Particulate in water - micron pads for wet/dry?

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amahler

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Apr 27, 2005
Messages
170
Location
Sweet Briar, Va
The last few days (after adding 45 pounds of live rock last week) have brought a pretty good load of floating particulate to my tank.

The water itself is quite clear - but the particulate is like a light sandstorm when you look closely. I think it's stuff coming off all the rock (which always looks like it has a dusty, almost cobwebby appearance to it right now).

The problem is that I've got no real means of filtering this kind of stuff. The water goes into the wet/dry which passes through a rectangular, relatively porous sponge as it hits the sump and the skimmer. On closer inspection, though, I can see the same sort of fine particles in the sump on their way back to the return pump.

Basically, I think I'm cycling the stuff and not really stopping it anywhere.

I did throw a mesh bag of activated carbon in a few days ago which is great for the clarity - but it has no impact on this kind of particulate.

I've read a good bit about micron filters and micron socks being placed in sumps, etc. I was hoping somebody might give me a more precise description of what kinds of filters they are using (examples or products I might seek at my LFS) and where they are being placed in the water flow.

Just sink it in the sump? Put it in front of the bulkhead/inlet for the return? Between the wet/dry and the sump where the sponge sits now?

The link below goes to a picture I took a week or so ago that happens to show my wet/dry arrangement. It might help in describing the placement.

http://sparhawk.sbc.edu/tank/new-rock/source/7.html

Thanks!
- Aaron
 
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