are you using a mag for your return pump?

[commabc]

if so i was wondering if you use the filter pad that it comes with on it? if so how often do you clean it. i have been using mine and i have been wanting to take it off here recently to help the chances of my pods and other bugs in making the route from my fuge to the main. and it had quite a bit of junk in it, along with a few noticable bugs i was able to throw back in the tank. obciously i should have been cleaning it more often/weekly maybe. my main question is, do you think by having the filter sleeve on the pump it prevents a good amount of pods from entering into the display?

[surfnvb7]

i have been running a mag3 and mag5 the past 2 years or so. i noticed that when i used the sponge thing.....after a short while it built up enough junk in it that it would drastically cut down on the flow going through the pump.

since the pump is in an isolated chamber....without any chance of of snails or chaeto getting sucked up into it (crossing fingers).......i have been running without one for about a year w/ better results IMO.

[commabc]

how did i know you would be the first to reply :) thanks, thats good to know. aren't mag pumps pretty durable though, or are you you just saying that so you dont have to take it out to clean as often?

[xxtriggermanxx]

I have a mag 12 running mine and never had the sponge on it. I think your both right ,the pods will be screened out big time and they will clog in no time.

[cybrsufr]

I use a Mag 9.5 on my 90 Bow and have used it both ways. I first started off for the first 3 months of my tank with the sponge off. I started getting cheato escaping from my fuge and clogging the pump so I put the sponge on. It worked OK but cut the flow rate down drastically so after about another 3 months and several times of cleaning the thing out, I went back to no sponge and just made a dam out of rubble to block the cheato and its working like a champ. I would say it is better to leave them off unless you want to clean it about every 3-4 weeks and can afford about a 15% drop in flow with it on.


<b><font size="3"><font color="sienna">WreckDiver</font> </b>
<i><font size="1"><font color="teal">aka: CyBrSuFr</font> </font> </i> <br>
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[Charlie Davidson]

NO sponge here (on pump) :)

[commabc]

yeah thats what i figured. hopefully i can keep chaeto out, i get alot of small loose pieces falling off when i turn it. like you said cybersufr my baffles act like a dam with the rock rubble between them.