2.5 Mechanical Filtration
Description
This article is from the ReefKeepers FAQ, by several authors (see the Credits section).
2.5 Mechanical Filtration
This is an area of interest currently being debated. Originally
the FAQ stated:
Good idea to pre-filter skimmer water. Floss works fine and is
cheap and disposable. Sponges work well, but require cleaning
twice a week or so. Natural sponges with a medium fine or fine
pore size are recommended. Some people don't use mechanical
filtration, allowing detritus to settle in places for removal by
siphoning. Some of these people make dedicated "settling tanks"
to trap debris in a convenient place.
Julian Sprung suggests not pre-filtering skimmer water as skimmers
will remove particulates (rather than trapping them as a pre-filter
would do). Spotte confirms this and terms this filtering mechanism
as 'froth floatation'.
Many members of the group of authors do not use mechanical filtration.
They believe that such systems filter out the plankton that is used
as food by many marine organisms. Some members use "live sand" setups,
with detrivores. Others routinely siphon accumulated detritus.
Use of a mechanical filter for short periods may help when attempting to
resolve specific problems, such as a hair algae outbreak.
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