question about removing filter media pads

[lkb3493]

I am currently treating my 55 gallon FOWLR for ich. I have 2 clowns and 1 royal gramma and the assorted inverts. I am using the Kick Ich product and it said to remove the carbon from my filter while the treatment is going on.
my filter is an Emperor 400 with the 2 bio wheels. I removed the carbon chambers but I also had to remove the two chambers that stored carbon with the blue filter media on them. They are sealed so I cannot take out the carbon and put them back in. Will this hurt the bacteria in my tank? :thinking: It has been up and running since early Feb with 20lbs live rock about 10 lbs base rock and 20 lbs live sand etc..Will the bio wheels be sufficient? :notsure: I know when they say you change your filter you are supposed to leave some of that filter media in there. I normally change those out alternating every other month.
Thanks in advance!

 

[mopar9012]

its fine. i asked people if this would filter out meds in my tank and they said no and that i would still need to run that other carbon..so im guessing that its not EXACTLY the same thing. i have the same kind of pads you are running and am not having a problem. i have corals in there too.

 

[sinner's girl]

i've run the tank with bio wheels and no carbon without a problem.

 

[livephish]

do either of you notice that the emperior 400 leaves nitrates in the water????? i have two of the emperior 400 on my 55 gal. and my nitrates are always peaking even after i do water changes, i was wonder if either of you had this problem, i was actually thinking about removing 2 of the four bio wheels, and see if that helps, please let me know!!! but to answer the question replace the blue media pads once a month, and replace the carbon in the grey filter every two months or so. the only real thing the carbon does is cut down on the smell.

 

[kynan]

The bio wheels are said to increase the nitrates, especially if you have them spinning quick. I can keep my nitrates around 10 to 20 ppm without the wheels, never better than 40 ppm with them in. I think you need to go canister or sump to get them any lower. This is on my 55 gallon setup with ~ 80 lbs of LR, and not much of a bio load.
For comparison, in my 135 with a 55 gallon sump, my nitrates are never over 0 with regular water changes.