Removing a piece of filtration?

[Crested]

Hey all, I recently bought an inTank media basket for my fluval Evo 13.5 and want to set up a refugium in the 2nd chamber. However, the stock filtration comes with a large sponge that I have been using since I set up the tank. I was wondering if removing this sponge all at once would throw off the biological filtration in my tank and cause ammonia or nitrites to spike? Would I be better off slowly taking it out? Like maybe taking 1/4 of it out every couple of days? Or am I over thinking it? Thanks in advance

 

[Brad Miller]

Your rocks should be the main place for bio growth, so I would say, just removing it won’t change anything.

 

[Fourstars]

Just lose the filter entirely once the rock starts to mature.