can i use LR in my wet/dry filter?

[bigjoncoop]

hey fellaz

i had pot scrubbies in my wet dry and they were causing problems for me with nitrates. so i took them out.

i was wondering if i can use LR in my wet/dry in the trickle section. ive read that LR should be fully submerged. im assuming that for anaerobic bacteria. but for aerobic bacteria cant it just be trickled on? my wet/dry has good flow.

im asking because i want to take LR out of my newly cycled tank and use it as filter media in my wet/dry.

thx. ive been asking this ? in another forum with no solid answers.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Idk about trickle side, can you put it on the pump side were it will be submerged? You could put some on the trickle side also under the floss.

 

[Mebbid]

You can. It will host aerobic bacteria just like any other media. There are cheaper things to use for a trickle filter and more efficient uses for live rock rubble.

It really wont change your nitrate issue though. Try a filter sock or something of that nature.

 

[bigjoncoop]

thx guys for quick reply's.

mebbid: i know there are cheaper media but im trying not to spend more money at the moment. i have a 30gal tank with 50+ pounds of LR so i can steal a bunch from there and put it in my wet/dry. my tank has only been running for 7 weeks or so. So most of my LR doesnt really have any coraline alage etc... on it so its perfect to use. it was covered in coraline alage and was beautiful when i got it but the 4 weeks it took to cycle my tank pretty much "stripped" it clean. :-( + i have no LFS in my area so i had to order it from liveaquria.com so i'm sure i had a lot of die off even with the overnight shipping.

And ive fixed my nitrate problem. i was using pot scrubbies instead of bio-balls in my wet/dry and for some reason they were acting as a "nitrate f'actory" I just, took them out because not matter how big of a water change i would do they just just stayed where they were or got higher. they were around 30-40 and just the other day they got as high as almost 80!!! and it wasnt the water. i used water from different sources. as soon as i took them out and did a 50% water change there down to about 25 and holding steady even down to 20 now!!! those dam pot scrubbies!!! that what i get for trying to save a few bucks!!! they work well for some people though. huh?

there you go. that why i asked this question. lol

thx

 

[Mebbid]

Ahh I understand now. It will definitely work as a filter but it might still cause nitrate problems. Like I mentioned earlier, I think a filter sock would be a great addition to your setup

 

[bigjoncoop]

in the top section "mechanical" of my wet/dry where the water comes in, i have filter pads. thats why i dont understand how my pot scrubbies got full of nitrates.

so no matter what i put in my trickle section "biological" of my wet/dry, it has the potential to be a problem for nitrates? on my last tank i used bio-balls and they worked great. but ive read recently that they too are problems for nitrates. if thats the case i dont understand why wet/drys are still so popular. it seems like everyone been telling me that no matter what media i use, it has the potential to be a nitrate factory. but thats the whole point of a wet/dry to gow aerobic bacteria!!!

thx

 

[Mebbid]

Wet drys are absolutely amazing at growing aerobic bacteria since the media is exposed to soo much oxygen. However it has issues with anaerobic for that same reason. They are absolutely amazing for fresh water tanks but can be difficult for salt.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Don't overfeed and matinance,matinance, will solve your nitrate problem. Many people here use canister filters ( some say nitrate factories) and bio wheels they have success reef tanks. Keep it clean and find a spot for some macro algae and you will be fine. Purigen is a good nutrient absorb and leaves your water sparkling clean.

 

[Mebbid]

Don't overfeed and matinance,matinance, will solve your nitrate problem. Many people here use canister filters ( some say nitrate factories) and bio wheels they have success reef tanks. Keep it clean and find a spot for some macro algae and you will be fine. Purigen is a good nutrient absorb and leaves your water sparkling clean.

+1 on the macro algae. My 30g system is producing almost a pound of grape caulerpa a month and my nitrates haven't been detectable in 2 months. Then I go and sell my caulerpa to my LFS to help pay for my next coral frag

 

[Hesselrode]

+1 on the macro algae. My 30g system is producing almost a pound of grape caulerpa a month and my nitrates haven't been detectable in 2 months. Then I go and sell my caulerpa to my LFS to help pay for my next coral frag

What kind of light do you use to grow that caulerpa? I have cheato and its slowly disappearing. I use a plant light for my sump area.

 

[mr_X]

Some times this happens and I don't know why. I can't grow chaeto either, but any type of caulerpa does very well. It's not about what type of light or the amount of flow either. My algae started dying off when I started having a nutrient issue. Perhaps chaeto is not tolerant of very high nitrates and/or phosphates.

 

[Hesselrode]

Some times this happens and I don't know why. I can't grow chaeto either, but any type of caulerpa does very well. It's not about what type of light or the amount of flow either. My algae started dying off when I started having a nutrient issue. Perhaps chaeto is not tolerant of very high nitrates and/or phosphates.

My parameters are always ideal, I was thinking not enough nutrients.

 

[Hesselrode]

My parameters are always ideal, I was thinking not enough nutrients.

I don't even have algae issues at all.

 

[mr_X]

How often are you feeding?

 

[Hesselrode]

How often do I what?

 

[mr_X]

Feed the tank.

 

[Gregcoyote]

The N03 export using chaeto isn't very high. It works better for stabilization than as a N03 sponge in an established reef system. But it is easy to work with IMO. It doesn't need much light, but it likes aeration. Don't grow it in a ball, flatten it out like a steel wool pad and flip it over every few days.

 

[Mebbid]

What kind of light do you use to grow that caulerpa? I have cheato and its slowly disappearing. I use a plant light for my sump area.

I have 2 fairly powerful 6500k spiral CFL bulbs in clip on shop lights. I was having issues with caulerpa too until I increased the amount of light it was getting. I also leave my lights on 24/7 which seemed to help as well. With the lower light my caulerpa went sexual and my nitrates skyrocketed.

 

[mr_X]

As far as light is concerned, My algae is in the same rubbermaid bin as multiple corals. I am now using a TAO LED fixture over that tank, but I've used all sorts of light over refugiums with this dilemma, Including a 175 watt halide only inches from the surface.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I think most lights, other than incandescent, work fine. I prefer using a cheap compact fluorescent, but I would use several. Chaeto does like a lot of light to grow at peak efficiency. But it doesn't care much about the spectrum of the light.

Algae, like all plants benefit from having a rest cycle. So the 24/7 lighting might not be benefiting you the way you think it might.