Can you have too much filtration?

[Guru_Del]

I am setting up a 15 gal and I am wondering can I just use one of my hang on filters from my old 29 gallon tank or would that be too much filtration or is there such a thing?

 

Thanks,

Vince

[Caesar]

I think you'll be ok with that filter. just make sure the filter doesn't have an bio media, you want the bacteria to attach to the LR not the bio media.

[HuBu]

yeah you can use it as a water surface circulator. since its a 15 gal tank, youll depend more on weekly water changes.

[Guru_Del]

So should I use any media in it? Like an empty mechanical filter bag? should I use any carbon or no?

 

This will be my first saltwater tank but I have been keeping fresh for about 3 years so I am kinda new, mind the dumb questions.

 

Thanks,

Vince

[HuBu]

no carbon. you can keep a media floss if you want, but you should change it or rinse it out each week because bacteria would start living in it and it would compete with your LR for food.

[SteveC]

Well, I'm still new so take what I say with a very large grain of salt (or many small grains of salt), but I think you want to avoid using any kind of mechanical filtration (floss, foam, sponges, whatever). Stuff gets caught in there and starts to decompose, and what you really want is to have your detrivores gobble it up and integrate it into their biomass.

 

I'm actually starting to think that mechanical filtration is a bad idea for freshwater, too, but that's another story.

[Glenn]

IME a little carbon added to the tank every once in a while helps to keep the water a little clearer. Also some believe that carbon helps take out some of the chemical warfare between corals in the tank (especially softies). HTH