Are Bio-Wheels Nitrate Magnets ?

[nano_keeper30]

Just wondering if anyone has any issues with bio-wheels building nitrates the way that bio-balls are known to do ?

 

It would seem to me that since the bio-wheel is always turning there is not debre that can get traped like with other bio-media but wanted your take on this.

 

Have a Marineland Acrylic Sump with the large bio-wheels that I wan to use on my frag tank, but I dont want to use it if its a Nitrate factory either.

 

I dont have live rock in my frag tank so I was hoping that some bio flitration isnt a bad thing.

 

Thanks

[seabass]

Because they are highly aerobic, they cannot support anaerobic (denitrifying) bacteria. Therefore, bio-wheels can result in higher nitrate than a tank with live rock as the bio-filter. However, without live rock, you need a bio-filter, and a bio-wheel is a decent choice (preferable to bio-balls which can trap detritus).

 

As a frag tank, it won't have to process fish wastes and left over fish food, so a normal water change schedule might be enough to keep nitrate in check. However, if you are growing SPS, you might need more help (like a remote deep sand bed and a skimmer).

[brandon429]

plus Id like to add some tanks are waay overfiltered relative to their bioloading needs and care methods from the keeper. meaning if you aren't registering ammonia after a cycle with your given setup/feed/change system, you don't need more filter area. More doesn't hurt, but that surface area traps detritus and leaks n03 among others if it's not cared for. so, in some cases more filters mean more work!

 

some people choose to employ extra filtration to provide a buffer or to keep the water column clean of suspendeds, many different reasons. Im just saying that nitrate can be produced due to accumulation and breakdown of filtrate as easy as it can be due to oxygen gradients and that was always interesting to me.