what you think about adding some LR rubble to a hot filter?

[Lunchbucket]

i just started my nano from my 55gal. i have some LR rubble (like 1" pieces) and have no use for them. don't want them cluttering up the tank. what about adding them to the media spot on a hot filter. i have a mini aquaclear it has a basket so they should fit ok.

figured that would be a good place to have LR as a filtering agent too. the more LR the better?

so add it or no?

later
Lunchbucket

[Jefe12234]

If you already have a sand bed and live rock, you should already have plenty of biological filtration. However, it might make a nice refuge for pods and other little critters to multiply away from your larger inhabitants. On the other hand, you might want to leave it open for the possible use of carbon or something. If it were me, I'd do the mini refugium thing, (if you don't already have one).

HTH


-Chris

[Lunchbucket]

i am using the sponge and carbon right now...just to clear the water since i just set it up. once i remove that...probably tomorrow, i might throw the rock in there. hope i have enough room for a tiny bag of carbon too!!

later
Lunchbucket

[ReefHawk]

I personally just enjoy the hobby and have tried lots of things folks dont usually do. Still I dont think the LR rubble would be that much help for the same reasons as jefe/Chris. I dod like to put in a phoshate sponge in such filters.

I plan to add some bio balls to a filter I am running on the nano. That is for the same basic idea as you had for the lr however so I guess its the same...LOL

One thing is Lunch it wouldnt be harmful unless it clogs the pump. The reef systems has always amazed me at its ability to ward off problems. I have seen fish added to a reef with ick and it cleared up on its own with nothing done at all medication-wise.

The reef is a great example of nature, (God's handywork to me)

[Lunchbucket]

yeah reefhawk God did some amazing stuff

i don't know i might try it...might not

later
Lunchbucket

[lakerfan]

I have been thinking about doing the same thing for my nano. I have a couple of spare aquaclear 150's and i wanted to use it as a refugium. I was planning to build a small hood on top of it and use either a 9 or 13 watt bulb for the macro algea that i want to put in it and i wanted to put in some live sand also.
If anyone has tried this, please let us know how it goes. It should be a fun project to do

[kennerd]

Hey, y'all: I don't think the LR would be a problem in t Hang-on, provided you don't impede flow. I threw all of the little chunks of LR I had in both tanks into my refugium. Isn't amazing, how much regard we give to even those small pebbles, considering they might hanve SOME life in them!!!!

As far as how beneficial those small rocks are going to be, keep your ratios in mind: a handfull of rubble the size of a coffe cup to a 10 gallon tank is like adding 3-4 rocks the size of grapefruit to a 55 gallon. Would you tell anyone that adding that much rock to a 55 gallon wouldn't help?

Do I think it would be beneficial, sure.

[nvillacci]

Im a great Penguin Mini-biowheel user proponent myself... I like the fact it creates current and surface agitation(ALWAYS A GOOD THING). Plus the biowheel is nice. I have one on my 10 gallon at home and my bowfront at work.. You know the funny thing? Whenever I replace teh filter cartridge its full of life. Mini bristlestars, copopods, bristle worms... So I always let teh old cartridge sit in my tank overnight so most of the bugs can get a chance to go into the aquarium before i trash the filter. So in essence isnt this like a mini refugium?

BTW when I set up my bowfront at work last weekend I took out the old filter in my 10 gallon and installed that in my bowfront. I figure it should give a good jumpstart on the microlife in the tank:)

Later,
Nick

[kennerd]

I do the same thing with the filter cartridge from my Eclipse tanks. Pods galore.

[Lunchbucket]

u guys actually use filter cartiges? thought media isn't a good thing w/ lr...oh yeah that is a HUGE debate. so what do you do and why?

i will add the rocks on sunday when i do my 1st water change!!!


thanks
Lunchbucket

[kennerd]

The filter media in an Eclipse is just an oblong "pencilbox" shaped frame, with a very thin blue filter pad, equivalent to the trickle filter ads, but ultra thin, and a little bit of carbon inside. Works on the trickle-through & out the bottom. Doesn't work like the submersed, hang-on filter media/frames. I DID take out the biowheel, though, and noticed a difference in stabilized nitrate levels within one or two water changes.


I've also got close to 20 lbs of LR in my 12 gallon, with a 2.5-3" sand bed.

[Agu]

I've do that using a spare aquaclear 500. The rock rubble is stored there to keep handy for propagating. There are several pods and mini feather dusters on the rock when I remove a piece, so I assume they're growing and reproducing in the aquaclear.

fwiw,
Agu

[Lunchbucket]

cool i will add it when i empty the water out of the tub this weekend

later
Lunchbucket

[Reef-lite]

I also add rock rubble to my aquaclear 200. I find that corraline grows like mad due to the high water flow and lower light levels.

[Lunchbucket]

well, adding that rock is a no go. i had it in a storage tub w/ a heater and circulation...but...umm...no light.. so i had some die off and some ammonia in there. i am gonna cure the rocks for a week or 2 then add them then.

later
Lunchbucket