Red Sea Max S400 Set Up/Course Sponge Bubble Trap??

[Gonzo74]

Hello everyone. Please excuse my ignorance in many of the questions I will have. I will surely appreciate being part of this group/forum and eventually, possibly reciprocating the knowledge I attain here.

I recently received a Red Sea Max S400 as a retirement gift from my wife and the instructions were lacking. I think I set it all up correctly and it was doing fine for a while until recently. After the water cycled and I started adding fish, the Nitrates were out of control and everything was turning brown and dirty.

here is where I think I went wrong:

1) I never changed the filter socks. I now know to rinse them off in some of the water when I do a water change. I have also ordered three more sets to change them in between washing them. Anything else I should be doing?

2) When I set up the tank, the return pump came with a black course sponge that I threw away. It looked like the return pump fit perfectly in it. Was this supposed to be in my tank? I see that some other Red Sea tanks have it and they call it a Course Sponge Bubble Trap. Do I need to add something like this to my tank?

I guess I am trying to figure out if I am missing something. Is there supposed to be some sort of course spongy material somewhere in my sump? All I have in there now are the two filter socks, some activated carbon bags, and the protein skimmer.

I have been doing water changes (10% twice a week) to keep the Nitrates under control. this just seems excessive to me. I read that you should have some sort of filter Media for your good bacteria to be in and I thought that was the filter socks (apparently not because I am supposed to change these out or wash them off?).

Can anyone tell me what I am missing for mechanical filtration in my sump? I just got the Surf2X Algae Scrubber but have not set it up yet.

I am spending 1-2 hours a night using Red Sea testing kits to make sure I am keeping things safe for the rest of the inhabitants and my wife is starting to hate the tank because it is all I spend time on.

Please advise, as I already had two fish die and I don't want to risk any other living things dying.

 

[FartyParty]

A bubble trap is not necessary but will slow down salt creep and will definitely make the water appear more clear by preventing micro bubbles. If you are running filter socks immediately off the return line, a bubble trap filter will do very little in terms of mechanical filtration. It may add some surface area for biological filtration, though.

 

[Angrywalnut]

1) I never changed the filter socks. I now know to rinse them off in some of the water when I do a water change. I have also ordered three more sets to change them in between washing them. Anything else I should be doing?

Get some of the nylon socks they are much easier to clean. Change every 3 days of so.

) When I set up the tank, the return pump came with a black course sponge that I threw away. It looked like the return pump fit perfectly in it. Was this supposed to be in my tank? I see that some other Red Sea tanks have it and they call it a Course Sponge Bubble Trap. Do I need to add something like this to my tank?

I do use the course bubble trap foam and clean it about every 6-8 weeks. I don't use the pump foam because nothing should be getting into the pump chamber.
My skimmer does micro bubble and the foam catches them.

I have been doing water changes (10% twice a week) to keep the Nitrates under control. this just seems excessive to me. I read that you should have some sort of filter Media for your good bacteria to be in and I thought that was the filter socks (apparently not because I am supposed to change these out or wash them off?).

10 % This is good practice. Water changes are a arguable topic. To maintain pristine water quality this is an easy way. As you gain experience/knowledge you can modify this to your liking. The algae scrubber will help with the nitrates.
You have bacteria growing on everything, sand, rock, ornaments, glass, tubing. The socks are part of it but there are bacteria everywhere.

Can anyone tell me what I am missing for mechanical filtration in my sump? I just got the Surf2X Algae Scrubber but have not set it up yet.

Don't have an answer for this. I have socks and a large bubble trap sponge. Call Red Sea?

The tank will go thru some ugly stages, various algae, brown, red, green, Best to let it cycle thru, clean manually when required. Be patient. Can take 6 months to a year
for most of the stages to cycle thru. This is a complex, frustrating, rewarding, hobby. Read and learn as much as you can.
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[Gonzo74]

Thank you! I am cleaning out my filter socks every two days now and will be adding a sponge to help clear up the water. Hopefully, the parameters and celerity will balance out soon.