Emperor 400 biowheels?

[wbrodeur]

I have an Emperor 400? HOB filter that I use for periodic carbon filtering. I am looking to convert it to a refug. I do still have the biowheels on it for I was told by the person I got it from that they have been live for about 9 years and there is an incredible amount of beneficial bacteria there, so never throw it out and always keep it wet. Well I also heard on the contrary that they are huge nitrate producers. (my NO3 is around 10ppm, give or take due to the test being unclear). I want to turn the Emperor into a fuge because we recently got a Lunar Wrasse and fear that we will be losing our hermits/snails soon and want an alternate method of reducing algae and lowing nitrates. So should I keep the biowheels on or say good bye to them? (we don't want to say goodbye to the wrasse yet, is my husbands first and favorite fish gotta keep him happy to like this hobby)

Also, what would be good to add to the fuge? Chaeto, live sand?

My tank has been running for ~4yrs. (I acquired it for the past year).

 

[MichaelJ]

I was told by numerous people to not use the bio wheels just because they harbor those nitrates.... so i never took that chance... other people may have a different opinion...

I have a fuge... Chaeto, Live sand and Live rock rubble, along with Marco rubble.... I have a small current going through it at this time.

I'm new at this, but the bio wheel is a no go for me.

 

[LosingSleep]

I couldn't get my nitrates to drop under 10ppm. Removed the bio wheel from my filter and the nitrates dropped to 0 in 7 days.