Too much bio filtration?

[KuyaLes]

Ok i have a 10 gal with colonies of xenias, cabbage, and button polyps.  There are 2 cleaner shrimp, 1 camelback, and 2 percula clowns.  Ok now for filtration, i have a dsb about 2-3 inches (20lbs) and about 20lbs of lr....also an emporer 330 with two bio wheels and 2 carbon filter pads.....also a bit of activated carbon behind the pads.....so here is the question....is there to much bio filtration?? and if so what will happen in the long run if i keep them in?? what will happen if i take them out?? any suggestions on what i should do about this?? (btw i have a rio 90 in there as well)....Any comments would be awesome...i'll try to post pics later tonight....thank you....Les

[jdiver]

Most people run a filter, but only for the added circulation and current, with the possible exception of using carbon once or twice a month. Your lr and ls should be all the filtration you need.

 

Is your Camelback ok in your tank? A lot of people will tell you they can be very aggressive. I had a Peppermint that was attacking my Feather Duster, and everyone said Camelbacks are usually the really aggressive shrimps. Just something to keep an eye on.

[KuyaLes]

you know what?? he actually doesnt really do anything but hide out in the back of my aquarium....its kinda sad really....but one day i got home and one of my feather dusters was out of its tube....i dont know why?? because the other feather duster looks fine any to make a long story short the feather duster died a few days later and i didnt know why....come to think of it it could have been the camelback....hmm.....i dont know...any more input from anyone else?? thanx jdiver

[rickjg]

Filters trap small partials and detrus which will

                     then feed bacteria that create nitrates and other wastes that cause pollution in the

                     water. The little critters in the live rock & live sand will take care of those items for

                     you and keep the tank healthy. Bio wheels & balls provide a home for bacteria in a high flow,

                     high oxygen environment, which means the nitrates cannot be broken down. The

                     bacteria that remove nitrates live in low oxygen environments. Live rock has both the

                     high oxygen and low oxygen areas needed by the different types of bacteria and

                     other tiny animals that have evolved to use the waste produced. Plenum systems and live sand beds

                     develop very low oxygen areas of very low flow that provide homes for bacteria that

                     also remove nitrates left from the critters that ate the waste from the live sand bed.

With twenty pounds of rock in a 10 gallon Nano you should not need the bio wheels.

[KuyaLes]

So should i take them out?? i know i dont need them...but will this cause any spikes in my water params??  what effects will happen if i leave them in?? basiclly is it worse or better to have them??

[anthony812]

so, this is what i heard what a cycle is:

 

You start off with: Ammonia -> Nitite -> Nitrate -> Calcium -> Ammonia... but in the process, PH and ALK are affected also

does that mean the cycle will just never end?  

and if so..doesn't adding bio balls good for the water, even though that it may be a Nitrate Factory, but i would think you rather want higher Nitrate levels then any of the other substances in your tank right?  or am i wrong?

[Toyfreek]

There is no Calcium in the nitrogen cycle.

In an Ideal system it goes something like:

Amonia>Nitrite>Nitrate> (export Via h20 Changes) or nitrogen gas that is dissipated into the atmosphere.

Yes it does go for ever. Cycle means Circle kinda. We try and achieve balance in that cycle so that everybody has just enough of whatever they need to help complete the circle.

There are many reasons that Bio-balls/Bio-wheels are said to be nitrate factories in a mini reef enviroment. IMO they should not be used in conjunction with live rock and live sand (where they are your main filtration) and for sure not with any kind of overflow system (reef that is). I dont want type much more but if you do a search on this board for Nitrate factories you will find a recent thread that had alot of the theories laid out.

Good luck,

Toy

[demodan]

I have two reefs, one 12 and one 10. I use no filtration outside the ls and lr, 2 lbs per gal of each.(roughly) I also do not skim. I change out 2 gals. in each per week, dosing every two weeks. My corals are doing too good, my crabs had babies, and I have feather dusters and other interesting things growing all over the lr. I should mention one pump in each tank for circulation, I use the mini- jet 404 in one and a rio 600 in another.

[HuBu]

cleaner shrimp is not that much of a bio-load on the tank, the fishes on the other hand are. u probably have way too much carbon in there. imo, u have more bio filtration than you would need for a 10 gal tank, but then i have to take into consideration your # of fishes. in my 10 gal, i have 15# of LS and 20# of LR and thats it.