Difference betwenn Bio Block and a Filter mat

[MoshJosh]

I just want to make sure I'm understanding. The system is currently up and running, macro algaes are growing, and you are struggling to keep nitrate and phosphate high enough for the algae?

If that is the case then adding a skimmer and biomedia is probably the opposite of what you are wanting.

If the system is working now I would just throw a frag rack in the sump and put your macros there.

 

[KilianSP]

I just want to make sure I'm understanding. The system is currently up and running, macro algaes are growing, and you are struggling to keep nitrate and phosphate high enough for the algae?

yes, system is running. macros are growing nice.

i don´t really have a struggle, i would rather dose no3 and po4, than have to reduce them, but less dosing is welcome of course.

The problem i have is, that nitrate starts to rise, but po4, iron micros i have to dose. i want to get the nitrates under my control before it gets out of hand. so was my idea, to not force the water anymore trough the mats, to get less dirt in them and so hopefully less nitrate.

it´s a little hard to explain in english for me, in german it makes quite sence for me

 

[KilianSP]

If that is the case then adding a skimmer and biomedia is probably the opposite of what you are wanting.

i got a bamboo shark, so i want to have my water clean as possible, but dirty enough to get a good algae grow.
so i am overkilling the filtration to get less nutrients, but enough so i don´t have to dose alot, and keep the parameters in a good range for both.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

yes, system is running. macros are growing nice.

i don´t really have a struggle, i would rather dose no3 and po4, than have to reduce them, but less dosing is welcome of course.

The problem i have is, that nitrate starts to rise, but po4, iron micros i have to dose. i want to get the nitrates under my control before it gets out of hand. so was my idea, to not force the water anymore trough the mats, to get less dirt in them and so hopefully less nitrate.

it´s a little hard to explain in english for me, in german it makes quite sence for me

If you're looking to Dirty up your water, leaving the mats in there and forcing water through them until packed, then allowing the water to divert around will do it. You'll be essentially creating a decaying mat of food and poo..

 

[MoshJosh]

It makes sense, sounds like you are trying to maintain a delicate balancing act. Keep the water as clean as possible while still allowing enough nutrients for algae, all while limiting need for hands on maintenance and dosing. . . Also looking to lower current nitrate levels while increasing phosphates. . .

that level of specificity is probably above my paygrade haha but it sounds like we are headed down the right track and hopefully other reefers can chime in.

 

[KilianSP]

It makes sense, sounds like you are trying to maintain a delicate balancing act. Keep the water as clean as possible while still allowing enough nutrients for algae, all while limiting need for hands on maintenance and dosing. . . Also looking to lower current nitrate levels while increasing phosphates. . .

correct, that sums it up i am mostly concerned, that if i am only running a skimmer and the rocks in the main tank, that i will get ammoina spikes after feeding, so thats why i tought so big, to get rid of the ammonia as fast as possible.
I am not putting a just few flakes in, my filtration needs to handle 100-150gr of shrimps and fish every second day.
i am not expirienced enough what you can do in a skimmer only system predator wise. so i looked at some bigger filtrations system for zoos, and there are filtermats used. don´t know if the throw them away every few months.

 

[Reef.]

Can you post exactly what you mean by filtermat, filtermat and filter roller are getting used interchangeably in this thread, I don’t think you are referring to a filter roll? Are you meaning a sponge placed in the tank that can that be a home for bacteria and detritus?

 

[KilianSP]

Can you post exactly what you mean by filtermat, filtermat and filter roller are getting used interchangeably in this thread, I don’t think you are referring to a filter roll? Are you meaning a sponge placed in the tank that can that be a home for bacteria and detritus?

Yes, i mean the blue sponges.

 

[Reef.]

Yes, i mean the blue sponges.

In that case, you can’t compare a bio block that is designed to home bacteria and attracts a little detritus to a sponge that is far less efficient at homing bacteria and is also used to collect detritus.