Filtering questions...

[Chucky]

I've been wondering about filtering lately. On my 10 gal, I've got 10 lbs live rox, a mini powerhead for circulation, and an aqua clear mini.
Foam insert in it, and ammonia chips. Some people think ammonia chips don't work in salt water?
I could put in some resin exchange designed for salt water.
I'm also thinking about switching my filter to a penguin mini, just for the bio-wheel. Does the bio-wheel actually eliminate ammonia very fast?
My aquarium pharmaceuticals test kit consistently shows NH3 at .25

Lastly, I was a little worried that Carbon will leach all of the GOOD material out of the water as well as the undesirables. Given the article that showed supplements need to be added, (since frequent water changes can't keep ahead of the missing elements) I wouldn't want to make a mistake.

 

[Anonymous]

>...Some people think ammonia chips don't work in salt water?

It is not what we think, but this is a fact.

>...Does the bio-wheel actually eliminate ammonia very fast?

The bacteria on the biowheel only convert the ammonia to nitrate. If there is sufficient bacteria on the biowheel, then yes, it can do the conversion very quickly.

>..I was a little worried that Carbon will leach all of the GOOD material out of the water as well as the undesirables.

You are confused about what the word leach means. It usually refers to the phosphate in the carbon that comes out when it is used. With nickpicking aside, I do know what is you concern. You are worry about the carbon removing desirables from the water. The answer is that yes, it does, to some extent, such as some of the DOC (dissolved organic compounds, some of which give your water a slight yellow/brown tint). Some of the DOC are being utilized by the critters.

Depends on what you keep in your tank, water change may be sufficient to replace the missing elements. Carbon or not should not matter in that case, since it usually don't absorb most of the essential ions (calcium, magnesium, etc.) that you usually use.

However, carbon does sucks up a lot of snake oils, so you many only use one or the other

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds to me like overkill. You LR and substate should be taking care of all of your biofiltration. You do'nt need a bio-wheel. The pad for mini, I would keep in just to filter out the big piecese of debris.

Get rid of the ammonia chips! Carbon is great for polishing the water and does not remove desireable elements from the water.

 

[Chucky]

Yep - C cleaned the water right the hell up - nice and sparkly now.
Thanx