filtration

amiricle · #1 11/11/2006, 11:10 AM

Hello, I have a 29 gallon with an aquaclear 50 and no live rock.

I waned to know if it is better to run the aquaclear inserts for filtration, or should i do the fuge conversion with cheato inside? Which one would be better for water quality? Thank you.

fish lad · #2 11/11/2006, 12:12 PM

get some live rock ruble in it

amiricle · #3 11/11/2006, 12:59 PM

in the filter? so take out the aquaclear inserts?

LRS078 · #4 11/12/2006, 02:25 AM

How about "both of the above" a fuge never hurts if you set it up properly but can take some time to mature. The inserts are a good short term solution. The fuge will be your best longterm option.

Hope this helps....

dendro982 · #5 11/12/2006, 07:24 AM

In my experience with aggressive and messy fish, if you can't get 1-1.5 Lb/gal live rock, canister filter (Fluval 404 for my lion, tassle file, valentini puffer and clown) filled with bio-media (like LR rubble, ceramic cylinders, Matrix bio-media) will help. I have 1.2 Lb/gal LR in addition to this.

Or, if you have sump/refugium, this media can be placed into high flow area, after mechanical filtration. It's surface for bacteria, processing waste to nitrates, to live. More bioload - food, fish, waste - more biomedia.

Chaeto will process nitrates, this is the next step.

amiricle · #6 11/12/2006, 11:45 AM

so what do u guys recomend i do with my aquaclear? I cant have sump because of space and money issues.

dendro982 · #7 11/12/2006, 11:04 PM

Quote:

I have a 29 gallon with an aquaclear 50 and no live rock.

I waned to know if it is better to run the aquaclear inserts for filtration, or should i do the fuge conversion with cheato inside? Which one would be better for water quality?

Inserts for filtration.

Pardon my invasion in your plans, but consider this:

anything alive that you place in 29g tank, need to be fed and it will produce waste. You have an option to make a bare bottom tank and remove everything manually immediately. Tried, impossible. Something will be left anyway. This will be processed by bacteria to ammonia, then nitrite, then nitrates. Bacteria require place to live, and a sponge in AquaClear 50 most likely will be not enough.

Reason for this assumption: was there, did that. Below the extreme case: 20g extra-high tank with high bioload and some LR (surface for bacteria to colonize), AquaClear50 filter with foam and everything else, plus Quick Filter attachment for removing particles up to 1 micron and a weak, but skimmer. Not enough. Constant ammonia and nitrites (and nitrates too).

Here is the other thing that you asked about: AquaClear50 with chaeto (the lamp was moved away to show chaeto).

It will process nitrates. This was enough for medium bioload reef in 10g tank, for comparison - in the tank above were 2 soap holders with suction caps, filled with chaeto (volume, similar to AC50, only bioload is high), in area of high flow. Not enough for 20g XH, high nitrates were present.

Possible relatively inexpensive solutions (it's up to you, just show you some options):

1. Cheapest replacement for LR, that I could find, was Matrix bio-media by Seachem (Matrix Pond will be better, larger pieces). 1L bottle costs ~$10 and it should be enough for bacteria for your tank.
Gray stones are the Matrix, quantity should be more. And placed they need to be after mechanical filtration, or the pores will be clogged.

2. While unaesthetic, this sump is simplest and cheapest: 3L food container from a dollar store, pump, tubing, some filtration material.
Not a my idea, original link is here.

3. If you have access to a dark Plexiglas, you can make in-tank sump with media, pump and filtration (in the back corner). Nano-Cube has all the back of the tank as the chambers, housing pump, heater, mechanical, chemical and biological media, leaving uncluttered display.

4. Aragocrete is a long story, but it looks like LR.

It's all. Best of luck with your project!

amiricle · #8 11/14/2006, 01:11 PM

dendro982, thanks so much for your help!