Filtration question

TxHarley · 12-22-2004, 07:20 PM

Hello everyone,

After reading a few of the posts on this site, I thought I should join as there seems to be ALLOT less flaming or bashing than on other unnamed sites.

I guess I should start with the setup. 135 FOWLR, approx. 80lbs rock and 90lbs of live sand or so. Wet/Dry w/ Kent Nautilus skimmer, emp 400 for movement and some mechanical, 18watt u.v. and one extra 802 pwr head for movement.

I am not new to saltwater, but I am fairly new to wet/dry filters. I have one now, with a Kent Nautilus skimmer in the sump area but it has developed a slow leak somewhere, and I am going to replace it. I am seeking advice for my selection. I have looked at several with built in skimmers, such as proclear, but don't know anything about their skimmers. Would I be better off just buying the wet dry and placing my Kent in the sump again, or trying one of these all in one filters? And finally, how much difference does it make if the skimmer is placed before or after the bioballs? Thanks in advance for any help. TxHarley

skennelly · 12-23-2004, 03:43 AM

TxHarley,
I have never used a wet dry with a skimmer built in, but from what I have read and seen from friends setups is that the protein skimmer that comes along with wet drys are usually not very good and don't perform very well. That being said I would say keep you existing protein skimmer if you are happy with it and find a new wet-dry sump.

skennelly · 12-23-2004, 03:47 AM

As far as you second question I believe, but could be wrong that it is better to have the protein skimmer as the first method of filteration. So before the bio balls

TxHarley · 12-23-2004, 04:16 AM

Thanks for the reply. I'm thinking that that is probably the best route as well. does anyone know where to find a wet dry that will allow you to attach the skimmer first? Most of them have the water intakes mounted directly over the bio ball chamber, so how would I get the water into the skimmer first? Thanks again.

Craig Manoukian · 12-23-2004, 05:10 AM

Welcome TxHarley! We need a picture of you and your bike in our members thread!

I am not a real fan of bioballs as they can become a nitrate trap. I prefer Live rock rubble in place of the bioballs. I have LR rubble in all of my HOB mechanical filters in my two tanks and the nitrates have been greatly reduced when I did away with the filter media, same principal as bio balls.

I just took some pieces of LR and made rubble with a hammer. HTH

PS:

If you haven't already done so, please edit your profile and put your pushpin in the Member Map, In, addition, you can add your tank/setup info to your signature at the same time. That would be most helpful.

OldandNew · 12-25-2004, 08:02 PM

TxHarley,

drsfostersmith.com has Proclear Aquatics W/D that comes with a skimmer prior to the Bio filtration box.

As for skimmers not working, I was around when they first came out and we drove them with air stones and air pumps. Worked fine. It could be that people are using skimmers in the back of their sumps and their bio area does an adequate job of conversion so that there is little left for the skimmer to work on. It will make the skimmer look like a poor performer. Also, since the bio did the job on all nitrogen based polutants, it will leave behind high levels of nitrates, which a skimmer is unable to remove from the system. Had it been placed before the bio, it would have removed the nitrogen as a protine and the bio would not leave it behinf as a nitrate because it wouldn't have been there to begin with as far as the Bio filter is concerned.

The best place for a skimmer is before any other filtration, except for the sponge filtration done in the overflow, but certainly before the biological.

Cheers,
Ray