Re: Filter Cleaning Schedule - 04/29/07
I have a couple questions regarding your reply.
<<Ok>>
What is a fluidized-bed filter?
<<Here's a good explanation copied from the Net:  "Fluidized bed filter is a device that accomplishes biological filtration through growth of nitrifying bacteria on a mass of sand or tiny spheres of synthetic materials suspended in a current of water passing through it. Although similar in principle to other types of biological filtration systems, this method allows for maximum carrying capacity while minimizing the size of the filter itself."  
As explained, the media is in a "fluidized" state which prevents channeling/clogging...I also feel this type biological filter is capable of rapids "adjustments" allowing it to keep pace with shifting bio-loads>>
When I clean the filter pads do I just move them around in some water from a water change?
<<You can, though I feel this is not a very effective cleaning method...I prefer to do a better job at the sink under the tap>>
I'm afraid I will re-cycle my tank?
<<By cleaning your canister filter once a week?...no...not with the other biological filtration you stated you have on/in your system (live rock, live sand, Bio-Wheel)>>
Thanks,
Jared
<<Regards, EricR>>

R2: Filter Cleaning Schedule - 04/30/07
You said to clean my filter pad under the tap?
<<Is what I do, yes>>
Won't that get chlorine in my filter media?
<<Not in any quantity to be concerned with.  EricR>>

R3: Filter Cleaning Schedule - 04/30/07
Sorry I am wearing you guys out but what is the best fluidized-bed filter I can get for a decent price?
<<Mmm yes, well, they all seem rather pricey to me considering the simplicity of function...check out the Rainbow Lifeguard units.  Eric Russell>>

-Emperor Filter, Regular Maintenance-
Hi Crew, <Hello there, Kevin here tonight.> I have an Emperor 280 filter for a 30G tank <As do I on my quarantine; my favorite HOTB filter.>.  I have had my tank for 2 months and have not cleaned my filter via disassembling it. The only thing  I have done was change the carbon a few times and clean the filter cartridge (by rinsing it in some tank water). <Keeping in mind that the filter cartridge is filled with carbon, which will re-release goodies that it absorbed or that were present from the manufacturing process. Change the cartridge at least monthly as the manufacturer suggests, but keeping in mind that carbon's usable lifespan in an aquarium is only 3-4 days.>  As you may already know, the instructions  to the filter say that I should replace the filter cartridge if the "water level indicator window" is half full or higher-which mine is. <Water level indicator window? Sounds complicated, let common sense rule here. If the water level on the back side of the cartridge is reasonably higher than the water level on the aquarium side, then its all gummed up with bio-yums. No rocket science here, if you notice that it has a lot of gross on it, clean it off, more than likely it's been a month anyway and you simply toss it.> Should I replace  the filter cartridge? <Yep, every month if only to keep this old carbon rotating out.> At this point, I believe that the cartridge is an  established part of my bio filter (even though I have a bio wheel-which I  have never touched). <The bio-wheel is your bio-filter, toss the cartridge with a clean conscience since the bio-wheel is taking care of most of your nitrification.> Should I also disassemble my filter and give the  filter box, water intakes and spray bar a good cleaning? <As the theoretical ideal aquarist does, disassemble all pumps every month, cleaning out the impeller and the impeller chamber. Keeping the only moving part clean will add to the lifespan of your unit, keep it running cooler, and quieter.> Will this effect  my bio filtration?  How should I go about cleaning it? <No worries, simply keep the bio-wheel wet in tank water for the duration of the cleaning.> Thanks for you  badly needed advice.
<Enjoy -Kevin>  
Chris

