Question on filtering.

[McMatt]

Hey guys, I'm new to this board.. Looks like a lot of great topics to read. Anyways, my question:

I was speaking with the owner of the LFS the other day about my tank setup, and he tells me I should remove any charcoal/bio filteri media i'm using on my tank. Here is my setup: 55gal, 260w Coralife power compact, Seaquest skimmer, Fluvial 304 canister, about 70lbs rock, 20lbs crushed coral substrate, and a fairly heavy bioload.

I've not encountered any problems with my setup.. Nothing dying, stuff is propogating, and everything just seems generally happy. So should I remove the filtering and just go with skimming? Remove the charcoal and just do the bio balls/pre-filter media? Or just let the filter move water around with nothing in it?

 

[Len]

Most people these days just use a skimmer for their reef tank, with some who continue to use carbon. If I were you, I'd remove the pre-filter/bio-ball media and use the fluval for circulation purposes (and if you choose, carbon). The substrate in your tank is more then adequete to carry out biological filtration.

Another recommendation I have is to remove your crushed coral and replace it with fine aragonite sand. CC's particulate size isn't ideal for benthic organisms and it's also too large to create anoxic zones for denitrification. Fine aragonite sand is much better.

Just my two cents

 

[Anonymous]

Why have bio-balls become so "old school" in reef keeping?
Used to see them everywhere (still see them in my sump!) What is the disadvantage?

 

[tangir1]

They fine, but now that we have better skimmer, and other ways of "ammonia-management," we just use different method that won't give you tons of nitrate.

 

[Unarce]

The idea is that in a tank with live rock or live rock and live sand, there should be a healthy balance of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. If this is coupled with some type of mechanical filtration (canister, HOB, bioballs, etc.), than the nitrification process is accelerated and then there's a possible risk that the 'denitrifiers' can't keep up.

 

[Anonymous]

So keep 'em or dump 'em?
Wouldn't bio-balls + a skimmer + live rock and sand = ability to keep a higher bioload than if I remove any part of that equation?

My water parameters have always been good (then again the tank is only 4 months old).

 

[Unarce]

4 months is really too early to say. I would remove the bioballs and maybe adjust skimmer usage to your bioload.