Filter conversion?

[ReefNOOB21]

Ok.. So i keep getting told that my penguin 200 mechanical filtration system is pretty much garbage for the saltwater tank. i did a little reserach and maybe found that i can maybe turn this into a sump or refugium? can someone enlighten me more on this idea? my idea was to take out the filter part and throw in some bio balls in that back portion of the thing and where the biological wheel is maybe do something wtih that or just leave the wheel where it is since it has some bacteria in it? what do you guys think

 

[little_fish]

I would remove all the guts and put rubble rock in there and some marco algae if you can get some sort of light over it

 

[leon1972]

That's what I did. Except I did mine bare bottom

 

[ReefNOOB21]

Would this trap anything like the filter part would? im still tryign to figure out how to do it.. like what compartments to put what etc or if i should layer etc

 

[ReefNOOB21]

leon can you explain how you did all this.. kinda like a play by play haha

 

[leon1972]

Well mine was a simple filter box. It has a tray underneath the lid where a fluvial pad goes and a sponge that blocks the return section. All I did was pull the sponges use a clip on light and toss in a ball of chaeto. I think mine was custom made cheaply, though I don't know for certain as I bought everything from a guy on Craigslist. I hope that helps, though I'm not sure if it will.

I have heard I'd people putting in rubble rock in one or two sections and chaeto in another.

 

[Dana42078]

If anyone could agrue that a SW tank cant be run on a bio wheel I would be the one......i really dont feel like typeing ATM lol....if you find my 46g bowfront build just start at page one and go through the thread for an hour or so.....just saying my two cents....and i still run two tanks on them.....BUT i change my filters ALLLLLLL the time and do REGULAR SCHEDULED water changes.

 

[ReefNOOB21]

ahhh youre making my decision even tougher haha. i just hear so many different things.

 

[Dana42078]

Yup. As did I. I might have been "lucky" I think with 40g give or take a bio wheel and good reg water changes can do alright for zoas and softies. Good light, good flow, lots of live rock and keep that filter changed on a constant basis u should be alright. That's from my experience......

 

[Dana42078]

The thing is that it can get costly. I hate buying these replacement filters. As I run more than one tank with them it gets higher..... Yes down the line your gunna upgrade as I did but for now don't let anyone tell you no.....because I know you can. :)

 

[sen5241b]

Had a 20 G long full of green water. Installed a hang on back filter with carbon with a capacity of 30G. Green gone 2 days later. Mechanical filtration can help.