12g nano

[winkkle]

in my 12g nano i have matrix bio filter, sea gel and purigen. I was wondering how often should you replace the filter sponge? It seems like i am having a lot of pariculate floating around the aquarium. would a protein skimer help this?

 

[winkkle]

also would poly fiber be better than a replacement filter?

 

[jesspete]

Question is, you gonna get these polyps? lol

 

[dakota9]

I purchased a Seachem product called Clarify</em>, it really helps on the amount of debris in the water. Also, a small piece of filter cloth will help tremendously.

 

[winkkle]

I do want the polyps jess. Besides the meeting where can we meet?

 

[winkkle]

Ok i know this stuff isnt diatoms, it almost looks like all the fish poop and uneaten food is getting shredded in the filtration and spit back out. The water isnt really cloudy just a lot of stuff floating around. Also, there is a grayish almost dust like substance on the powerhead and bio balls. Any ideas on what to do?

 

[weaglereefer]

First, take the bio balls out and put some live rock rubble in there. If food is being shredded in the filtration and spit back out then it's not being filtered. As for the substance on the powerheads, how old is your tank? If it's relatively new and you used new sand without a good enough rinse, then it could be the dust settling.

 

[winkkle]

I have the thrid compartment filled with seachem matrix. The bio balls are kinda just there but i will remove them and add some more LR rubble to the mix. In the second compartment i have the purigen and sea gel bags. The tank has been established for sometime so it isnt the dust from the sand. Like i said the water is clear just a lot of stuff and bubbles floating around? Im gonna replace the filters today and add some poly fiber aswell as LR rubble to the mix. This has never been a problem and the only thing i can think of is that a peppermint shrimp got caught in the matrix and may have died about a week ago so maybe its his body decomposing?

 

[winkkle]

Also, any other tips for improving water flow and filtration as far as moding the compartments?

 

[ryanh487]

the sponge needs to be either rinsed weekly or replaced with filter floss that is replaced weekly, or even removed entirely. if you put food in your tank, you want it to FEED things, not hang out in your filter and decay. pull out the bioballs and don't replace them with anything, especially live rock rubble. media like that traps detritus which causes nitrate and phosphate buildup. if you have to have something in that chamber, peel off a portion of the black tape on the back of the tank over the middle chamber and attach a small light, then put some chaeto in the chamber and you will have a refugium.

 

[dakota9]

In my 14g nano, I have a removable slotted tray that covers the center chamber. I cut a small piece of 100 or 50 micron filter cloth to cover the bottom of the slotted tray. That takes care of most of the floating debris. The filter cloth has to be changed out nearly daily, but small price to pay for a pristine tank.
BTW, my first chamber houses the air-difusor driven skimmer (it does a marginal job at one half a collection cup a day of greenish /brownish water per day) the surge protector prob, the thermometer probe end and the heater. Under the slotted tray in the center chamber are bags of Matrix and Matrix Carbon, along with LR rubble. The last chamber houses nothing but the return pump and a small sponge. We'll see how well that serves me.....

 

[alpharetta]

Post some pictures would love to see it.