fluidized bed filter? Any use one ?

[Pinkfish]

Hi all,

Does anyone use a fluidized bed filter ? I have come across a new one really cheap and dont know if I should get it.

What do they actually do apart from remove Amonia and reduce Nitrites.
Apparently they are ment to give you the surface area of a footbal pitch is this try?

Would you guys recomend me getting it?

Many thanks
Mike

[flying Jock]

Hi Mike.

I use one but i use it for fluidising carbon rather than biological filtration.

Fluidised beds are great for the nitrification cylcle but no good for denitrification which basically means you end up with a nitrate producing reactor.

Used in the 90's but have really fell by the way side now most use a natural system.

I would go with LR and DSB's any day.;)

I would buy it and use it for carbon or a phosphate remover.

Cheers
FJ

[Macca]

Also Mike if you are stocking fish only they are a great filter but as FJ say on a reef (corals) where nitrate must be kept low, they breakdown ammonia and nitrite very fast but do nothing to breakdown nitrates.

James