Are wet/dry filters good for freshwater aquariums?

Are wet/dry filters good for freshwater aquariums?

If you have a freshwater aquarium with live plants, a wet/dry filter will over-produce oxygen and push out the CO2 necessary for your plants to thrive. In a reef aquarium, the bio-balls will over-produce nitrates and can cause harm to your corals and other invertebrate animals.

How often should you rinse filter media?

every three to four weeks
Be sure to replace the filter media at least every three to four weeks and give the filter housing a quick rinse. If any algae or debris has accumulated in the intake tube, clean that as well.

Are sumps better than canister filters?

Saltwater tanks CAN be run with an external canister filter, but anything larger than a 100 litres may may require additional filtration capacity. Saltwater aquariums require good water flow as well as low nutrient levels, and for that reason sumps are generally regarded as superior in this application.

What are wet dry filters?

A wet/dry filter also referred to as a trickle filter or a bio-tower, is an anaerobic filtration method. For those of you that may not understand the term aerobic, it means occurring or living ONLY in the presence of oxygen. In other words, it can only work when oxygen is present.

How do you clean filter media without killing bacteria?

Remove the filter media and rinse them in old aquarium water or dechlorinated water to remove any accumulated waste. Coarse sponge pads are the dirtiest and can be vigorously wrung to clean it as much as possible.

Can you have too much filter media in a reef tank?

While you cant have too much surface area, you can take up more space than you need to. Too much rock in a dt, may detract from visual appeal or room for fish to swim. Taking up space in your sump for bio media may remove space for something you want down the road. Also may increase things to clean.

Is trickle filter good?

Trickle filters provide excellent biological filtration, but do not do much for mechanical or chemical filtration.

Do bio balls work submerged?

Bio balls can be submerged underwater! In fact, this is how most of you will use them – in your canister, HOB filter or sump. The only time you wouldn’t place bio balls underwater is if you are using them in a trickle-filter setup.

Should you wash filter media?

Yes, it is completely safe to clean your aquarium filter, if you do it the correct way. Filters are hubs for the beneficial bacteria that keep your aquarium healthy, so cleaning them the wrong way can remove this bacteria and do more harm than good.