pump question

[Anonymous]

Ok... I hope this doesn't get bumped up to sunnytown, but I have a return pump in my sump, and it has a spongy cover where it sucks up the water. Every so often I have to take it off and rinse it, because the pump starts to cavitate. Can I just take the stupid thing off?

 

[Anonymous]

You might be better off without it.

I only put a filter in front of my pump when I was stirring things up in the tank or sump, then took it off when things settled down.

 

[sslarison]

I took mine off.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, take it off. It's just a nitrate trap and there are better ways of removing particulates if they are a problem.

 

[Anonymous]

Is particulates even a word? :?

 

[Anonymous]

I can feel this thread bubbling to the surface

 

[Anonymous]

Is particulates even a word? :?

Yes, but I call BS on the "nitrate trap" thinking.

How's that cough?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm ready if it surfaces 8) and yes John you can do without the prefilter and yes Tom 'particulate' is a word :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Boy, you don't wash yo feet wid yo socks on, do ya?

 

[Anonymous]

Is particulates even a word? :?

Yes, but I call BS on the "nitrate trap" thinking.

How's that cough?

Really? I must be out of date. It's been a couple of years since I had a tank.

The cough's not so bad, thanks for asking. Now I've just got insomnia worrying about stuff. :?

 

[Anonymous]

:lol: thanks guys! ... cool.
-jdg

 

[Anonymous]

:lol: thanks guys! ... cool.
-jdg

Just make sure it doesn't suck up sand or reef rubble. Those are tough on impellers.

 

[Anonymous]

I have never used a sponge on a pump. I am a lazy reefer and don't want to have to clean it every few days.

 

[Len]

Ok, enough time down here

 

[Anonymous]

Ahhhhh! The light!!

 

[Anonymous]

Is particulates even a word? :?

Yes, but I call BS on the "nitrate trap" thinking.

How's that cough?

Really? I must be out of date. It's been a couple of years since I had a tank.

The cough's not so bad, thanks for asking. Now I've just got insomnia worrying about stuff. :?

Yeah, you're just behind in the knowledge curve thingy...3 years ago we all thought the sponge on the pump intake trapped nitrates.

'cough' not 'cough'

Sorry about the insomnia.
You accomplish nothing by laying awake worrying, so get some sleep dammit.

 

[Anonymous]

the sponge doesn't trap nitrates, however what a sponge does is it traps all the particulate matter that ends up breaking down into nitrates, and if I had to hazard a guess, probably gets cleaned much less frequently than detritus that's on the bottom of your sump, plus more than likely no macroscopic animals would eat the stuff trapped in your sponge.

 

[Ben1]

the sponge doesn't trap nitrates, however what a sponge does is it traps all the particulate matter that ends up breaking down into nitrates, and if I had to hazard a guess, probably gets cleaned much less frequently than detritus that's on the bottom of your sump, plus more than likely no macroscopic animals would eat the stuff trapped in your sponge.

Exactly, this is why it is a nitrate trap, unless you clean it on a regular basis. If you leave it sit there full of detritus of course it will put out a bunch of trates as the detritus breaks down.

 

[Anonymous]

the sponge doesn't trap nitrates, however what a sponge does is it traps all the particulate matter that ends up breaking down into nitrates, and if I had to hazard a guess, probably gets cleaned much less frequently than detritus that's on the bottom of your sump, plus more than likely no macroscopic animals would eat the stuff trapped in your sponge.

Exactly, this is why it is a nitrate trap, unless you clean it on a regular basis. If you leave it sit there full of detritus of course it will put out a bunch of trates as the detritus breaks down.

I guess I'm operating under the assumption that this is a small sponge.
Unless it's rather large, then the assertions here regarding nitrates are erroneous.