lr in sump

okay time for me to learn more. as my sump stands now , i use a black in color sponge filter medium for the water coming into my sump. theres 2 of them. 1st is roughly 3\4 inch thick. the water trickles down through that to the 2nd which is about 6" below that is 1 1\2 thick. could that be replaced with lr rubble as filtration? or would too much pass through? or would it end p like bioballs? thnx for any and all help.

guy

 

What exactly do the sponges do? Are you just using them as a trickle filter? If so, lr can definitely replace that. The trickle filter is just another area for bacteria to colonize. Plus, you won't need to clean the lr.

 

i have seen a lot of sump designs that incorporate a lr rubble inlet box. i would think that would be the same thing. my lfs has a huge rubbermaid container thats full of live rock thats kind of the center of the whole stores system. the water flows there pretty fast.

 

So this is a wet/dry, not a sump?
You can place LR any where you want as long as its fully submerged. I have about 100lbs of rock in my sump.

 

I don't put lr in my sump for the simple fact that I shop vac my sump. I use very slow flow through my sump so that detriutus sp? has time to settle there. That way the nutrients can be exported before they even become an issue. I don't however see anything wrong with it though if that's the way you prefer to run your system.

 

there would be constant water going over the rock. it wouldnt be submerged. as it is now , the 1st sponge media is in a tray the has holes in the bottom , which trickles the water down to the 2nd sponge which is on a rack. the main reasons i was asking this was first to possibly make life easier , not having to clean the sponges .and 2nd what i deem a cost factor . bein over charged in my opinion. close to 60 for the 2 sponges and havent been able to find them any where else. tryin to explore all my options.

 

I have a 100 gallon rubbermaid fuge that holds about 100-150 pounds of live rock,water passes thru pretty fast and i also have some power heads in there as well.