[Dodge]

I have a DAS 55 gallon, fish-live rock tank. It's 4 years old with a damsel and 3 starfish...a few crabs and snails. I have not changed the steel wool in about 2 years. Is this bad? The water compartment is still rusty looking and I am unsure if that is good or bad. If you are familiar with a DAS setup/steel wool, please let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance!

Dodge

[MEC]

Originally Posted by Dodge

I have a DAS 55 gallon, fish-live rock tank. It's 4 years old with a damsel and 3 starfish...a few crabs and snails. I have not changed the steel wool in about 2 years. Is this bad? The water compartment is still rusty looking and I am unsure if that is good or bad. If you are familiar with a DAS setup/steel wool, please let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance!

Dodge

Noty sure what a DAS set up is, but STEEL wool in a saltwater set up is definatelyu a bad idea. Probably refering to filter floss?? Yes I would definately change it , probably every other week. Guessing it smells pretty bad now? ....Mike

[Dodge]

Originally Posted by MEC

Noty sure what a DAS set up is, but STEEL wool in a saltwater set up is definatelyu a bad idea. Probably refering to filter floss?? Yes I would definately change it , probably every other week. Guessing it smells pretty bad now? ....Mike

Aquarium system. Steel wool is a part of the system. Thanks for trying though.

[MEC]

Still cirious about the steel wool though, What purpose does it serve? Is there a link to their site that would explain it? ....Mike

[SteveP]

Originally Posted by MEC

Still cirious about the steel wool though, What purpose does it serve? Is there a link to their site that would explain it? ....Mike

The only steel wool system I am familiar with was the freshwater system for growing plants - the steel wool was simply a convenient way to add Iron to the plant systems - it rusted away in the filter or tank quite happily - never tried it myself.

I can't see how it would apply to a Marine tank though.

Steve

[MEC]

Thx Steve, couldn"t see any reason myself. Mike

[SteveP]

Originally Posted by MEC

Thx Steve, couldn"t see any reason myself. Mike

In fact - I'm not even sure that was too sucessful, because iron isn't taken up by most plants from the water column, but rather via the roots from the substrate - I believe it had to be in chelated form for it to be available to the plants.

*shrug*

Steve

[traveller7]

Originally Posted by Dodge

I have a DAS 55 gallon, fish-live rock tank. It's 4 years old with a damsel and 3 starfish...a few crabs and snails. I have not changed the steel wool in about 2 years. Is this bad? The water compartment is still rusty looking and I am unsure if that is good or bad. If you are familiar with a DAS setup/steel wool, please let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance!

Dodge

I have a few Dutch Aquarium System setups but never used the standard config with denitrators etc. Best to go to the source:

http://www.dutchaquarium.com/

Good luck.