HOB Marineland 350 with live rock rubble

[frankdontsurf]

I have the mentioned HOB on my 10 gallon standard bare bottom. I feel the polyfill I have which is replaced often is keeping a lot of pods and mico-food particles. It gets reddish brown every 72hrs-ish. I remove it for 48hrs when I feed the corals.

 

My fish poops too much, so I need something other than rock rubble in the hob..

 

Thoughts?

 

Also I removed my purigen in hopes it would bring my dKH down..

[Maniu]

What is your bio-load, livestock and feeding routine? Filtration should be able to handle amonia produced by your livestock. If it isn't adequate, then you gonna need to address that issue with more aggressive ways to match bio-load generated by your fish and excessive feeding (if that's the case). (Example) My filtration in 16IM is somewhat more aggressive (combination of gfo/LS/LR/skimmer + chemical) due to overstocking (XL Mantis shrimp + clown + cardinal fish). On the other hand, my 12" cube uses only Seachem Matrix bio rubble and mangrove + live sand for all natural filtration. However, the only livestock in that tank consists of 1 Hector goby and yumas + macros (cheap aqua duo waterfall filter). To sum things up, your filtration might be an issue that could lead to more serious problems down the road.

[RonSwanson]

What else do you have in this HOB?

[frankdontsurf]

What is your bio-load, livestock and feeding routine? Filtration should be able to handle amonia produced by your livestock. If it isn't adequate, then you gonna need to address that issue with more aggressive ways to match bio-load generated by your fish and excessive feeding (if that's the case). (Example) My filtration in 16IM is somewhat more aggressive (combination of gfo/LS/LR/skimmer + chemical) due to overstocking (XL Mantis shrimp + clown + cardinal fish). On the other hand, my 12" cube uses only Seachem Matrix bio rubble and mangrove + live sand for all natural filtration. However, the only livestock in that tank consists of 1 Hector goby and yumas + macros (cheap aqua duo waterfall filter). To sum things up, your filtration might be an issue that could lead to more serious problems down the road.

 

1x Maroon Clown (3")

1x Red Starfish (2")

2x Trochus

2x Nassarius

5x Florida Ceriths

 

5x NLS 1mm Pellets 2x a day

1/4 Tsp. Coral Frenzy twice a week (target feed corals)

1/4 Cube Mysis one a week (target feed corals)

 

What else do you have in this HOB?

 

It's somewhere around 8lbs of live rock rubble, pieces are 1-2". A ton of pods live in there as well.

[RonSwanson]

Think about alternative media, something more than rock rubble, not poly filter either. Ever used chemipure maybe?

[frankdontsurf]

Think about alternative media, something more than rock rubble, not poly filter either. Ever used chemipure maybe?

I was thinking of topping off the last 2" of space with Seachem Matrix. Its fine enough that packed in there should catch more solids..

 

Thoughts?

[Gilligan]

The liverock is as good or better then adding matrix.

 

I don't see what the issue is here, you don't want to replace the polyester stuffing as often?

Why are you removing it for 48 hours when feeding corals?

 

I have not held a NLS pellet in my hand, but 10 a day, plus the coral food seems like too much food to be adding to your tank.

If they are like other pellets, they are highly compressed and contain a lot of food when compared to flakes.

 

Turn off the pumps for a few minutes and feed the whole tank mysis. The corals will get what the fish doesn't, spot feed whatever/when necessary.

 

It's pretty tough for filter feeders not to be able to get a meal in only 10 gallons of water with all of that product.

The fish poop is supposed to be feeding your corals.

 

 

Think about alternative media, something more than rock rubble, not poly filter either. Ever used chemipure maybe?

 

 

 

Ever thrown money into the wind maybe?

[frankdontsurf]

The liverock is as good or better then adding matrix.

 

I don't see what the issue is here, you don't want to replace the polyester stuffing as often?

Why are you removing it for 48 hours when feeding corals?

 

I have not held a NLS pellet in my hand, but 10 a day, plus the coral food seems like too much food to be adding to your tank.

If they are like other pellets, they are highly compressed and contain a lot of food when compared to flakes.

 

Turn off the pumps for a few minutes and feed the whole tank mysis. The corals will get what the fish doesn't, spot feed whatever/when necessary.

 

It's pretty tough for filter feeders not to be able to get a meal in only 10 gallons of water with all of that product.

The fish poop is supposed to be feeding your corals.

 

 

 

 

 

Ever thrown money into the wind maybe?

I feel the turds swim through the live rock rubble in the HOB. I'm wondering if by using something smaller in diameter like matrix if I'd catch more particulates.

 

I change my poly whenever its dark but I remove it when feeding the corals so the tiny particles can flow through.

 

I'd like to skip out on the filter management process I'm doing now and have something natural but somewhat as effective as a filter sock or poly mesh.

[Subsea]

For effective nutrient export of fish poop, use fine mesh poly floss changed out every day.

 

If you wish to process fish poop naturally, you will need more volume, like an equal volume refugium, side by side on the same level.

Patrick

[frankdontsurf]

For effective nutrient export of fish poop, use fine mesh poly floss changed out every day.

 

If you wish to process fish poop naturally, you will need more volume, like an equal volume refugium, side by side on the same level.

Patrick

Thank you Patrick I was hoping you'd chime in.

 

How would the plumbing need to be setup for a side by side fuge like you mentioned?

[Subsea]

Use a bulkhead connector to equalize levels between tanks. One tank will have a submersible pump pumping to the other tank. It is important to place submersible pump close to surface. This is important in the event of a blockage at bulkhead connector. The tank with the pump should be sized accordingly that it cannot overflow the other tank. Assume both tanks have same footprint. Each inch has the same volumn between tank #1 & tank #2. Depending on pump size, assume total level differential is 2". Operate tank #1, 4" below rim of tank. Tank #2 with pump located 2" below operating water level. This water operating level above pump suction is the maximum level that would overflow into tank #1. Consider tank #2 the sump.

Patrick

[frankdontsurf]

Use a bulkhead connector to equalize levels between tanks. One tank will have a submersible pump pumping to the other tank. It is important to place submersible pump close to surface. This is important in the event of a blockage at bulkhead connector. The tank with the pump should be sized accordingly that it cannot overflow the other tank. Assume both tanks have same footprint. Each inch has the same volumn between tank #1 & tank #2. Depending on pump size, assume total level differential is 2". Operate tank #1, 4" below rim of tank. Tank #2 with pump located 2" below operating water level. This water operating level above pump suction is the maximum level that would overflow into tank #1. Consider tank #2 the sump.

Patrick

Thank you, makes sense.

 

One last question. Should I take the rubble out of the HOB and 'clean' the filter and crud that builds up at the bottom every couple of months? The process would be: do the water change dump the contents of the filter into the old water and place it in the sun for a couple of minutes so the pods and critters go seek refuge in the rubble then put the rubble back in the HOB and done.. Or is the gunk at the bottom of the hob good to have? I'd only do this every few months. Currently its been running for 9 months all I've done is rinse the impeller. No problem with nitrates or phosphates.

[Subsea]

I personally think that the crud Is food for somebody. Unless the crud impedes the flow, I would not clean impellar. If you can use filter floss at front of water going thru HOB, if your HOB allowed easy changeout of floss, your problem would go away.

Patrick