WET/DRY filter

[dvddave]

i want to know more about this filter , how good it is and how does it work

I have a 55 gallon tank with a skimmer, and a penguin 330 carbon filter, In the black out i lost almost all my fish and somebody told me he had this filter and most fish lived.

any input is greatly apreciated

[Gauge]

Here is a thread you might want to look into concerning how a wet/dry works - Sump Question

I don't think that a wet/dry would fare any better in a blackout situation than a penguin. There are some things that might up your chances, though...

1) Small population of fish for the number of gallons of water in your tank
2) Lots of biological filtration in the tank ([acronym:29a04efebd="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:29a04efebd], [acronym:29a04efebd="Live sand"]LS[/acronym:29a04efebd], etc)
3) Filter in which the biomedia is submerged, such as a backpak filter. These filters would not dry out if the pumps were turned off, and thus the bacteria would have a longer life expectancy.
4) Of course, a shorter blackout time.

[Gauge]

Oh, and blackouts aside, I think a Penguin 330 is a bit inadequate for a 55 gallon tank. My friend used to have a 55 with an Emperor 400 on it, and he wasn't able to keep a very good population due to lack of filtration.

[sumphead]

I have a penguin 330 on a 20g fresh. I would ne uncomfortable with anything less.

[sumphead]

err. BE uncomfortable, BE I meant be. Hehehe, bah to my feable fingers and my lazy self for not using the spell check feature. Seriously though, I had two 330s on my 72 and felt it wasn't enough, so I moved it and now have a spare. I'd run them both on the 20 if there were more room on the back.

[dvddave]

yes i got over 60lbs of live rock and 20lbs of live sand

i just wanted to know if its essenicial to get a wet dry and get opinion

thx

[dvddave]

well i got a skimmer
the 330 is for extra

[dvddave]

thx for the input

but i have a skimmer and 60lbs of live rock and 20lbs of live sand
that provide filtration.

i just wanted to get personal opinions on wet/dry.

thanks for the replies

[loganj]

In the event of a power failure, the wet/dry won't make any difference at all. In fact, if the media dries out, it could contribute to the problem when the power comes back on. A [acronym:1eab6ae347="Hang On Back"]HOB[/acronym:1eab6ae347] filter is really not needed on a [acronym:1eab6ae347="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:1eab6ae347] tank that has an adequate amount of [acronym:1eab6ae347="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:1eab6ae347]. You could run it with no media for extra circulation and perhaps use it for [acronym:1eab6ae347="Activated Carbon"]AC[/acronym:1eab6ae347] once in a while. The bio wheels on the Penguin and the bio-media in the wet/dry will contribute to nitrate levels which you don't want. What I would suggest for your tank is more [acronym:1eab6ae347="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:1eab6ae347]. With 60lbs, you are at the lower end of the curve for an adequate amount of [acronym:1eab6ae347="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:1eab6ae347]...1 1/2-2lbs per gallon is recommended. The [acronym:1eab6ae347="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:1eab6ae347] will continue to filter even if the power is out. Another good investment might be a power inverter so you could run a couple of powerheads while the power is out. If not that, a battery air pump and an air stone would at least help keep [acronym:1eab6ae347="Oxygen"]O2[/acronym:1eab6ae347] levels up in the water. [acronym:1eab6ae347="Just My Humble Opinion"]JMHO[/acronym:1eab6ae347].
You might want to research [acronym:1eab6ae347="Deep Sand Bed"]DSB[/acronym:1eab6ae347]'s also. You'll find, by using the search feature, a lot of info about that on this site and links to other sources of info. Increasing your sand bed depth to about 4" can help control nitrates and allow for better biodiversity in the tank. Some swear by the [acronym:1eab6ae347="Deep Sand Bed"]DSB[/acronym:1eab6ae347] and some swear at them...something for you to consider anyway.