Wet Dry Filter Opinions Please.

[MSD]

Hi, I was looking to add a wet dry and for space and maintenance reasons I was looking at the tide pool filter or the Eheim wet dry. What are your thoughts and does anyone have these filters in use? I'd like to hear your opinions. Thanks.

[Apistomaster]

When I first became acquainted with wet/dry filters back in the later '80's when I set up a 125 gal. reef tank I decided I would use them when I set up a new large discus display aquarium.

Since then, that is what i use on my display tanks as the primary filter. Even with the reef tank and subsequent discus tanks I also use an Eheim Clasic 2217 canister filter. They make a great combination but a wet/dry I sufficient on it's own. I DIY design all of mine and I haven't had any experience with the Tide Pool wet/dry except I do use their overflow siphons as a component on my home made wet/dry filters.(Always with an Aqualifter suction pump).
Add-on overflow siphons should all incorporate an Aqualifter suction pump, imo. They help minimize the chances of the siphon flow being interrupted, especially upon restart after a water change or power outage.

In principle, Rotating Bio-Contactors(RBC) are the most efficient of of wet/dry designs. I would recommend the Tide Pool II if you want a turn key wet/dry filter system.
I build my own so I can save money and make them any size I want. My filters use trickle towers rather than RBC's.

I think they have become less popular for reef tanks as increasing knowledge led to the awareness that wet/dry filters were such efficient biological nitrification filters that for raising live corals or more delicate fish the complete system should have a denitrifying capablity.
Live Rock in sumps provide large internal surface area for anoxic decompositition of nitrates to N2 gas. The phrase "Nitrogen factories" is often used in association with wet/dry filters, now.
I don't consider the rapid nitrification to be disadvantageous in fresh water aquaculture systems where regular, frequent large water changes are normal as they are in Discus keeping. Nitrate levels are easily kept low using these standard water changing practices.
The oxygen levels in Discus tanks using wet/dry filters is usually close to the saturation level for a given temperature. I consider this to be an advantage.

Wet/Dry filters require little up keep compared to many other filters. As a rather lazy fish keeper I find this another attractive design feature. The associated sumps are convenient for concealing other equipment like the heater or chemical filter reactors. This helps keep the display aquarium free of unattractive pieces of equipment.
So I endorse the use of wet/dry filers for Discus display aquariums but as I have said, I also like the combination of of both wet/dry and canister filters best of all.

A foot note: I have fond that it is useful to plug in the wet/dry filter water return pump and auxiliary canister filters on the same power strip because it makes water changes more convenient. just flip the off switch during water changes then flip it back on upon completion of the water change. It is important that the Aqualifter suction pump used in conjunction with overflow siphons to be plugged into a separate outlet and allowed to operate even during water changes. If it is set up correctly, the "C" siphon remains full of water, ready to resume as soon as the main water return pump is powered up.

[MSD]

Thanks Larry, that was very helpful and very informative!