Filtration

[daddy01]

Hi,
This maybe a dumb question but hee goes anyway.
I have a Fluval 304 filter PhosGaurd and Carbon filter media and the sponges. I just removed the 'Ceramic' modules. Can I put liverock to replace the media I removed or would it still be a nitrte factory?
Jim

[marcingo]

I dont think LR should be a nitrate factory but you could also try chaeto or macro algae. This might help with nutrient export- just make sure it gets some light.

[vanreefer]

the sponges will be the problem... as they are rarely rinsed as often as they need... like every day or two...

[DanG]

If you run sponges, you need to rinse them frequently, and when you do rinse them, not in tap water, but in tank water so you don't kill all the good bacteria, just get rid of the solid waste.
problem is, how often do you have tank water that you can rinse in? I had that same issue and would only be able to rinse when I did a water change. Now I just have it for flow with some live rock rubble and to house the occasional phosphate removal or carbon filter insert.

[BCOrchidGuy]

My opinion would be get rid of the sponges (foam filters)and fill the thing with live rock gravel. You'll find all sorts of stuff will grow inside your filter, I'd keep the live stock like tube worms, sponges and tunicates that grow inside the filter, some people kill it off but I figure if it's a filter feeder it's removing crap from the water like the foam filters but it's consuming the crap not just trapping it so it can break down. (run on sentence or what?).

Doug