"Chris Gentry" wrote in message
. com...
| I'm new to sw tanks, and haven't even set up my first tank yet, but
as to
| everything I've been reading, does he have to lose the bio-wheel
filter
| altogether? Can't he just take the bio-wheel itself off the filter
and not
| run any carbon or filter media? I read somewhere that this helps
for extra
| water movement. Personally I'm not going to go this route on my
first tank,
| but I just want to rule out any possibilities. -Chris
|



If one has enough live rock, "Artificial" bio-filtration isn't
needed, and *can* in some cases cause nitrate levels to be quite
high. If you have *no* live rock, hence no corals and few sensitive
inverts, you'll need the bio-filtration, and higher nitrate levels
won't harm the vast majority of residents in a fish-only tank.

If the tank were reef, removing the bio-wheel and floss would turn
the powerfilter into a good water circulator with surface agitation
for oxygen exchange. Carbon is an opinion thing. Some use it
frequently, others never. It will remove some toxins, yes, but will
also remove trace elements and minerals needed for a reef tank to
flourish. In an FO tank, this last isn't much of a concern.