filter

[orangeptrinh]

Hey,
Im converting my FW tank into a new SW tank and am wondering if I can still use the same filter....I have a Penguin Bio Wheel 330....Can someone tell me if I can use the same filter or not? ANY HELP is appreciated.......THANks alots

 

[michaeltx]

is this going to be a reef tank or a fish only ?
with my reef I use a penguin filter but with the filter pads removed unless I need to run carbon so its mainly used for added circulation if you use the pads you will have to change them often because the food that gets sucked up into them may cause your nitrates to become elevated.
if you do use the filter with the pads change the pads before placing on a SW tank to keep parasites or anything that might have been in FW from going into the SW tank. I also bought new biowheels for mine before I put them on the SW tank.
Mike
BTW what is your substrate going to be in the tank with a DSB and a decent amount of LR the tank will become a filter without the need for external filter except a skimmer and or sump

 

[hondo]

go ahead and use it but realise it will produce nitrates so you will need some LR and DSB or Refugium to keep your nitrates under control. I currently use one only with the bio wheels and pads removed so it is just circulating water and this way I can easily run carbon once a month to polish the water. Try to let your LR and LS do most of your filtering and what are your plans for a skimmer?

 

[shadow678]

I want to clarify a point that many people seem to overlook. Filtration such as biowheels does not "produce" nitrates in the sense that it may be understood, rather it does not completely eliminate waste material by turning the nitrate into nitrgoen gas to be released. All filtration methods, including the modified Berlin system(DSB, LR, and a protein skimmer) turn waste into nitrate at one point, the difference is that in a DSB there is a layer of anaerobic bacteria that are able to fix nitrate into nitrogen gas that bubbles up and out of the tank. If you do not wish to use a DSB and still wish to have nitrate reduction, you can buy a nitrate reduction chamber, such as the Nitra-Gone or Nitra-Max systems, that allow anaerobic bacteria a place to live, and it will provide the same benefit as a DSB. HTH