Necessary filters?

[thegreatpablo]

I had a few questions about filtration in my tank. I've read a lot of people saying that biowheels are bad, but I've heard people around say they are good at the same time. Right now, I'm running an Emperor 400 biowheel, a fluidized bed filter (not sure of name brand) and a SeaClone protein skimmer.

Are all three of these filters necessary? Is it better to have them? Could someone go over the pros and cons of them for me? I know that having the protein skimmer is a good idea if I have fish that make a mess when they eat (lions, etc), but I also supliment the flake food with mysis shrimp, which, in my mind, would be similar to a lion fish eating in the tank (maybe I'm nuts).

I don't have nearly enough live rock (about 6-8lbs) right now and I was also wondering if it would be problematic for me to add a large amount of live rock after the tank has cycled?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks again.

 

[Max]

Well, it depends on what sort of set up you have to be honest. The emporer is ok the problem with them really only apply to reefers. The problems with them are ,"reef mostly" is the media and wheel catches detritus and that can cause you nitrate problems on down the road. The same with the other filter as far as I know. Most people around here use l.r. and a deep sand bed. They don't have any moving parts to fail and won't cause you any nitrate problems . If you are going for fish only you shouldn't have any issue with either way. The skimmer removes a lot of waste from your water so can have a little more stock.
As to your second question about feeding it just depends on how much you feed. I tend to err on the side of caution your fish and inverts really don't need that much food. In tanks with large fish you'll usually end up with lot more scavengers than you would in a reef . They will help your water quality quite a bit.
New l.r. well it might be a problem if you get cured l.r. from a trusted source you probably won't have many issues . If not make sure you cure it well before you add it to the tank the whole process should take from 4-6 weeks for not cured.
hth
Chris

 

[stephenray75]

the fluidized filter will also cause nitrates.

 

[OrionGirl]

For biowheels--the specific problem with them is the increased evaporation and salt creep. They host only aerobic bacteria, and do nothing for reducing nitrates.