K1 Sump Media

#1
Hey everyone, pleased to post my 1st thread, however Admin, please move if needed.

So getting everyone's opinion on K1 Media (or similar brands) to see if anyone is using on a saltwater tank??

I have read different things and just rying to see if anyone has tried the fluid bed sump?
 

Dr.DiSilicate

Great White Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#2
Never used a fluidized bed. What are you trying to accomplish woh it? New or established tank?

Site is kinda slow right now as the app is down.
 
#3
Never used a fluidized bed. What are you trying to accomplish woh it? New or established tank?

Site is kinda slow right now as the app is down.
So K1 would only require the filter sock to be cleaned as K1 media is self cleaning. both are established tanks and its really to cut down on maintance
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#5
It's the same basic principle as wet-dry, so unless you have a very heavily stocked tank and have some other means of nitrate removal like a sulfur denitrator or zeolite, you are better off with a deep sand bed or live rock in your sump.

Sent from my SM-G965U using MASC mobile app
 

TheRealChrisBrown

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#6
I had no idea what a fluidized filter was, so I watched a YouTube on it. Sure enough the guy talked about self cleaning...but I'm still confused how that happens? So the pieces tumble and crash into each other which knocks old bacteria off, but then the old just goes back into the water column. The old bacteria and detritus is never removed from the system unless I am missing something? I watched the King of DIY video and he said it's kind of expensive, the equipment is loud, and quite a bit of splash and salt creep.
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#7
They call it "self cleaning" because the moving particles tend to knock loose any detritus that builds up as they crash into each other and the flow pattern prevents detritus buildup in the first place. The bacteria still stays on the media mostly.

Sent from my SM-G965U using MASC mobile app
 

SynDen

Administrator
Staff member
M.A.S.C Club Member
M.A.S.C. B.O.D.
M.A.S.C President
M.A.S.C Webmaster
#8
Its the same principle as a sand filter, that is used on most pools and large ponds now days. Although dont see them in salt tanks very often, but more and more, very large tanks, like 1000g+, are using them.
Freshwater sand filters have metal parts and use silica sand, which would cause a variety of issues in a salt tank. Salt sand filter can be very expensive but they are very effective from what I have seen. The cost versus the benefit just makes these unfeasible for small tanks sadly, but k1 is the solution to that.

These arent detritus filter though, they do one thing really and thats to increase your nitrogen cycle capability. By being self cleaning, they maintain maximum surface area for the bacteria to colonize. Its the same premise as putting tons of live rock in the tank, but generally more efficient.
Detritus needs to be cleaned out via other methods though, or it could clog up the system and cause parts of the bed to slow or stop moving. The whole bed of media needs to stay in motion continuously, which can be one of the primary challenges of these kinds of filter.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#9
By being self cleaning, they maintain maximum surface area for the bacteria to colonize. Its the same premise as putting tons of live rock in the tank, but generally more efficient.
Clarification. More efficient in converting ammonia to nitrite and converting nitrite to nitrate. Nitrate to N2 conversion is non-existent, so live rock is significantly more efficient in that department. A better comparison is actually a cleaner wet-dry on steroids since they both use a high surface area, high oxygen environment for the bacteria to colonize.

Sent from my SM-G965U using MASC mobile app
 
#10
I had no idea what a fluidized filter was, so I watched a YouTube on it. Sure enough the guy talked about self cleaning...but I'm still confused how that happens? So the pieces tumble and crash into each other which knocks old bacteria off, but then the old just goes back into the water column. The old bacteria and detritus is never removed from the system unless I am missing something? I watched the King of DIY video and he said it's kind of expensive, the equipment is loud, and quite a bit of splash and salt creep.

so his system was loud just due to its size, but he does make a smaller sump style version, much quieter
 
Top