Cali Kid Corals

Sediment removal

LeviT

LeviT

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Ok, here is my thought. Fish and inverts require food which leads to waste. While waste can be suspended in the water column it is bound to land and sit somewhere which is unsightly or may even decrease water quality. Assuming either of those is correct it would be ideal to remove the undesirable sediment right?

Here are some options:

Filter sock, they work but they are just a pain to clean

I've heard of people using disposable milk socks which sound appealing but it seems like you have to change them several times a week.

I saw one guy who had an extra tank before his sump and fuge that he would empty with each water change. This would be if there was room which I may be able to work into my stand..... I can't recall what he did to make the sediment collect in the tank though....

Foam/mesh in front of a baffle or drain would work .... like a filter sock it has to be cleaned but it sounds like less of a hassle to me.


What other options are there and what do you consider to be your ideal set up?

And No, I am not going fishless :)

Thanks in advance for your input!
 
Well, seems in the display tank we use currents, waves to keep the sedement suspended until it can be generally mechanically filtered. By way of the sock, sponge, etc. I don't know of any other ways to get it out. However I have learned a lot about filter socks over the last several years out of the same frustration of constantly changing and cleaning. I will no longer use a sock that is more than 100 microns. Anything more is too tight, and clogs way to fast. I am hoping to make the process even easier in my new tank by actually utilizing a proper sock hanger, as well as using larger socks (18-22" long) and spreading the workload over 3 of them. Im hoping to decrease the changing of the sock to once a week or less. I would also like to use the washer to clean the socks, but I fear the residual soap, or the bleach ending up in the tank. I know many people do it that way though without problems.

I like the question Levi, I'll be watching as well to see who has come up with a better way.
 
Mike, I've always preferred a shallow sand bed.... but BB does give stuff a place to sit until the next water change.... it's worth considering, thanks.

Kris, wow, i've never had to change a filter sock more than once a week.... but then again, my biggest display was only 46g. I'm hoping to get some good feed back and stuff I haven't considered.
 
Coral reefer said:
100 micron is pretty small. I always use 200
Click to expand...

200 or 250 for me *if* I use one.

Fwiw even 250 will remove most mysis and amphipods, as well as larger copepods. The longer it takes between cleanings, the longer the detritus has to break down. Wait long enough and the nutrients are in the system, not the detritus you collected.
 
My sock only needs to be cleaned approx every 2 weeks during the WC. Throw it it in the washer and it comes out like new. Never had an issue with soap/bleach but we use organic/bio-dregradable/no phosphate stuff. Not sure the micron size as it came with the tank...

-Gregory
 
Before getting a skimmer I was using a 200 micron 4 inch filter sock. I swapped them once or twice a week. I had 3 socks--one in the tank, one in a quart container with half a cup of Hydrogen Peroxide and the last was usually just clean, dry and waiting to be used.

The H2O2 did a great job with cleaning the bio material off of the sock. Removing the sock from the tank I would turn the sock inside out, rinse it in the sink as best I could, let it dry and then put it into the H2O2 container. Every day or so I would either shake the container or flip the sock. The sock removed from the H2O2 would be rinsed in RO, shaken dry and left to finish drying. They came out clean as a whistle.
 
GDawson said:
My sock only needs to be cleaned approx every 2 weeks during the WC. Throw it it in the washer and it comes out like new. Never had an issue with soap/bleach but we use organic/bio-dregradable/no phosphate stuff. Not sure the micron size as it came with the tank...

-Gregory
Click to expand...

Wish Cali would get with the PO4 detergent & dish soap ban like so many other states have enacted.
 
I run a mesh sock, but can't remember the micron size right now. It does a lot of trapping, and if I'm diligent on cleaning it it still appears pretty clean after a few days. To clean it I pull it out, turn it inside out, and wash it in the sink. Turn it back and ready to go. I couldn't imagine soaking it or otherwise washing a felt one (I assume felt) as that would take tooling long. Plus I already get in trouble for washing the tank towels with the kid's laundry!

I use the sock because it is not easy to clean out my sump which is just a drained down 55. I've got a powerhead in there, but it's just not enough to keep it in suspension. So it would, and does, collect. But better in the sock, although still difficult to access.

Next sump I'd definitely plan to employ socks (of course could choose not to install) and make it easy as possible to access them. If they were/are easy to access the whole cleaning process shouldn't take more than 60 seconds...
 
I like a settling area of the sump, or to run a sock or pleated cartridge filter when storming the tank - removing them within hours.
 
I like the settling area because I wouldn't have to clean a sock and I could just vacuum that area when I do water changes. But, I'm not sure how much space I could spare to do that or how much I would need. It would be great if I could just add an extra tank but I don't have that option. I have a 36x15x15 area I'm working with but I wanted a good amount of space for some sort of a fuge..... maybe I can make something work.
 
All this being said if I had the space and planned it differently I'd take advantage of a larger settling area with a drain on the bottom. Stir is up and throw the valve, gravity drains it out. Even attach a hose to the in-sump side so you can get to all the spots in the settling chamber. I say gravity since you wouldn't have to use a pump or vacuum to get the crap out.
 
Another option is to have a settling point in your plumbing itself.
Basically, a U shaped area in the overflow plumbing, with really large diameter pipe,
and then a Tee at the bottom of the U, with a drain pipe out.
The water slows down in that U shaped area, and crud settles out.
When you do water changes, you drain from the Tee at the bottom.

That U can be in the sump, or external.

But depending on noise/air reduction setups in your overflow, may not be workable.
 
ok, this is getting my wheels turning..... so i have to ask the question, what's going to make the water slow down for gunk to settle?

My tank is small so the gph should be low enough to make something work like Dave is describing and since I haven't sectioned off my sump/fuge yet I can make any changes needed. I can fit a small tank above my sump as a "settling tank" and have it flow into my sump but what do I need to do to help slow/calm the water flow down enough for this to work? Mayne a bubble trap would be enough? Maybe the standard 3 baffle types would do? With an overflow..... and a grain for easy cleaning during water changes...
 
Well, a filter sock would make the water slow down enough.
:p
Couldn't resist.

IMO: I don't think it takes that much for the bigger gunk. A few baffles, a big pipe.
One idea is to use plastic fabric mesh, like you use for needlepoint.
It would also act to grab really big things, like snails, etc.
And for the smaller gunk, you may want to let the skimmer deal with that anyway.
 
Gresham

So vote with your wallet and dont buy the stuff with the unwanted waste products.

You dont need a law....for everything.
 
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