Is my filter bad?

[tlmaguire]

I have a 5 gallon tank with LR, LS, a few softies and 1 clown. I am running a basic cartridge filter for the fish waste and water clarity. I heard that this is just a nitrate factory and will hurt my tank in the long run. Is this true? Am I better off without it?

 

 

[Pickle010]

 

Are you talking about a carbon filled type cartridge?

 

If so there isn't a problem with them provided you change them out regularly. Most people here gut the cartridges and fill the insides with filter floss and change the floss out weekly. It's only a couple bucks for a large bag at Walmart and will last you the year. Much cheaper then the cartridges.

 

If you want to run some kind of carbon you can look into Chemi-Pure Elite. It will polish your water and it has a component that will remove phosphates.

 

hope this helps... and Welcome the N-R.

[tlmaguire]

Yes it is a carbon filter and that does help. Thanks

[lakshwadeep]

Your live rock is going to deal with the fish waste (ammonia).

[mmelnick]

Your live rock is going to deal with the fish waste (ammonia).

 

In most cases this is true. But with a clown in a 5 gal and it looks like maybe only 2 lbs. of rock you might want some additional filtration. Keeping a clown in a 5 gal in the first place is kind of iffy. If you add some more LR you shouldn't even need a filter, but with only a couple lbs. I'd stick with the filter and do like Pickle suggested, and either run some Chemi-Pure or filter floss in there.