fluval cleaning and multiple skimmers questions

[buleetu]

hi hows it going,
i asked u to take a look at my equipment list last week,u said everythink should be fine if a clean out the canister and have a skimmer

well i have a skimmer its a deltec mc 500 & i also have a smaller tunze nano skimmer,which of these 2 would u think is beter to use?

the tunze is small and a lot older than the deltec,i got the tunze with the tank when i bought it second hand,the guy sold it to me when he got a larger tank him self,i assumed he gave me the skimmer because his set up would need a larger skimmer too,
i bought the deltec in the lfs,the guy in the shop told me i should get it because the tunze was nt working,he tried to fix it for me but i dont think he tried hard enough because he couldnt and i could,
needless to say the both of them are working fine but the smaller tunze seems to work a great deal easier with not much adjusting involved,
so which one would u recommend me to use(what about using both at the same time,or should i just stick to the best 1?
also on cleaning out the fluval canister,it has 5 compartments for carbon and ceramic rings it also has 4 spongy things to collect dirt as the first stage
(could i put other stuff in there?),today i cleaned out the sponges and rinsed the carbon in a bucket of RO water,i didnt touch the ceramic rings because i didnt want to disturb any benifical bacteria,

what i wanna ask u;is it a good idea to even have carbon in there?(ive read its not really) and if it is a good idea should i replace the carbon now?,i have just finished the cycle process and im going to be putting my first fish in the tank within the week(2 baby clown fish,there tiny,thats why im putting 2 in at the same time) also if u can think of anything else i should be doing before i put the fish i would really like to know,i dont wanna kill any fish because of impatience or missing something small

ok talk soon
thanks
david

 

[Omni2226]

On the canister filter question having activated charcoal in it is a good thing. Just replace the charcoal once a month. Charcoal/carbon cleans toxins and things like phosphate out of the water, along with disovled organics.

The skimmer question. Mmmm, I would probaly use the deltec myself. You shouldnt need two skimmers going unless you have a lot of fish.

Just my opinions, Im sure others will post replys too.

 

[EmilyB]

buleetu

I can't easily track down all the info on your tank, or maybe I'm too tired.. I just want to say at this point, if you are using carbon, make sure you are using a good quality marine carbon. Seachem would be one example.

 

[Anonymous]

On the skimmer question, use the one that collects the most gunk with the least effort. Or, if you have a sump and you don't mind them both running then use them both.



Canister filters can be a benefit to your tank as long as you clean them regularly. They will be harmful if you ignore them for long periods of time.

 

[Anonymous]

I would run just one skimmer. From the two you listed I would use the deltec. For the canister filter I would use it to run carbon. Replace the carbon once a month you should be fine.