Drinking straws as a bio-filter?

[SubRosa]

Anaerobic bacteria are wonderful in the right place. They reduce nitrate to its component gasses, removing nitrogen from the system. In the wrong place they can poison a tank. It's our responsibility to keep things in their proper places in our systems.

 

[Wycco]

straws will work....so will little army men

Yes, I hear Dorothy hired the munchkin soldiers to clean her fish tank whilst she was out killing witches.

 

[excuzzzeme]

I prefer wet/dry over any other type of filtration as it is easier and less time consuming for me to maintain. This may not apply to everyone (or anyone for that matter), but for me it is easy and inexpensive.

Of all the different types of filtration media and devices, design seems to be a moot point if it does what you need. The same can be said for both biological and mechanical media. It does come down to efficiency of the device. If it works for you, use it!

Due to the different stocking and tank configurations, I would hesitate to tell someone their filtration is ineffective if it does the job. It come down to whether or not you are happy with the results as well as personal preference.

 

[Star_Rider]

Let me first say welcome since this is your 2nd post and I have had the pleasure of welcoming you the AC. 8^D

Actually O2 water solubility is much lower then the air we breath and in freshwater 5-8% PPM O2 is where most aquariums fall. So for the most part if the fish aren't belly up then the Aerobic bacteria which also live on the bottom of the aquarium, are doing just fine in the canister filter with the O2 soluble water rushing by at 300-600 GPH. In fact due to the concentrated flow of water probubly better then in the aquarium or wet/dry combined.

Having just bought a reef ready tank in need of some repairs and having read the pro and con of wet/dry it is clear to me that they are very valuable and almost necessary for SW reef tanks. However for freshwater wet/dry filters are substantially less necessary to that point that a canister filter is just much more effective, lower maintenance and noise friendly, and cost friendly. So I am in the process of pulling out my two 5x5 overflows and getting the bottom replaced without holes because for the use of FW I think it will be saving myself space, time, noise, and money IMHO.

Hi Gunner

I am curious as to the break down on how you think a canister is better than a wet/dry .


I understand it is just an opinion. but having spent a considerable amount of time with both. I find the wet/dry much easier to maintain. and in a marine tank moved to a refugium opposed to a wet/dry.

back to the topic.

any thing that provides surface can be used for bio media.

most prefer to get more bang for the buck but I doubt many have really done a cost break down.

 

[247Plants]

Use the green pot scrubbers. Best, cheapest bio media. I can get 10 for a dollar at the 99 cent store.

 

[SMinNC]

With alllll the other stuff already said a time or two...

You could toss the plastic cup and whole straw in a tank and grow bacteria on it.

For our needs its the, how many can I grow in the smallest area. And then of course taking all of the varying factors of flow vs area vs clogging vs anything else you can think of in consideration.

...

Some of the other stuff...

A wet/dry isn't consider a good thing for CO2 injected tanks.

And sense these bacteria seem to prefer(yrs of reading, IDK? haven't got the comunication down with them yet) Dark places. A canister sounds like a good home for them.
Then add fast growing plants putting off lots of O2. You can have even higher lvls of it in your water passing through the canister. Making for a nice dark O2 rich home for bacteria.

 

[Amaozonlee]

Actually O2 water solubility is much lower then the air we breath and in freshwater 5-8% PPM O2 is where most aquariums fall.

That is the description I was looking for, sorry it was late, I even typo-ed my user name

So for the most part if the fish aren't belly up then the Aerobic bacteria which also live on the bottom of the aquarium, are doing just fine in the canister filter with the O2 soluble water rushing by at 300-600 GPH. In fact due to the concentrated flow of water probubly better then in the aquarium or wet/dry combined.

You would have the same speed water over your wet dry filter only more oxygen available.

Actually my 120 gallon tanks wet dry is running at 650-700 GPH

The anaerobic bacteria will reside in those hard to reach spots deep in the gravel or under some object but they are there. If your gravel is deep in places against the glass sometimes you can see a black blotch in it, not always, usually around a piece of buried food.

My wet dry is very quite and sets right behind my tank so noise is a matter of design not type. (pic below) size is 54" x 4.5" x 20" Media space is 48" x 4" x15" (1.66 cubic feet) won't find that in a canister and mine cost about the same if not less than a canister.

I have seen some VERY noisy canisters.

My experience tells me the bulk of the noise comes from the pump and how well its isolated to vibration. I use RIO pumps since they have ceramic shafts, not sure what others use ceramic but a steel shaft is garbage and will need replacing at some point. My current Rio 250 has right at 10 yrs on it now 24-7-365 and it's as quiet now as it was new.

So sorry but I still see store bought as mostly gimmick but I also see the benifit of just pulling something out of a box and hooking it up,,,, I just prefer to build my own,,,,,,,

and mines better,,,,, Ha Ha
(that's a sarcastic Ha Ha not a cocky one, I'm friendly just opinionated)

 

[SMinNC]

Welcome to AC!

Thats a nice wet/dry!

We have alot of DIY'ers here. Just not too many that do plexi-glass. I made a overflow box(like no other) and a sump, for a 25g a few years back. It was right at my first of playing with plexi-glass, so it got ugly with the glue. But was way cool.
I used to have a couple of them old timey pictures of paper of it. But haven't seen them for a few years now. I keep hoping I'll find that lil pack of pictures again someday, in my mess I call home.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

In the final analysis your choice of media for bio, mechanical and chemical will evolve over time with experience and become personal choice that serves you and your system best.


Amaozonlee- That is a huge under cabinet filter system, the photo says it all for me.

 

[austinpetemo]

holy crap. that thing is huge.