Removing the biowheel?

[SaltyMist]

I've read in a few forums now that I should really remove the biowheel from my Eclipse 12 tank, it comes with a built infilter that has a biowheel.

I've been reading that it is a nasty bed for Nitrates.

But what are the consequences of removing it?

This tank has about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of live sand and about 15lbs of liverock, will that combination be enough to biologically filter this 12 or 13 gallon tank?

[seamonkey]

I am not sure what it will do to a small tank but I can tell you my experience with my 55. I read and talked to people on this forum and every one said to remove the bio wheel. So after alot of hesitation I did it. I went through a cycle in my tank with alot of alge and that but after I beared through it my tank came around and I haven't had some of the problems I had before with nitrates and so on. I would say go for it and remove the wheel but expect a small cycle from making such a change in the tank.

[Geoff]

i agree, remove the biowheel. you should have plenty of filtration with the LR. what happens is those biowheels are really good at breaking down ammonia and nitrite to nitrate. so they release the nitrates into the system.

LR on the other hand does the entire cycle. all of the bacteria are right next to eachother so the nitrates are not released into the system. this only breaks down if the bio-load in the system is high.

G~

[Junkzoo]

Ditto, sounds like you have enuf LR to work the tank,,,,
Bio-wheel/Bio-balls, same thing, let the LR do it for you