard rock thingies. It's the pre filter media and bio max rings plus the Polish pads. I didn't think I could drill after setting it up. What if that cracks the tank? What's something like that cost? I want to get rid of the fluval cuz isn't it a nitrate factory?

[Apcoleman]

Have you tested the RODI water you are using? I had a similar problem when I was first getting going and it turned out the "clean water" i was using in my changes and top off was what was causing my problem. Just another thought

[Keraxis]

I would love a sump but I'm really worried about putting a overflow box and then it's going to overflow one day.

 

I have a reef octopus skimmer and two decent powerheads on each side.

CPR overflows have a prevention measure to stop this.  

Here is the video explaining how they stop a siphon break during a lose of power

[edress714]

Thanks for the video. Might invest in this. Until I figure this sump thing out and possibly start that this summer. Would it be better to remove the fluval or keep it?

[rtelles]

If you don't have a sump and you have mechanical filtration in the fluval, then it's really building up some nastiness in there. If you're not doing weekly maintenance on the fluval, at the least, I'd get rid of it. I was running an external canister filter for a while and the trade-off wasn't worth and I got a sump. Don't know the size of your system or what kind of bioload you have, so assuming it's overstocked like most of us, you'll want to do it gradually by removing the little bioball things over the course of a few weeks instead of just pulling the plug completely. You may want to throw on a hob filter for some mechanical filtration in the meantime. All that said, I had a 40b aio-type system for a while and didn't have a sump and didn't get the hype, until I got a sump, which was (and is) literally a cheap 20 gallon high aquarium with no baffles that I keep 70% filled. I would never have a system larger than 20g without one now, if only for the filter socks, ato, and a place to stash all of the other equipment, and it also comes in handy as a time out and/or space to get new fish acclimated after qt without the stress of going straight to the DT.

 

I used to be intimidated by the concept of a sump since there seem to be so many options, but it really could be as simple as an overflow, a cheap aquarium, filter sock holder, and return pump. Could throw in some rubble or bioball type filtration in there if you want, but it doesn't have to get crazy or too expensive. 

Edited March 28, 2016 by rtelles

[edress714]

Thanks for that input. I have a 75g. It's not the bio balls that I have. Those blue looking balls, that's not what I have. It's the fluval media, small rocks with holes in then. It's just so filthy inside

[fishgate]

Thanks for the video. Might invest in this. Until I figure this sump thing out and possibly start that this summer. Would it be better to remove the fluval or keep it?

 

A CPR is one choice but this is not needed to prevent flooding. A properly designed sump filtration system will never flood. Your tank should be able to hold anything that would be pumped up in the case of overflow failure and  your sump should be able to hold anything that would drain down in the event of pump failure. The Eshopps are better. They do not rely on a pump to start or maintain siphon. They also maintain siphon even if the return pump stops. They are very well designed.

 

I would remove the Fluval once you get your sump in favor of a filter sock. Canister filters are great for mechanical filtration but need to be cleaned weekly and not allowed to build up ditreus or have too much bacteria colonize in the filter. As you have seen, they create a nitrate factory. Meanwhile, clean the Fluval out weekly.

[tom39]

Is this what you are refering to? Fluval G-nodes, which is Fluval's biological filtration media?

 

http://www.fluval-g.com/mediaoptions_e.php#