Do you Folks Use (Clean) Foam in overflow?

jacko

Coral Curator
I bought an overflow over the winter when I installed a sump / fuge.
(pics below)

I put FOAM in the overflow to prevent anything solid (food, fish, critters) from getting into the sump, and eventually into the Mag9.5 return.

Do You Folks Use Foam like that?

It gets VERY dirty catching a lot of flake food and I am sure it is a nitrate factory. I have rinsed out the foam occasionally. It is Very Dirty.

I would like to remove the foam, but I am worried that if I do, smails will clog/block the small hole, which constantly removes air from the overflow (picture below). If this hole clogs, air can build up and coud break the syphon.
 

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I use the filter tubes on my return but yours look like algae is forming. flake food? appears maybe more than you should. hows the parms? you block up those filters you'll overflow.
 
nah, the filters are not even close to being blocked up
you see the algae on the overflow box.... right?
that is on the acrylic, itself.
Yes, flake food is trapped in the foam.

what are 'filter tubes' ?
 
Jacko, I had a foam block for my overflow on my 90. I kept trying to clean them and then decided to buy new ones. After awhile they clog internally and they can back up your flow to an overflow. I have since taken it off, and now in my 180 I don't run foam on either side. Not had any problems. Sometimes I do find a loose scroom in my sump though. Just put him back into the tank.
 
I use foam in the overflow. It gets all the big chunkies that would clog up my wet/dry spray bar. when it got to nasty I just bought a new one.
 
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