salt to fresh

can i use the same equipment to fiter water.

macman wrote:

can i use the same equipment to fiter water.

in most cases yes.. what type of equipment do you have? There are some methods that may need to be altered between fresh and salt to perform properly. From what I've heard (I have very little salt experience) bio-wheels on filters will affect the ability for liverock to properly work and cause high nitrates. Bio-wheels on the other hand are awesome for freshwater. skimmers won't do anything for a freshwater tank so don't bother with one of those... KYle

just scrub everything with a new brush. you wont need any solvents besides pure water. dont use soap or any detergents

bio wheels are look-like-they-are-doing-something-important but are actually do-nothing devices. toss the wheel and shove a sponge in the filter box

white vinger mixed with water clean the tank out really well.. sump and over flow box can still be used... skimmer won't work on freshwater but could be turn in to a c02 reactor for a planted tank. lights if african cichlids keep the lights if planted change to 6,700k.

oh vinegar. lol forgot about that. ^_^ good call. vinegar is also a useful safe solvent. cheers

Kasshan wrote:

bio wheels are look-like-they-are-doing-something-important but are actually do-nothing devices. toss the wheel and shove a sponge in the filter box

Huh? Did I miss something here? Bio Wheels are do nothing devices? You are aware of how Bio-Wheels came into the aquarium world right? Your statement couldn't be anything further from the truth. I hope he didn't take your advise.

bio wheels will actually hold bacteria... a hob with a bio wheel is like having a mini wet/dry system on your tank.

i dont know, i just happen to be in the camp that think bio-wheels are dandy to look at but arent significantly better than any other type HOB. if i had to choose between a Penguin bio-wheel and Aquaclear; id pick the Aquaclear because it has less moving parts to screw up.

not to say bio-wheels are bad filters, they are good, but the gimmick is more hype based than functional. i do extensive research before i make any major changes to my aquarium. this isnt the only fish forum on the internet after all.

http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2006/12/do-bio-wheels-really-work.html

but you already own bio wheel so use what you got. just realize its capabilities and limitations.

Enormous Bio-Wheels are used in all waste/sewage water treatment plants across the U.S. Your normal drinking water that comes out of a shower head or faucet is ran through a giant Bio-Wheel before its ran through other massive sanitary procedures then recycled back to you. This is how Bio-Wheels came into the aquarium world, because they work so efficiently and well under very polluted water and nutrient conditions. They harbor Aerobic bacteria maybe better then any other kind of filter out there because they are exposed to water and more importantly air. Aerobic bacteria requires Oxygen rich environments in order to thrive thus making bio-wheels an extremely good breeding ground. If you always want to keep your Ammonia levels and Nitrites in check then you want a place where Aerobic bacteria thrives... It's hard to beat a bio-wheel when it comes to this.

fish tanks arent filthy sewer cesspools. the useful and effectiveness of nitrifying bacteria has a logarithmic growth chart. at some point the number of bacteria become neglible. any HOB in this case as no match for the efficiency of a canister or sump. biowheel = gimmick.

aquarium water should already be well oxygenated and the sponge inside the filter doesnt serve as a mechanical removal of detritus only it harbors most of the bacteria colonies. a biowheel isnt any better than other HOB on the market. HOBs are basically all the same, its merely personal preference.

i just imagined an oversized biowheel at a sewage plant spinning real fast ^_^ those bio wheels are 95% submerged and rotate at very slow rates, of course they are extremely efficient, not like pin-wheels as on aquariums.

if biowheels are as awesome a people claim them to be...
try leaving in a biowheel only removing your sponge or
try leaving in the sponge and removing the biowheel

imagine the difference in a stocked tank. then youll see my point.

dang sorry mate....i just

Kasshan wrote:

if biowheels are as awesome a people claim them to be...
try leaving in a biowheel only removing your sponge or
try leaving in the sponge and removing the biowheel

imagine the difference in a stocked tank. then youll see my point.

This statement doesn't make much sense as far as trying to win this debate. I understand what you are saying, but different aquarium setups may require different filtration arrangements. Blanket statements such as this do little to prove your point, IMO.

I use Marineland Penguin filters on all my freshwater tanks and after pulling everything out of a 10 gallon and then throwing it all back in a 20 gallon brand new set up, I didn't lose any livestock, I owe this in large part due to the bio-wheel. When I have tried the same thing with an Aquaclear with pre-bioloaded sponges I ended up losing most of my livestock. I appreciate your opinion. But here is mine, based on my experiences and research: The more ways you filter your tank the more you increase your chances of success. That is why I generally have 2 filters on each tank (or 1 filter with chemical, mechanical and biological filtration at the very least). Overkill? Perhaps, but I prefer to err on the side of caution.

i agree. looks i may be using some shaky logic, based from your personal experience. ive never owned salt water tanks. so perhaps bio-wheels are more effective on them rather than other filters. i dont know, so i wont make any claims.

ive got two 50g aquaclears and one 20g aquaclear running on my 40breeder . they only have sponges in them nothing else. i could take one of those filters and setup a brand new tank and have it ready to go on a brand new tank and not worry about cycling.

we've all got different methodology, what may work for you, may doom all my stock and vice versa. other factors must surely be involved.

as i usually say when i am found ignorant; we wont know anything conclusive until someone conducts some kind of controlled experiment, which i wish i could if i didnt live with my folks.