Filter Media

[Stakins]

HI! I have a Nuvo 16 gallon with the 3 tier media basket for filtration. It came with the sponge, carbon sponge and phosphate floss filter. What are good alternatives to put in the basket instead of what was sent?

 

Thanks!!!

[Partially Submerged]

Mechanical, mechanical, and more mechanical. You have plenty of biological filtration in your tank (if you have enough LR, sand, etc.), and you rarely really need chemical filtration.

[farkwar]

Mechanical, mechanical, and more mechanical. You have plenty of biological filtration in your tank (if you have enough LR, sand, etc.), and you rarely really need chemical filtration.

I don't think that's true with coral.

 

They are giving off toxic chemicals all the time for turf warfare. You want those adsorbed and mitigated.

 

I would not even think of putting an anemone in a tank without GAC.

 

 

They dont even need to be touching. I recently noticed dead coralite tips on all the frags surounding a piece of montipora I have. About 3/4" away, and they were still affected and the tissue killed. With a GAC filter.

 

 

As a beginner, you would be well served with Boyds ChemiPure Elite in one of your little basket chambers.

[Partially Submerged]

Dunno, I've never had any warfare going on, at least none that anyone suffered from. I think carbon is useful to combat acute problems, but if I had a constant source of toxins in the tank that is so severe that it can't be managed by regular water changes, I'd probably rather deal with the source than using carbon all the time. Just one opinion of course.

[Islandoftiki]

Personally, I run the following in my tanks:

 

Washable filter pad

GAC

GFO

Purigen

Polybiomarine Poly Filter pad

[Stakins]

Partially Submerged - I think you are right except I was one of the idiots that couldn't wait and bought WAY too much for my nano tank. I am now trying to "fix" my problems without getting rid of livestock. Of course I have an algae problem with high phosphates. Got my phosphates down to 0 too fast and my hammer is barely open. Trying to balance my tank while I wait for it to age. I have 17 lbs of live rock and 20 lbs of sand. Hoping to get that balance through the filter media but what I have isn't working.

[Partially Submerged]

Well...umm....forget what I said and get activated carbon.

 

Also, consider some nice macroalgae to soak up some of the phosphates. Refugiums are great, but some species look great in the main tank, too (I like Halimada a lot, for example.)