Battling detritus - canister filter on a 130D?

[reeferjoe]

Hi all -

Ok, I am having a serious detritus issue in my tank. I'm doing regular water changes. I'm changing my filters often. Blowing off my rocks. Not overfeeding. A full CUC. Everything that should be done to battle it.

So with a slight improvement, I'm still not quite where I want to be yet. Wondering - has anyone had any luck running a supplementary canister filter on their 130D? If so, what make & model did you use?

Would love to hear feedback on this. If not a canister filter, do you have any other suggestions? Open to anything at this point since it feels like I am fighting a losing battle.

Thanks!

 

[BigAl07]

Reefer Joe is your tank over loaded? With the stock RSM130D detritus usually isn't a big deal. With the sponges (and sometimes filer floss) you should be able to keep it under control. Do you have any additional powerheads in the tank? I added an MP10 to my RSM and WOW it really rocks. A big bonus to the MP10 is it has a "Nutrient Mode" (NTM ) that really shakes things up and gets all that detritus suspended so it can be removed with your filtration system. If you don't go the MP10 route I'd suggest you implement a daily (or more) regiment of using a turkey baster to blow off the rock to get as much suspended as possible. It may take a while but you should be able to get it resolved so long as you aren't over stocked or over feeding the tank.


In regards to "Canister Filter".... My vote is HECK no...
Good luck

 

[reeferjoe]

Hey Al -

Thanks for the reply. It's a fairly new tank. Been running since October. VERY low stocked - 1 Firefish Goby, 1 Algae Blenne, 2 Clowns, 2 Zoo's, 1 Duncan and then some various sponges and CUC.

The thing is, I assume it's partly because of my rock. I bought my entire rock & sand package from Tampa Bay Saltwater. If you're not familiar with them, it is all rock that has been aquacultured on a private plot of ocean in the Gulf of Mexico... So coming out of the water it is full of life and has tons of stuff in and on it. I swished it all around the best I could before putting it in the tank, but there was plenty of on it. Don't get me wrong, I love my rock, but I think it is part of the problem. Part of the package is real sand from the ocean as well, so I am sure there are particles coming from that, too.

I have a Koralia in there helping out, and also added the blue/white filter floss AND an additional type of nitrate-reducing filter pad, in addition to the black foam filter. I clean the filters out every two or three days.

I also replaced the carbon bag in the COD with a CPE/Purigen combo.

So I thought with all that and the regular water changes AND blowing rocks off, I'd gain the upper hand, but I just haven't yet. It's driving me crazy and I just want to get cleaner looking water.

Was thinking a canister filter (only used temporarily, until the water cleaned up) would help - even though I've read that they are horrible nitrate factories.

I'm eventually going to be getting a MP10, but that's a bit off. The detritus is already suspended in the water, that's what's driving me nuts - it almost looks like snowglobe in there at times. Very frustrating.

 

[Acanman]

So you see lots of detrius...what are you water parameters? Nitrates and phosphates? How many fish? Whats the feeding schedule and amount exactly? How ofter are the wAter changes and how much do you change? Describe protein skimmer performance?
Cannister filter is not your solution. One or more of the answers to my questions above is messing up your universe My friend.

 

[reeferjoe]

Nitrates measured near 0 at my LFS. Phosphates 8.0 - 8.1 (kinda low, I know). Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0. VERY low stocked - 1 Firefish Goby, 1 Algae Blenne, 2 Clowns, 2 Zoo's, 1 Duncan and then some various sponges and CUC. I feed 1 cube of frozen mysis thawed every evening. Every other night I also add a pinch of small pellets. Been changing 35%-ish (10-15 gallons) per week for the past 5 weeks. Skimmer working good (I think?) - foamy, pulling smelly brown-ish gunk out... My only complaint is at times it's a bit watery, but I've made adjustments to help with that.

Thanks for the advice on the canister filter. I needed to hear something like that! I was just hoping & thinking the water changes would help with getting the stuff out quicker.

 

[reeferjoe]

You can see from my last posted FTS what I am talking about... This is from 12/29.

 

[Acanman]

This photo looks fine. Parameter look fine. Phosphates need to be zero. Maybe you meant 0.8? Are there things dying? Or your just seing lots of junk in the water? Do u use filter floss? Are you using the black sponges and bioballs in the rear chambers?

 

[reeferjoe]

Sorry, I meant PH is at 8.0-8.1. I haven't tested for phosphates.

Nothing that I've put in the tank has died. I am seeing lots of junk, those white specks in the photo... Just lots of it - like a snowglobe at times.

See post #3 in this thread - answered all those questions - filter floss, black filter, etc. (Except - NOT using the bio balls)

 

[myrick]

are you sure it isn't micro bubbles?

 

[BigAl07]

If it's truly detritus it might be a flow problem... not the amount of flow but current/direction. I'm only guessing but it's possible the way you have your powerhead is hampering the over-all flow around your tank. If the water is being blocked/redirected by the powerhead it may be getting into your rear chambers (aka mechanical filtration) as well as it should. In my tanks I try to never have a powerhead very close to our pointing parrallel to an overflow. I too have a koralia on that same side but it's very low in the tank and pointing out/up from behind the rock.

Like I said it's just a guess but it's one worth looking into. I don't think you have a parameter problem which is a good thing.

 

[sheavens]

If it gets like a snowglobe, I'm guessing it's micro bubbles too. If you overload the mechanical filtration you don't get enough water through to the pumps. Try turning one pump off, and checking the tank 10 minutes later, if it's clear it's definitely micro bubbles. Then you'll just need to lower your mechanical filtration levels to sort it out.
I had exactly the same problem with my 130D.

 

[BigAl07]

If it gets like a snowglobe, I'm guessing it's micro bubbles too. If you overload the mechanical filtration you don't get enough water through to the pumps. Try turning one pump off, and checking the tank 10 minutes later, if it's clear it's definitely micro bubbles. Then you'll just need to lower your mechanical filtration levels to sort it out.
I had exactly the same problem with my 130D.

I agree it could indeed be miro-bubbles but I wasn't meaning to overload the filtration (restriction as in clogged sponge etc). I was talking about a powerhead aimed so that a minimal amount of "dirty" water is carried up into the overflow. It's merely a hunch and one that I've seen on my tank personally at one time.