Opinions about this please!

[eva]

I am thinking about purchasing a used 33 gallon system from someone who is in the process of upgrading to a 90 gallon. They are using a ecological filter on the 33 and I'm not too clear on what that is. A search engine turned up the following site

EcoSystem Aquarium Pro Series Ecological Filters - Sump Filters

What do you think about this? Comes with pine stand, 4 VHO lights, two white, two actinic, a bit of LR and CC substrate (which I don't think I will be using) and powerhead filters apparently.

To my understanding, this Ecosystem filter will act as a sump/skimmer for smaller systems? Its been up and running for two years and all this is for the price of $300.

I would love to hear any opinions

Thanks!

 

[Joe Fish]

Where the bulbs ever changed? If not you might want to replace them. Never heard anything about that filter thing, but it doesn't sound half bad. You won't be using the CC? I don't think the price is all that bad. How much LR? Was proper maintence done on the tank?

 

[dbacksrat]

I'm guessing this "ecological filter" is going to be some sort of wet-dry system. If you're going reef, you can just take the media out of this filter.

 

[joeyjoeq]

Looks like a regular sump filter to me. Could be good for adding volume. What's the grand total for the tank? What kind of livestock is coming with it?

I'm guessing this "ecological filter" is going to be some sort of wet-dry system. If you're going reef, you can just take the media out of this filter.

Agree reef is so much better.

 

[TRe]

if its $300 for the tank, sump, and lights than it a good deal

 

[Lorna]

Actually I think this ecosystem is the one that uses miracle mud and plants to remove nitrates and bioballs.....the bioball nitrate buildup I believe is thought to be mitigated by the heavy use of miracle mud and caulerpa .....here is one for sale through premium aquatics....

Ecosystem Acrylic Sump 2410: Premium Aquatics

Hope this helps!

 

[eva]

Thanks for all the replies guys! You guys are great.

Joefish: I don't know if the bulbs were ever changed but I want to change them myself and see what the ballasts are rated for before I buy this setup. I would like about 150-250 watts of white for this tank and maybe one of the blue lights that are supposed to encourage natural spawning cycles of corals. I won't be using the CC as we are wanting to go fine grain sand in hopes of having two-spot gobies about a year or so down the line.

Only a few pounds of liverock are included with this, which I am not too concerned about. The pictures of the tank shown are unkept and have been overgrown by hair algae but we want to tear down the system, clean out the tank and get it running brand new.

Joeyjoeq and dbacksrat: we do plan on going reef (of course) and I wanted to take the media out and depending on the advantages and disadvantages of the mud, maybe putting in a DSB and macroalgae.

Thanks for that link Lorna, I believe that is what it is. Is caulerpa a type of macroalgae? If so, maybe leaving the mud and caulerpa with the media might be a good idea. What are your guy's opinions on that?

Thanks again for the quick replies!!

 

[Joe Fish]

Are the 4 bulbs operated on 1 ballast?

 

[eva]

I certainly hope they don't! I am not sure as my boyfriend has been the one talking to these people. We are going to take a look at the set up friday night and make a decision then.

 

[Lorna]

even if you strip it down, replace the lights, add rock and a good deep sand bed....$300 cdn is a great price and hop all over it. Just make sure that they never used copper in the tank. The amount of hair algae is a good testatment that the ecosystem really doesn't remove enough nitrates.....I would be tempted to remove the bioballs, get some new mud, keep the caulerpa (which is a type of macroalgae) or even toss it and get some great cheato which doesn't go sexual.....add about 30-50lbs of live rock and then sit back wait for it to cycle and you will be good to go. I would also add a skimmer that would go in the sump....such as a remora urchin.....(my personal fav)

sounds like a plan

 

[TRe]

thats right i forgot about copper ... defintly ask before you buy

 

[eva]

Alright, so ask about copper, check. I really hope they didn't use it because I am really wanting to pick this up!! The reason why I ask about copper is because you can't have traces of copper anywhere near a reef tank right?

We plan on picking up two heaters, two powerheads, about 35-40 pounds of LR to start off and thinking about maybe a 4inch deep sand bed.

About the Ecosystem filter, do you think its possible to not use mud and throw in a DSB? I want to look into that but first I need to do research on the mud and see what that is all about.

Also we will look into the remora urchin, I would love to pick one up, just gotta make sure it will fit into the sump!

 

[Lorna]

It should fit it has a really small footprint. The problem is the height mostly.....

Yes you can remove the mud and put in a dsb in the mid section and maybe some live rock rubble and cheato and voila a copepod breeding ground.

 

[eva]

Perfect! That is exactly what we want as we want those two-spot gobies later on but we want to make sure we have enough of a pod population to support two of the little guys. We will probably be purchasing a goby or blenny as well before we move onto the two-spot gobies.

The boyfriend and I were just talking and we thought even if copper was used in the tank, we could still pick up the lights and stand and filter....but now I'm thinking, if the water with copper in it ran through the ecofilter system, does that mean the filter/sump will be no good as well?

 

[TheFool]

This actually looks like a good deal for me - the mud bsed systems can worvery well indeed, and produce awesomely stable systems. There are good reasons to stick with mud over a dsb, and the algae will grow awesome umbers of pods. If it appears to be in good shape as a system I'd go for it. I doubt it's ever been coppered, and wouldn't be too concerned over the condition of the live rock as the mud will be doing most of the filterin

 

[eva]

Yes thanks thefool. I value your opinion very much as well as I do everyone else's on MFT.

The more research and reading I do on this Ecosystem filter, the more I am eager to see the setup and perhaps be able to bring it home!! There are several great articles by Mike Paletta and Fenner and others that I've been reading and they highly advocate the use of this filter system with or without a skimmer added on. I am going to get a skimmer for mine however.

Apparently the couple who is selling the 33 also has a 50 gallon with an Ecosystem filter system on it as well and that is selling for 500 CDN. However, one of the ballasts is going on that setup and we would have to purchase a new one (approx. 40-60 dollars apparently). I would love a bigger tank but this system might be moving sometime in the next year and I'm afraid a 50 gallon will be harder to safely transport than a 33.