Great thanks a lot!If I was doing one, and I almost did on my 15gal, I would set it up to run poly pads until I saw higher nutrients (for whatever your keeping-it will vary) then chemipure elite (if you want to lower phosphates). I used to use blue but I didn’t like it that much. I only “treat” carbon when I notice a haze-I run it for a day then take it out because my coral seem to hate when it’s in there. Tbh, other than bio spheres (if you need more surface area), there wouldn’t be much I would add and certainly not right away. If you do it right away you risk bottoming out nutrients and having dino/cyano bloom. Plus, the more dissolves organics, the more sponges/feathers/biodiversity you will have. I attached a pic of the two poly pads I use. Thin is for fine particulates after a water change and the thick is an every day filter. I run a top down filter so for you, you’d have to run thick and thin together because the thin won’t stand up to the water flow.
On a side note, I also use the thick in all of our freshwater tanks too.
that’s how I run all my smaller tanks, 40 and under. For me, it’s more about particulates than nutrient export so this really works. You’ll have see if that works for you though, each tank is different. Good luck!
Makes sense. I currently have a 60g and a 10g running and I have carbon pads in both. Going to replace them with filter pads and see what happens.No problem
Great. Thanks again!For sure
I usually run carbon once a month and it suits me just fine.
It’s not that you can’t run them but the only thing they would be good for is increased surface area/bacteria haven and maybe increased aeration but...that comes with increased nitrates eventually because you never change it out.
I agree. The surface area on the biowheel is absolutely nothing compared to the ratio of live rock to water volume you should have cycled in your display tank.
In my honest opinion a biowheel is useless and you should focus more on good waterflow and rock in the tank. I’m by no means an expert though.
I run everything 40 gal and under sumpless at my house. Not by choice but that’s the way it is. You trying to equate a biowheel to a sump is like feed a piece of tiny mysis to a fish once a month and saying “ok now I don’t have to do water changes since there’s no waste”. There just no comparison there. It’s apples and oranges. They do 2 different things.
Another question... do you run protein skimmers on your 40g and under tanks? I have one on my 60g that I run every other day but I don’t have one on my 10g and wasn’t planning on putting one on my 29g. Should I run one or just do weekly water changes?I run everything 40 gal and under sumpless at my house. Not by choice but that’s the way it is. You trying to equate a biowheel to a sump is like feed a piece of tiny mysis to a fish once a month and saying “ok now I don’t have to do water changes since there’s no waste”. There just no comparison there. It’s apples and oranges. They do 2 different things.
