Question About My Filtration ???

[bjonesjr1]

I own (2) emperor 400's on the back of my 55 gallon tank and want to know if I should take off the bio-wheels of the filter because my nitrates last night were 20-25ppm on my testing,

someone I think from another thread had said something about the bio-wheels being the cause of the nitrate levels ???

Is this true ???

 

[Harville]

bioWheels can add to nitrate levels.

I wouldn't worry too much about that though.

Do you have a quality potein skimmer?

Do you use a trusted source water? (ro/di, tap? etc.)

Do you do regular water chages?

Feed too much?

Too many fish? Fish too big for tank?

IMO I would worry about those before I would worry about the bioWheel.

If you don't have a good skimmer already. That would be the first thing I would get.

 

[bjonesjr1]

no skimmer yet... Looking at the aqua c remore pro hang on.

use ro/di water from

10 gallon water change every two weeks

only have 3 damsels, 3 peppermint shrimp 5 blue legged hermit crabs, 5 snails, and pink tip anemone which I feed him once a week

I want to buy a skimmer next week

 

[bjonesjr1]

ro/di water from LFS

 

[Harville]

Cool....I bet the skimmer will help you a lot.

Also, If nitrates are still aproblem. the brand CPR makes really nice Hang-on Refugiums that you could grow some macro in.

They also make a Skimmer/Refugium combo that might be nice if you're looking to kill two birds with one stone.

I think more people prefer AquaC over CPR skimmer wise, though.

Good Luck!

 

[bjonesjr1]

thanks for the help... Will check CPR out & should I leave the bio-wheels on or take them off though ???

 

[samsfishnchips]

bjonesjr1,

leave them for now, and when you get the skimmer take one them wait a few weeks for the tank to increase bacteria in other places and them remove the last one

if you have other means of water movement takes the filters out, if not just run them with out anything, maybe carbon if you want,

have you though about a sump? that would make things cleaner, a remora if I'm not mistaken uses mag3, thats a nice size pump,

good luck,

sam

 

[bjonesjr1]

I have (2) Zoomed Pumps in the tank that do 270gph each, I'm going to buy a aqua c remora skimmer that hangs on the back with a in tank filterbox here is the website


http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_protein_skimmers_aquac_remora_pro.asp?CartId=

But I will do what you said, after I buy my skimmer, take out one bio-wheel at a time which if I do it every three weeks the nit would take me 3 months, because I have 4 bio-wheels...

thanks for the advice what do you think about the aqua c remora with the in tank filter box ???

 

[thereefmaster]

You should also check out the CSS brand of skimmer. I swear by mine

Skimmer shot after 24 hrs on a 55G

HTH

-Nate

 

[bjonesjr1]

Can U link me a web page for this type of skimmer so that I can check it out ???

 

[samsfishnchips]

bjonesjr1,

remoras are nice, the above one info

CSS = coralife super skimmer

example.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=13924&inm=1&N=2004+113771+2035

I'm more of a insump beckett type of skimmer person

seach about the CSS here, seem many good reviews on it, and try always to take your time to select the right piece of equipment for your tank, good luck,

sam

 

[cola8d8]

I have a Remora pro FS, PM me if you are interested