switching from canister to wet/dry filter

K

kevinepperson

Reefing newb
I started my 150 gallon saltwater tank a little over a year ago. It was originally a freshwater tank and came with two 304 Fluval filters. It proved to be a little too much for the fluvals and i had problems with ph and nitrates. I just set up a Sealife Pro series 300 wet/dry filter system. I have tons of questions. First, how long should i keep my Fluvals running before i can take them out and just run the wet/dry? How often do i need to clean the protein skimmer? How often do i need to clean the bio balls? Do i need to put any filter media in the top tray of the filter? How often should i clean the blue block filter at the bottom of the filter? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am kind of lost with this new filter system.
thanks, kevin
 
Back in the day when I had my wet dry I used a roll of filter media. Every once in a while I would take it out and wash it in some SW so as not to lose the nitrifying bacteria that is in it.
 
You will figure out all the skimmer and stuff like that as you go along, cleaning wise. About once every week I would think would be sufficient for cleaning the cup, depending on what you get... I'd say more like once a week clean the top, then once a month clean the body, if you can. I've heard the monthly cleaning and all that on forums and books i've seen, but honestly... I think i've cleaned my skimmer twice in 2 years and it still works. That's the body only, I clean the top and collection cup part once a week or so as it develops a bunch of gunk and stuff, then turn the skimmer down all the way so it doesnt overflow, and remove the cup and wash it out nice with tap water...
You could use some filter padding in the tray to remove some solids... it wouldn't hurt in my opinion and I would do it for sure... I'm using a filter sock right now, which does the same thing...
On the other side of that argument though, some people don't like filtering their water mechanically at all, and say that it stops the free flow of "pods" and other beneficial things in the water column.
Hope this helps a little bit!
 
You could just up and disconnect the canister right away I'd guess... But then you will lose any beneficial bacteria you have living inside of it... You could just run the wet/dry and leave the canister run inline for a while. Give it some time, maybe get some media in your new sump, like bio balls, or live rock rubble, that will replace the lost bacteria from the canister, then get rid of it...
 
Sorry, I'm answering each question a little bit at a time, then re-reading your post and deciphering what you should know!

Any of those filters in there, like the "blue block" filter, probably one that covers a return pump? That can be cleaned whenever it's dirty... Just look at it, if it's got crap on it, just rise it out with tap water, shake it, squeeze it, rub it, do whatever you gotta do to get all the junk out, and then replace.
Like the post before mine says, you could rinse it in extra salt water you have somewhere just for that, maybe in a bucket or somewhere, that way you don't kill all the little pods and beneficial things living in there!
 
When you say "fluvals" do you mean hang-on-back filters? If that's what they are, you could discontinue using them right away i'd say... They don't do a whole lot for saltwater IMO... Your sump will be great on it's own right away, especially once you get a skimmer going. I'd ditch any hang on back filters...
 
Alright, last one I think!
The bio balls are essentially fake live rock... Leave those in the dripping water so that the water has to flow through them, or you can put them anywhere where there is water and oxygen together...
You don't really need to wash those very much... I'd say you really don't want to wash them, because then you lose the bacteria on them, and therefore they don't work then. So I'd just leave those, if you have mechanical filter mesh or pads above those in the sump, they should remain free of debris anyway!
 
All you need is a good skimmer & plenty of live rock. combine that with weekly water changes and you;re set. I wouldn't use bio balls or filters
 
The only thing about dumpping the ball he's got in that wet/dry,its going to make it sound water fall in a flash flood.The balls will quietin the flow down.
Thats why I kept the bio-balls in mine.
 

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