Emperor Filter Will It Work

Rene wrote:
I am wanting to start a 55 gallon reef tank. My local store
recommended emperor filter system. will that work for my tank or
should i get another type filter system. also what would be good for
lighting.

thanks

Here would be my suggestion to you. When setting up a reef tank set it
up as naturally as possible, use a live sand bed and live rock for your
biological filtration, live corals for your primary mechinical
filtration, and use a good protien skimmer for just about everything
else. When you notice the water is turning yellow use some carbon. The
only other thing you need is something to move the water around and for
that you can use a closed loop or some powerheads.

I would tell you that you don't want the emperor filter on a reef tank,
you are better off without it. It is not because the filter is no good,
but that it is only good at part of the nitrogen cycle. It is good at
getting rid of the ammonia and nitrate, but its end product is nitrate.
If you use the live rock/live sand as the filter, the exterior of the
rock and top of the sand will have the bacteria that eats the ammonia
and nitrite, and deeper into the sand bed and inside the rock you will
have areas of low oxygen for denitrifaction so the end result will be
nitrogen gas, not nitrate.

Kim
www.jensalt.com