Bio Wheels - friend or foe?
- Thread starter sohoal tang
- Start date
sohoal tang emailed:
if the amount of bacteria in your system have already reproduced to the numbers that match the food production of your system, you have only to gain from the extra circulation the filter provides-though this is by no means an unimportant gain :wink:
adding more filtration doesn't add more bacteria, adding food does.
fwiw-i like rbc's-when the application truly calls for them-usually fish only applications, and usually when large volume water changes are also an option-to get rid of the nitrates, and phosphates, etc.,that are the inevitable byproducts of aerobic filtration.i worked with huge rbc's in a fish hatchery,and with smaller ones in lfs's-they do have their place, and their ability to metabolize ammonia surges quickly and efficiently is, imho, unparralleled.
if you add the emperor w/the biowheel-the wheel itself will probably not impact your tank negatively, since any NO3 it may produce will prob'ly be metabolized by your rock and sb.
btw-if you post the question here-you'll get far more p.o.v.'s in response to your questions, and more people will benefit from the exchange :wink:
hth
if the amount of bacteria in your system have already reproduced to the numbers that match the food production of your system, you have only to gain from the extra circulation the filter provides-though this is by no means an unimportant gain :wink:
adding more filtration doesn't add more bacteria, adding food does.
fwiw-i like rbc's-when the application truly calls for them-usually fish only applications, and usually when large volume water changes are also an option-to get rid of the nitrates, and phosphates, etc.,that are the inevitable byproducts of aerobic filtration.i worked with huge rbc's in a fish hatchery,and with smaller ones in lfs's-they do have their place, and their ability to metabolize ammonia surges quickly and efficiently is, imho, unparralleled.
if you add the emperor w/the biowheel-the wheel itself will probably not impact your tank negatively, since any NO3 it may produce will prob'ly be metabolized by your rock and sb.
btw-if you post the question here-you'll get far more p.o.v.'s in response to your questions, and more people will benefit from the exchange :wink:
hth
I'm not sure they don't increase nitrate compared to not having them. To the extent they trap detritus that would otherwise be eaten and converted to biomass, they produce additional nitrate compared to not having them at all.
Not sure if this is a real effect, or the extent of it, but it's plausible. Less nitrogen in the form of detrivores, the more nitrogen available for conversion to nitrate.
Tim
Not sure if this is a real effect, or the extent of it, but it's plausible. Less nitrogen in the form of detrivores, the more nitrogen available for conversion to nitrate.
Tim
So, after reading this, I am under the impression that I could remove my bio wheel and be ok. My set up is as follows:
Eclipse 12
Finely crushed coral (I know that it is not the best)
approx 7 lbs of live rock (planning to add about 1 - 3 lbs more over the next couple of months)
1 false perc
1 6-line wrasse
1 fuzzy dwarf lion 1.75 inches (temporarily while I set up a 45 gal bow front fowlr)
4 or 5 hermits (my lion keeps eating them)
5 astrea snails
After moving my lion I plan to upgrade the lighting (35 watt retrofit kit) so that I can start keeping a few sps corals
Eclipse 12
Finely crushed coral (I know that it is not the best)
approx 7 lbs of live rock (planning to add about 1 - 3 lbs more over the next couple of months)
1 false perc
1 6-line wrasse
1 fuzzy dwarf lion 1.75 inches (temporarily while I set up a 45 gal bow front fowlr)
4 or 5 hermits (my lion keeps eating them)
5 astrea snails
After moving my lion I plan to upgrade the lighting (35 watt retrofit kit) so that I can start keeping a few sps corals
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