wet dry? overflow?

[TheApprentice]

Hello, I am new and want to learn as much as i can.

Can someone please help me understand what we dry filtration is and overflow? maybe a link to a preview thread or something like that??

thanks!

[Aquarist007]

a wet dry filter is also known as a trickle filter. Here is a good read on them

http://www.koiandponds.com/tricklefilter.htm

and here is an excellent explanation of internal and external overflows
http://www.reefland.com/rho/2006/05/overflows_sumps.php

[TheApprentice]

great thanks! I will read up and learn. thanks again.

[TheApprentice]

how can i get aerobic bacteria in my tank? I have a 29 gallon with an aqua C remora skimmer and 20 pounds of live rock. No room for a sump or trickle filter unfortunately.

[Toddrtrex]

Live rock.

That will provide plenty of surface area for the bacteria to grow on/in.

Keep your tank lightly stocked and you won't have to worry.

And unless your live rock is really porous I would suggest getting 20 more pounds of it.

[TheApprentice]

I was under the understanding that live rock took care of ammonia and nitrite I didn't know they carried bacteria to consume nitrates as well.

Getting more live rock would love nitrates?

[TheApprentice]

would lower nitrates*

[Toddrtrex]

Along with water changes.

Deeper inside of the rocks there are low/no oxygen areas where anaerobic bacteria thrive.

[TheApprentice]

k ill get some more live rock soon to get bacteria that will break down nitrates.

Right??

[Aquarist007]

these are great starting article put together by Waterkeeper:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1031074

I am not trying to discourage you from asking questions--by all means ask away--this how we learn
but these articles will give you an excellent base knowledge of the reefing hobby

[TheApprentice]

no no i totally appreciate it. thanks!

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12685563#post12685563 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheApprentice
no no i totally appreciate it. thanks!

you will do well on this site with that great attitude:smokin:

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12683170#post12683170 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheApprentice
I was under the understanding that live rock took care of ammonia and nitrite I didn't know they carried bacteria to consume nitrates as well.

Getting more live rock would love nitrates?

in the nitrogen cycle ammonia is broken down to nitrites--nitrites are broken down further to nitrates--and finally nitrates are broken down to nitrogen gas which leaves the sytem.

In each stage different bacteria are used

aerobic bacteria--on the outside of the live rock---break down ammonia to nitrites

anerobic bacteria--on the inside of the rocks and under the first 1/2 inch of sand---break down the nitrites to nitrates

anoxic bacteria--deep in the live rock and sand bed---covert the nitrates to nitrogen gas

this is known as the biological filtration of your of your system and as you can see live rock is a very necessary component

the other filtration --mechanical filtration--you have covered with the remora protein skimmer

By adding the rock to your system as suggested by Todd you will have an excellent filtration system for your tank

When you first set up your tank the live rock starts to cure in the water--releases dead matter on it which turns into ammonia.It is the ammonia that starts the cyling of the bacteria in your tank.
This is a life long process --whenever you increase the bioload in your tank like adding a fish the bacteria will cycle there numbers or increase to match that bioload

These are just a few of the basic concepts of biological filtration

The other concern to be mentioned here is flow--you should have a flow in your tank of between 20-40 times your tank volume in gph--this can be taken care of by power heads

bottom line==========with adequate live rock, sand bed and the protein skimmer you don't need the trickle filter or the overflow