Should I ditch the Penguin?

[KenRexford]

I am on 16 years of reefing. Throughout, 125g tank. Started FOWLR, slowly moving softies over the past two years. Here's my issue. I have used a Penguin Emperor filter for 16 years and am afraid to remove it.

I have a sump, probably too small, but with grape caulerpa growing and harvested for perhaps 10 years. I had a crap Seaclone protein skimmer but upgraded recently to the Reef Octopus classic hob, which is fierce compared to the seaclone. I have a cheap media reactor for carbon and Phosguard that I am switching to a BRS dual with carbon and GFO later this week. I had deep blue phosphate and nitrate pads, also, but I just yanked them because my ATI test results showed high aluminum (they didn't seem bothered, but I am). I regularly change my filter sock. I only feed frozen.

My nitrates are always horrible. Just horrible. Embarrassing, really.

I feel like I need to ditch the Penguin, because I think that might be the problem, but I have had her for 16 dang years and can't get myself to do it. Any advice???

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

What is in the penguin filter?
Media ?

 

[Mastiffsrule]

+1

I actually like that filter, but it’s not the unit itself it is how you are utilizing it.

 

[KenRexford]

More specifics. I had two of them. One was dead. I had the return going into it, through pads, and then into the tank. The other was working, through pads also.

The set-up for pads was rite-size e as the second/last stage filter, with one phosphate on one side and one nitrate on the other side (both deep blue) as the first stage, largely because the deep blue pads get soggy and bend. The rite size e held each in place. I rinsed these as seemed appropriate, but maybe too infrequently. Change rite size carbon ones monthly. Same with pads.

I just removed the dead one, letting the return go straight into the tank.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I believe those pads are more for mechanical filtration than biological. I think the recommendation was change 1 pad at a time rotating each to seed the new one with the older ones bio. The deep blue pads I have never used so cannot comment.

I will say if you leave the pads in too long they trap left over food, detris, etc. it actually may produce nitrate since it is not being removed. Routine maintenance on cleaning the filter would help

 

[KenRexford]

//lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/457410478ce9f4aefbaa

BTW, this is my (first) ATI report, for reference.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

That is a bit high for No3 and Po4Some cleaning and water changes will help. Gfo will help get the phosphate under control slowly if used in the reactor . Is the tank being fed heavy? There’s got to be a source producing that nitrate.

 

[KenRexford]

I feed two cubes of frozen per day. One morning, one evening. Inverts healthy. Fish: yellow tang, blonde naso, hippo tang, two chromis, two clowns, domino damsel, azure damsel, engineer goby, yellow headed sleeper goby, fairy basslet. Emerald crabs, 1 cleaner shrimp, peppermints, hermits, snails. Toadstool, yellow polyps, green nephthea.

 

[KenRexford]

About 4 months ago, my heater went nuts and killed all but 3 fish, the hermit crabs, and the yellow polyps. But, I had nitrate issues before that.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Sorry to hear about the heater issue.

Besides Gfo and carbon I don’t use much else. When my nitrate creep up I clean and do water changes. The clean should include filters, media, etc. cleaning will not totally resolve the issue but something you clean or remove may be your culprit.

If you only have 3 fish I would back off on feeding depending on who is in the tank.


Maybe someone else will have some insight.