what to do with filters

mike · 09-19-2006, 12:13 AM

i have a power head and a whisper bio wheel filter. do i need a protein skimmer and a canister filter with my curent set up? im doing fish only for now. also i heard crushed coral is bad is this true? and what are the true benefits of crushed coral? my tank is 55 gal thanks for any help

ahill3780 · 09-19-2006, 05:54 PM

Hey Mike,

CC is not a bad choice. It is composed of, believe it or not, crushed coral

which in turn is a calcium-carbonate. This material will react to the acidity in the water (I am not going to go too technical here...) and help to buffer the pH of the tank. This is a benefit that is not offered in most sand substrates, but as a result the CC will dissolve over time and should be replaced every once in a while.

Skimmers are so beneficial to aquariums that I, and many others in the industry, think that it should be a required piece of equipment. However, there are many people out there who have just as much success without using one. The maintenance is a little more demanding without one, but it can be done. So the ultimate choice is up to you, but I would suggest getting one.

HTH,
Aaron

mike · 09-19-2006, 06:06 PM

thanks, but do i also need a canister filter or is the whisper biowheel filter ,power head and skimmer enough

ahill3780 · 09-19-2006, 07:11 PM

The cannister filter would be more efficient than the whisper you have. I would suggest a combination of cannister filter and protein skimmer. That should serve you well.

mike · 09-19-2006, 08:05 PM

thanks alot. im going to start gathering my supplies in the next week or so.im really stoked ive been wanting to do this for along time. im finally tired of fw we wil see how it goes