Dilemmas... mainly marine filtration
Thanks for the help with the wrasse identification question. Unfortunately, with further web research I'm 99% sure the wrasses I inherited from my buddy is a cleaner wrasse of some sort.
<Yikes! Unfortunately, these fishes are still imported all too often...>
I don't want a fish that's gonna die literally any day. I'll do my best to keep it though.
<Well, yours might be the one in a million that can adapt to prepared foods; now that you have this guy, do your best to try as many different food items as you can...don't quit on him- you owe him the effort, okay?>
My question today is concerning my filtration set up. I have a Emperor carbon-based filter, 2 powerheads (301s, one on each side) 40 lbs or so of live rock,  and a 60 lbs crushed coral bed. The lady at the LFS store told me the other day that my carbon-based system can actually kill my fish by creating too many bubbles and eliminating many valuable aquarium minerals and such. Is this true or she trying to get me to spend even more money at her store? 
<This is one of those strange types of answers that you'll get from time to time. The real "downfall" to carbon-based filtration is that you need to change it often to maintain its efficiency. Mechanical filtration in general is maintenance-intensive; don't get lazy! Problems arise in these types of systems when maintenance is neglected- then they function as nutrient "traps"...a problem that can degrade water quality tremendously. As far as the "bubble" issue- that's likely to be caused by cavitation or other issues with the filter itself- not the carbon media.>
I do bi-weekly 10-15% water changes and change carbon every other month.
<Good- but in a mechanical-based system, or any system, for that matter- I'd use 2 small (5%) changes per week...they'll help prevent organics from ever having a chance to accumulate.>
Should I eliminate the carbon-based filter and just depend on my bio-filtration and powerheads? (tank 75 gallon saltwater, running about 3 months, snails, hermits, pep shrimp, 1 clown that has taken a home in or near the bubbles).
<Well, I'm a big fan of just utilizing simple biological means, such as a well-designed sump, and aggressive protein skimming...Easy and efficient!>
Would adding another powerhead help? she also mentioned maybe running the carbon once a month for about a week and repeat monthly. I'll eventually add a sump system, but it could be a while before I do so or maybe never.
<Well- something to consider for the future!>
Your opinion would help out a great deal. Thanks much
<Hope that this helps! Regards, Scott F>

Filtration problems?
Hi Bob,
I've been reading through this website for some time now and have learned a lot. Keep up the good work!
<Am trying to... thanks>
I have a couple of questions regarding filtration. My display tank is a 55 gal. with 50 lbs. live rock and crushed coral substrate. My livestock includes 2 anemones and 2 false Percula clownfish, some scarlet reef and left-handed hermits, 15 turbo snails and a peppermint shrimp. All water parameters are good. My setup includes an AquaC Remora Pro skimmer, an AquaClear300 filter, a QuickSand fluidized bed filter powered by a Hagen 301  powerhead and Quickfilter. I also have two Hagen 402 powerheads with Quickfilters for added circulation/aeration/filtration. Actually I am thinking about replacing the AquaClear with an Eheim 2028 canister filter so that I do not have so much hanging off of the back of the tank making it hard to clean (it's an in the wall tank and I can only get to it from the back). 
<A good choice, change.>
My first question is do I have adequate filtration, as I see a lot of detritus come up from the gravel when I vacuum it?
<Sounds fine... some detritus is to be expected.>
I just decided to set up a 10 gal. quarantine tank, so I took off the QuickSand fluidized bed filter to use the it for the q-tank (which is filled with 1/2 water from my main tank). But do you think that my 55 gal. will be alright without the QuickSand filter?
<Yes... of a certainty... once it's fully cycled, up and going, plenty of nitrification elsewhere.>
My other concern is when I briefly unplugged the QuickSand fluidized filter on the 55 gal. this morning and plugged it back in, a considerable amount of the silica from inside was released into the tank. I am now worried that this will cause problems in my tank, as I already have some brown algae (most of it is in inside of the QuickSand fluidized filter itself).
<No real worries here either... a short while, as in minutes? No problem>
I would appreciate any advice you could give regarding my filtration setup and whether the silica will be a problem (and if so, what do I do?).
<I would do nothing>
Thanks so much for your help and this wonderful forum!!
Laura
<Be chatting my friend. Bob Fenner>

