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Dear Reefers, need some good advice. Situation I have upgraded from a IM Nuvo 10G tank to a 12.5G acrylic tank recently. Like the AIO in Nuvo, the new tank has a backchamber "sump". I use a Canister Filter Fluval 206. Gasp.. nitrate factory! I wish I have a proper sump but I work in a Soho so everything should be moveable and canister filter allows me to transport to a new office (when required). The second reason why I use a canister is that it is the most reliable circulation pump. I use it to pump water via my Artica chiller and it has NEVER failed even once. Problem A) I need the canister (despite the shortcomings). B ) Why dont I convert the canister into a multi-layered "reactor" by placing Phosguard, Activated Carbon, Zeolites only and remove the Fluval 4 pieces of filter coarse foam (which occupies 50% of the canister) and all other filter floss and replace it with Marine Pure blocks? Then I can get the best of both worlds. No foam, no floss in the canister. Just chemical and biological filtration. I have Marine Pure balls and loads of filter floss in the AIO so I thought if I remove the 4 pieces of Fluval foam, surely there are enough good bacteria to deal with the ammonia spike. I was wrong. When I removed the 4 pieces of foam, and 2 pieces of old, old filter floss (which have turned dirty, dark brown), the tank suffered a minor ammonia spike!!! I have a micro thin sand bed but at least 5kg of old live rock and lightly stocked. Advice needed: How do i transit to Marine Pure Blocks quickly? The slow approach is to place the two Marine Pure Blocks in the tank, "seed" it with bacteria and then remove the foam and replace them with the Blocks. But alas my tank is acrylic, scratch magnet! Another way is to squeeze the blocks into the canister with the foam and remove the red structure (see picture). After one week, remove one foam, then another week, another foam. Total transition: 1 month. Surely there is a better way. I am out of ideas. Any Marine Pure user has a better solution? Thanks in advance! Harry.

I'd put the marine pure blocks in a bucket of your old tank water. Pour in some bacteria product. Run a small pump (eg 600l/hr type) & cycle it externally. You can 'feed' the bacteria with skimmate or fish food. After a few weeks, the marine pure blocks would be ready for use.

Pass the blocks to another reefer to "seed" and when done, remove the form and replaced with the "seeded" marine block. This hobby is all about patience

Pls see photo below. Collect at lakeside. $40 negotiable! The bottom plate is sawed off a little to make sure it can fit in a smaller spaced sump or even a large ios. Pm me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk