Are Biofilter Media Spheres required in media basket?

[boscoT]

I have been having some issues with flow and my ATO continually overfilling my aquarium and the alarm going off.  I have read articles suggesting that the Tunze 3551 is not really great for a nano tank, but I am trying to work with it.  Also my 9001 skimmer does produce some bubbles that seem to impact the sensor on my ATO at night time only.  Both a work in progress...

 

With that said, today I removed my marine pure spheres from my media basket.  It is a 3 compartment basket just like the intank design for my Reef Casa aquarium.  I was running filter floss on the top of the rack. I made the rack a two compartment basket by adding chemipure elite in the first and the marine spheres in the bottom two sections combined.  

 

I have read some people say not to have any bio-media in the media baskets.  So my current setup is floss on top, section 1/2 chemipure elite bag, bottom empty.  

 

Question....

 

Filter floss and chemo pure elite alone ok?

What do you all run in your AIO media baskets?

Is it ok to not have bio media in the baskets?

 

I have bio media cubes and the old spheres sitting in the bottom of the large middle section that houses my 9001 and heater currently.  

 

Thanks in advance

[mitten_reef]

simple answer, the bio media is not required to be in the basket.  it's probably not even necessary overall.  their function is like an added surface areas to supplement your live rocks.  if you have sufficient rocks then you likely don't need one.  there are some media type(s) that advertise anaerobic condition to promote nitrate consuming bacteria to reduce your nitrate. 

 

Idk what yours is like or why you need them, but either way, they def don't need to be part of your basket.  they should probably be in an area with good flow tho, whatever this means in your AIO chamber.