Filter Media - bag or not to bag?

[ally07]

Hi all

I've recently added about 3kg of cerami-sub into the submerged portion of my tower sump, but the thing is, when I use the net bags that Aqua One provided, the media is quite tightly packed together. Water still flows through the net bags, but will this make the media less effective? Will the media work better if it was less tightly packed together?

Thanks.

[Ira]

Hi all

I've recently added about 3kg of cerami-sub into the submerged portion of my tower sump, but the thing is, when I use the net bags that Aqua One provided, the media is quite tightly packed together. Water still flows through the net bags, but will this make the media less effective? Will the media work better if it was less tightly packed together?

Thanks.

Shouldn't make much difference, you can't really pack the media tightly enough together for it to restrict flow a huge amount without crushing it up and compacting it.

Oops, you said tower sump, not filter. Unless you have some kind of trays or baskets to put the media in I'd go with the bag, much easier to get the media out that way for cleaning.

[ally07]

Sorry, should have made my question more specific. Should I use a larger net bag which would allow the media to be less tightly compacted? I was thinking of buying one of those laundry bags for delicates to put the media in. Theoretically, the looser the media is, the more water would flow through, correct?

[henward]

deepnds. in a tower sump or canister in my opinon

there is a balance between flow through media and water exposure to media.

you can have less flow through and the wter spends longer in the media and will work, or you can have such fast flow, that the sheer turnover will also work.

or both! would probbaly better.

if its packed, means the water will diffuse and end up touching more media than if its lose and just easy to pass through.

but you also dont want it so the flow is constricted.

in a canister, the flow cannot be tooooo tight with media, or else you wont get suction power for mechanical. but for a sump tower, i reckon pack it in, the water has no choice but to go down the bottom. gravity is your friend there. so if you tightly pack it, as long as its not pooling at the top and filling up the tower, then youa re fine.