Need help!

[Tank.Bro!]

So I would love to know what each of the listed medias do or help with. I have put
•carbon pellets
•bioballs
•ceramic rings
Into my canister and I want to know what each is for. Thanks and I know a lot of you don't like canisters but I do so don't harass me about it I get that enough on here

 

[VelasCorals]

Confused are you asking which one to use or what they do?

 

[Tank.Bro!]

What they do

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The carbon (assuming it is black granular activated carbon, known as GAC) is primarily used to bind organic matter from the water. Makes the water less yellow, and removes the material before it degrades, potentially making a small reduction in nitrate and phosphate for that reason. I'd keep this.

Bioballs are used to provide a surface for bacteria to perform nitrification, which is the conversion of ammonia into nitrite and nitrite into nitrate. They are not needed in a reef tank with live rock or sand, and I'd remove them as it is better to have the nitrification performed on the live rock where denitrification (conversion of nitrate into N2) may also take place.

The ceramic rings are probably intended to replace or supplement live rock in terms of nitrification and denitrification described above. It is a toss up whether to keep them.

Both of the bioballs aan the rings will trap detritus and should be cleaned out periodically.

FWIW, in my canister I run a mixture of GAC (ROX brand) and GFO (granular ferric oxide) to bind phosphate.