Bio-Wheel

[lotr_clown]

I have heard that removing the bio-wheel in an established system with live rock will help bring down the high nitrates in a tank. Does anyone know if this is true? I have a 55 with two penguins that have bio-wheels in them. My nitrates have been in the 35-50 range. Live rock and I just switched over to a 4 in. sand bed. Any comments? I have 3 false percs, cleaning crew and a seabae anenome. I want to get my nitrates to less than 5mg/l.

 

[brooklyn johnny]

This is true only if your biowheel is the source of the nitrates, which is a possibility. The theory behind this is that any artificial biological filter (biowheel, wet/dry, fluidized bed) is only efficient in converting Ammonia to Nitrite and nitrite to nitrate, dumping the nitrates back into the tank. Unlike ammonia and nitrites, nitrates are converted to nitrogen gas ANAEROBICALLY. These filters offer no zones for thoae bacteria to grow. Live rock alone is in balance, with both aerobic and anaerobic zones, and completes the nitrogen cycle all within a close proximity. Make sure you have enough live rock and monitor your levels carefully while making the change. Once things are brought back to equilibrium you will find much lower nitrates. Make sure you have adequate circulation throughout the tank for gas exchange and proper nutrient flow.