Filter TetraTec EX 1200

[OliverBeckham]

I have just bought this TetraTec EX 1200 filter it is very very good, but i am wondering if i can use all the filter media that comes with it? I am a bit worried about the Bio Balls in it? Any advice from the experts?

Thank you. :)

http://www.1st4aquatics.com/index.asp?function=DISPLAYPRODUCT&productid=2130

[Tang Salad]

Hi there,

What do you plan to keep in your tank?

A filter like that is great used as is in a fish-only system, but less good for a coral system.

[OliverBeckham]

I already have a Regal Tang in there and some corals and clownfish, 1 butterflie.

What should i not put into the filter out of the filter media provided with the tank?

[zoomfish1]

Normally the live rock is all you need for filtration. BTW, I read the thread about your fish dying, sorry). If your liverock is about 1-1.5lbs per gallon, you really don't need any mechanical filtration.

I would use the filter to run carbon when needed. You could also fill it with liverock rubble as extra filtration. I would definately not use the bio-balls unless your nitrates are really high. Test daily for that and take the balls out 1/4 per every 3 days until they are all out. You can achieve the same (lowering nitrates) by doing 20% water change a couple times a week until they drop.

As for the filter pads, as I said before, you really don't need them with enough liverock, but if you want to use them, rinse every day or two in clean RO water and replace.

Hope this answers a few of your questions.

[NanoCube-boy]

Yea, bio ball isn't really good for reef, it's an nitrate factory. You can add rubble LR instead of bio balls, that way it will neutrualize the cycle and pods can host the rocks and eat detrius.

[OliverBeckham]

So i should not use the bio balls? I was going to use them for 1 week then take them out? I do have alot of live rock.

[zoomfish1]

Like in my above post, depends on why you need to use them. If for nitrates, fine, otherwise I probably wouldn't. Reason is they gather nitrates at a very high effeciency rate. So good that they "fill up" and let nitrates bi-pass them once full. So if you need to reduce the nitrates, leave them in for a week, then take out slowly. If you leave them in too long they will realease nitrates back into the water.

BTW, how much liverock is in the tank and what size tank do you have?

[DrBegalke]

I would fill it with LR rubble and run it as a "dark zone" filter....

[OliverBeckham]

I have i am not sure in terms of live rock but i have 1/3 of the tank full of it. i think its 240 litres it is a jewel rio 240.

Why should i take the bio balls out slowly?

My salt level is low too how should i up the level and make sure that i dont make it too high?

[zoomfish1]

Because of your recent fish losses, can you post your water parameters? We can help with enough provided information.
Post the following: Nitrates, ammonia, nitrites, pH, temp, sg to begin with. The more information you can give us, the better advice we can give back.

To answer your 2 questions above, by taking out the bio-balls slowly you asre allowing the liverock to take over the bio filtration as the bio balls are being removed. You won't deplete the beneficial bacteria by taking it out all at once and not enough remaining in the live rock. Of course, after only a week you can take out more at a time as the bacteria would have been migrating to the bio-balls instead of visa-versa.

As to the 2nd Question, post the sg level and we can advise. More than likely, if you don't have corals, you can raise it to what is necessary over a shorter period of time, rather than slowly so as not to stress the corals. Don't add salt directly to the tank, though. I would probably use the existing saltwater and mix more salt to that to raise it up. Ideally, with a reef tank, sg should be at 1.025-1.026. With fish only, 1.022-1.025 will work.

[NanoCube-boy]

IS your tank for have corals? Oliver?

[OliverBeckham]

My tank is for fish and corals? So should i only use the bio balls for 1 week? Also today my 2 clownfish died also this is a real tradgedy i think it has something to do with my Australian sea apple???

Can a heater kill a fish if the fish touches it by accident?

[NanoCube-boy]

Heater? no, i don't think so. Sea apple maybe, but they are too slow for fish. Something is wrong in your tank. You should water test it. What is your amonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph sitting at? What is your SG and temperature?

If you have Corals, you should removed the balls slowly a day. If you have roughly 10balls total, take out 1-2balls per day. If you have 20+, take out like 3-4balls per day. DO NOT TAKE ALL AT ONCE, you can mess up your nitrogen cycle and crashed your tank.

[OliverBeckham]

Please use this thread to reply :) thanks all for your help you are all fantastic!

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=9158252#post9158252