Marine filtration
Hi Bob, Anthony or Steven,
<I guess that would make me tweedle-dee...or maybe tweedle-dum, hmmmm. At any rate, Anthony Calfo here>
How are you guys, I have to tell you I'm trying to decide whether to go for a plenum system of DSB, but for some reason DSB is always a HOT topic in the past two months!
<doesn't have to be...really a quite simple decision that some popular literature has muddied>
I already bought a new 180g replacing my older 180g due to my problem of a scratches and a small corner over flow my new one has a bigger one which is now at the center with a return concept inside the over flow that. The over flow has two 1.5 inches for bulkhead going in the tank and 2 1.5 going out to sump. Now my question is that my situation with a bad BGA problem
<nothing that good nutrient export processes cannot control. like a skimmer producing serious daily skimmate (4-8oz of very dark product) for two weeks or more>
1. clean and brush all the LR that contains BGA Total of 250LBS)
<I'd add a SECOND skimmer on staggered/alternate cleaning schedule from the first before I'd engage in that kind of labor. Just curiously...is your only/primary skimmer a Berlin/Red Sea?>
2. Should I keep the sugar size Live sand which is only 1.5inches that I have now or throw them out and start from new 6" deep,
< good grade if deep enough and your target is denitrification. Only keep it if it is relatively clean and free of excess detritus>
or keep them and place a new one on top,
<Aieeeee! positively horrifying...unless you really like nuisance algae>
or is it more advantageous to have no sand in the main system and place the DSB in the 55G sump with some macroalgae on a reverse photo period.
<really to difficult to answer without more info... what is the goal? Denitrification (DSB), ph stabilization (RDP refugia) or vegetable filtration (Caulerpa)? For the record... I feel that the Caulerpa is an easily neglected and potentially harmful idea for MOST reef systems... I prefer less noxious and more stable "plants" like seagrasses and calcareous alga>
is it bad not to have a sand at all in the main system, 
<it's not bad...but I like the advantage of reflected light off of a white substrate... it is a significant advantage among others>
the reason I ask is that for some reason I had the same
problem in my previous 100g the BGA started in the live sand the sand I'm using is from Carib sea sugar size aragonite, maybe it's the sand type or should I go with a different brand. 
<nope.. essentially all aragonite entering the aquarium trade is from ONE source...just re-bagged by different suppliers. Your problem was poor advice from go... The rule is 1/2" or less, or three inches or more for fine sand. Anything in between is a potential problem (which is where most critics of DSB have failed)>
To further understand with my current BGA problem I have about 4000 gal of circulation, but I feel not enough turn over rate due to the small corner over flow that is why I'm buying a new one, my current return pump is Cap 5000 rated (not sure), but thinking of
using an Iwaki RLT75 I think it's 1500g at 3ft (not sure). Now I'm just
using EV150, but thinking of conjunction of Euroreef since they are much
better according to other hobbyist. 
<Agreed! on the Euroreef but all brands of skimmer do need fine tuning first>
If old bulb is a suspect
<not at all... really just a nutrient problem that has accumulated... even slowly over time>
no problem I do keep track of my bulbs and replace my MH every 12 months
<probably a waste of money to change them so often... take the money you would spend on frequent MH bulb changes and invest in a Luxmeter that will indicate relative bulb intensity and imply useful life (color sway is uncommon with the "better" MH bulbs like Radium and Iwasaki. Let me know if you are using another brand.>
I know other hobbyist replace them 14-16 months, and I do replace my actinic power
compact every 6 months I guess that's pretty standard with actinic light right? 
<correct and necessary for invertebrates>
I'm running Ca reactor and only add Iodine for supplements because I'm afraid additives can make things worst with BGA.
<the iodine is not the root of your problem by any means, but agreed until your nutrient problem is corrected>
Feeding schedule is once a day 1 and half cubes frozen and mostly formula 2 and half of formula
1 and other days half of angel formula, brine and Mysis shrimp.
<are you thawing and draining the pack juice from these frozen foods? If not, it is accumulating as a nutrient daily...hello algae!>
Now there was a topic that frozen containing gel binder might promote BGA, 
<a weak excuse>
but others claim it is the only best food source esp. for tangs and angels, which contains sponges and vegetables. Light schedule is from 11:00am till 9:p.m. with actinics on before and after of 30 min. 
<sounds reasonable>
My macro algae are now all dead since BGA had taken over. 
<wow!>
If parameters is an issue with according to the recently bought Salifert test kits ph-8.2,
<too low if it is a daytime reading... high Redox and High (natural) pH have been shown to inhibit many nuisance alga. pH for day night should range about 8.6 by day and can drop to about 8.3 at night. If you have a pH dropping near or under 8.0 in the dead of night because you could only get it up to 8.2 during daylight... you have a pH problem>
alk-10dkh, ca-450, phos-0,nitrate-5. 
<excellent>
On top of this battle I do use both UV sterilizer and Ozone,
<do you have a Redox meter or controller for your ozone or is it a free for all (insert Ted Nugget music here)>
which I don't think really work unless it is a floating pathogen. Water changes practices- 15 gal every 2 weeks using a R/O with silicate filter system and filters are changes every 6 months. 
<a little light on the water changes especially if skimmer(s) aren't working insanely well>
R/O is also used for water make up for evaporation. 1/3 HP chiller is used to make the temp stable. My last question is that do you guys use filter floss or any material as a mechanical filtering device, 
<excellent if serviced near daily... but a disadvantage if extended service between cleanings>
the reason I ask is that some set up that I've seen they don't use mechanical filter at all,
<works with serious water movement and skimmers to export organic particulates before they degrade>
but I do I just want to make sure that it's practical and I do change them every week! and Carbon at one month and PolyFilter the following month. 
<smaller portions changed more frequently would do you better on the carbon... two months allows it to behave biologically and degrade organics>
I hope I did not give you guys too many things to read I just want to make sure I gave you enough Info to understand my situation and maybe have a possible solution and I do want to give a many many thanks for great work to help hobbyist like me in order to be successful and provide other newbies the same information so that they
will not waste their money for mistakes I had made, and I do want to express that Patience is  A VIRTUE!
<wise and agreed... thanks kindly, Anthony>