Bio-Wheel for a 55 gallon???

[beedyb220]

I went to my LFS this weekend to get some deionized salt water and crushed coral to fill my tank up. I asked about a good starter sump tank/skimmer combo and the salesperson told me that for a 55 gallon the sump tank.skimmer was overkill. They told me to try a bio-wheel first and along with live rock.. I should be fine. I am posting this in order to get a 2nd opinion and to find out if any here is using a bio-wheel? Any suggestions or info would be greatly appreciated..

 

[Caleb Kruse]

IMO a sump with a refugium, and bioballs (I know some may not agree with the bioballs). And pack the tank with live rock, and put in a DSB of sugar fine aragonite. That way you have alot of bacteria breaking down the leathal things like ammonia and nitrite with the bioballs, and the refugium and DSB break down the nitrate to nitrogen gas. The live rock will generaly help with all three. A biowheel will only take care of the NO2 and NH4, and not very well at that. Also get a good protein skimmer, they help alot.

 

[murfman]

How big of a set up are you going with? Give us some specs on what you have and where you want to be with your set up.

I wouldn't recommend CC as your only substrate, I would mix it with some SouthDown sand, if you can find it.

 

[beedyb220]

Hey Murfman,

I was figuring adding about 20lbs of live rock. I was going to add soft corals and mushroom down the road. For fish, probably some clowns, a tang , gobies and a cleaner shrimp. It is a rectangular 55. As far as equipment. I have the heater and powerhead. I was planning to buy the filter, substrate, live rock and saltwater at the same time in order to start cycling the tank.

Thanks,
Bryan N.

 

[bigsittingrock]

get a sump/refugium. At the very least you can hide a lot of your stuff in it. (heater,skimmer, stuff your wife wont know you bought for a while...)

 

[ReefJerk]

I second the sump/refugium. I know of very few, if any, people in this hobby that would consider more filter capacity to be overkill.

 

[Deuce67]

Biowheels are nitrate factories. I would stay away from it. You best bet is a sump/fuge with a skimmer. Of course you will need a overflow box too.

 

[Questin]

A tank that size that is not SPSs will be fine without a skimmer. In fact the softies like the water to be "dirty" where as SPSs need it to be crystal clean.

I have a 65 that has a good amount of live rock, a not so deep sand bed, and a sump that I ripped out all the bioballs and made into a refugium. It has nothing but cheato in it now.

 

[tkeracer619]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9626945#post9626945 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Deuce67
Biowheels are nitrate factories. I would stay away from it. You best bet is a sump/fuge with a skimmer. Of course you will need a overflow box too.

I agree. Biowheels and Bioballs create nitrates... the lack of an anarobic area creates nitrate by not allowing bacteria to break nitrate into nirrogen gas.

A bio-anything is designed to process the nitrogen cycle but they dont have anywere to put it. A deep sand bed somewere will convert the nitrates to nitrogen gas and help keep nitrates at 0.

A skimmer is designed to remove "crap" before it breaks down into ammonia thus reducing the nutrients involved in the nitrogen cycle.

LR, a fuge, and a skimmer is the way to go. No crushed coral.

 

[racer69]

Also be careful on the tang you choose as most require a large tank. Maybe a yellow or a purple.

 

[beedyb220]

Does anyone know of anyone in the Springs/Denver who could turn a 29 gallon tank into a Sump/refugium tank? I think that that is the direction I am going to go. I just don't have the $400 for just the refugium tank as I was just quoted.

 

[murfman]

There are plenty of DIY articles on the net to do this, if not, you are more than welcome to come look at mine. If you want to get the dividers, I'd be glad to help you silicone them in, but, it would be my 1st time too. I got my sump already divided.

 

[Leopard Wrasse]

Re: Bio-Wheel for a 55 gallon???

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9625503#post9625503 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by beedyb220
I went to my LFS this weekend to get some deionized salt water and crushed coral to fill my tank up. I asked about a good starter sump tank/skimmer combo and the salesperson told me that for a 55 gallon the sump tank.skimmer was overkill. They told me to try a bio-wheel first and along with live rock.. I should be fine. I am posting this in order to get a 2nd opinion and to find out if any here is using a bio-wheel? Any suggestions or info would be greatly appreciated..

I would suggest:

#1. Find a different LFS, whichever one you are going to is leading
you in the wrong direction.

# 2. Use a smaller grain sand such as sugar size or oolithic.

# 3. Skip the Bio-Wheel and go with a sump-skimmer combo, things will be much more succesful for you in the long run with
this type of setup.

 

[beedyb220]

Thanks everyone. I purchased a 29 gallon wet/dry filter this evening. I think that I am headed in the right direction. The filter needs a pump as well as tubing. I also am looking for a skimmer that will hang onto the tank. I have a question about hooking this gear up. Correct me if I am wrong...

I will hook an overflow to my tank. The overflow goes down to the wet/dry/sump tank. From the tank, the pump pumps the water up to the skimmer which sends the water back to the original tank. Hopefully I have the gist of what is going on. Do the skimmers come with a pump or do I need a seperate one? I was looking at the Aqua-C Remora Skimmer along with a Mag-Drive 7 700 GPH water pump. (http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=DN1125)

Appreciate all the input...
Bryan N

 

[Rocmtnreef]

Pump with Ref

Pump with Ref

Bio Wheel, thats good for a freshy tank. Personally I'd do the Ref/Sump with a pump, you'll be much happier in the long run.
Plus your fish and inverts will to.

Shannon

 

[murfman]

Tank flows to sump. Skimmer picks up dirty water in sump and cleans it, returning it to the sump (in a different chamber) a return pump picks up the return water and pumps it upto the display tank.

 

[racer69]

The Aqua C Remora should be a good skimmer for a 55. They are rated up to 75 gal and have a good reputation.

 

[lfduty]

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