Is my Filtration Plan Adequate?

[Jib]

I recently set up an Innovative Marine 14G and am running the stock filtration set up. Which includes a 3 tier media basket. Top Tier is fiber cotton balls for mechanical. Second tier is carbon. Third tier is GFO.

I'd like to run more biological filtration so thinking of switching over to:

Top Tier: Filter Floss


Second Tier: Chemi Pure Elite


Third Tier: Marine Pure Gems

MarinePure GEMs

MarinePure GEMs ceramic biofilter media provide far more usable surface area for nitrifying/denitrifying bacteria than conventional products such as plastic bioballs. They additionally create a cozy microhabitat for tiny animals such as copepods. Due to their 3/4" diameter, MarinePure GEMs fit...

www.algaebarn.com

Does this look like a good filtration plan?

 

[ScubaFish802]

I recently set up an Innovative Marine 14G and am running the stock filtration set up. Which includes a 3 tier media basket. Top Tier is fiber cotton balls for mechanical. Second tier is carbon. Third tier is GFO.

I'd like to run more biological filtration so thinking of switching over to:

Top Tier: Filter Floss


Second Tier: Chemi Pure Elite


Third Tier: Marine Pure Gems

MarinePure GEMs

MarinePure GEMs ceramic biofilter media provide far more usable surface area for nitrifying/denitrifying bacteria than conventional products such as plastic bioballs. They additionally create a cozy microhabitat for tiny animals such as copepods. Due to their 3/4" diameter, MarinePure GEMs fit...

www.algaebarn.com

Does this look like a good filtration plan?

I too put chemipure elite in early on and found that it stripped my tank of all phos and nitrates completely. I ended up taking it out way early and putting in a smaller "regular" chemipure bag. In these tanks most of your filtration happens in the live rock from what I understand. Also check out inTank Aquatics media baskets. From a quick search it looks like they make stuff for your tank brand as well . . https://intankaquatics.com/shop-by-tank/innovative-marine/fusion-peninsula-14/
You can also get the filter floss you pictured straight from them at the same time

 

[Jib]

I too put chemipure elite in early on and found that it stripped my tank of all phos and nitrates completely. I ended up taking it out way early and putting in a smaller "regular" chemipure bag. In these tanks most of your filtration happens in the live rock from what I understand. Also check out inTank Aquatics media baskets. From a quick search it looks like they make stuff for your tank brand as well . . https://intankaquatics.com/shop-by-tank/innovative-marine/fusion-peninsula-14/
You can also get the filter floss you pictured straight from them at the same time

Thank you for the thoughts. This might be a dumb quesiton (I'm still learning), but don't I want to strip out phosphate and Nitrate? Those media baskets look indentical to the one that come with my tank. I like it since it fits perfectly in the back.

 

[DC Reefer]

I would go w/ carbon rather than the Chem Pure unless you have a specific problem you are trying to solve. You want some level of nitrate and phosphate in your tank. I try to keep Nitrate between .5 and 3ppm and phosphate between .03 and .07ppm in my SPS tank. If the levels are a little higher than this and you don't have algae issues and your corals are doing well, I wouldn't try to "fix" it

 

[Bfragale]

Other then chemi pure I think it looks good. Save chemi pure for when you need to reduce nutrients. The idea is you want your natural beneficial bacteria to uptake the nutrients. Stripping water of nutrients will prohibit your benificial bacteria from establishing its self and too low can also cause problems like Dino’s.

hope this helps. Take care and happy reefing

 

[Jib]

I would go w/ carbon rather than the Chem Pure unless you have a specific problem you are trying to solve. You want some level of nitrate and phosphate in your tank. I try to keep Nitrate between .5 and 3ppm and phosphate between .03 and .07ppm in my SPS tank. If the levels are a little higher than this and you don't have algae issues and your corals are doing well, I wouldn't try to "fix" it

This is helpful. Yeah, I don't have a problem, I'm just trying to avoid one and have a decent filtraion set up. Will the Chemi Pure Blue strip to much out as well? Trying to find something prepackaged (convenient)

Other then chemi pure I think it looks good. Save chemi pure for when you need to reduce nutrients. The idea is you want your natural beneficial bacteria to uptake the nutrients. Stripping water of nutrients will prohibit your benificial bacteria from establishing its self and too low can also cause problems like Dino’s.

hope this helps. Take care and happy reefing

Yes, this does help. What would you run instead?

 

[ScubaFish802]

Thank you for the thoughts. This might be a dumb quesiton (I'm still learning), but don't I want to strip out phosphate and Nitrate? Those media baskets look indentical to the one that come with my tank. I like it since it fits perfectly in the back.

Ahh, in that case sounds like it is smarter to keep the media baskets you have. For my Fluval tank it was a big difference but mine didn’t come with baskets at all.
While you do want to keep nutrients low, you also do not want them at zero. Like @Bfragale mentioned having your nutrients bottomed out can come with it’s own problems.

 

[Jib]

hh, in that case sounds like it is smarter to keep the media baskets you have

Yeah, I want to keep using the basket, just change up what I'm putting in it.

 

[Bfragale]

This is helpful. Yeah, I don't have a problem, I'm just trying to avoid one and have a decent filtraion set up. Will the Chemi Pure Blue strip to much out as well? Trying to find something prepackaged (convenient)



Yes, this does help. What would you run instead?

Just carbon at the beginning and your filter floss.