Given a 55g ,wet/dry filter, and gear. Questions!?!

please bear with me, lots of questions.

Someone saw my interest in aquariums growing, and they had stuff they were never going to use, so they gave it to me I am still learning. Currently have a 29g with eclipse 3 hood.

So I got an older 55g gallon tank. Looks ok, and I like the size of it. I want to have a few fish, rock and some corals.... light limited.

My question is about this wet/dry filter I have gotten, because it looks like mouse trap with all sorts of hoses coming out of it. I will be honest, I have no idea how this thing works, since it came in pieces and the person I got it from had no idea. Anyhow, it is Amiracle Slim line 50B with an overflow thingy, and a pump. I have been reading about them, but I have so much new info I can't keep things straight. :-/

So if I can conjecture on how I think this works... The water gets siphoned from the tank with the overflow to this wet/dry filter... however it works, it does its thing, it then returns the water to the tank. Would that be correct?

From there I have read this design can flood if the power goes out? I live in a place that looses power a lot.

How loud are these things? I have a small living quarters, so if it is really loud it may be too much for me to handle.

Are these any good? I heard bio balls are nitrate factories from some, and not others? Use a deeper sand bed?

This stuff has not been used for years, should I replace all the hosing etc...? cleaning tips?

Got some power heads just need to figure out the make and get some parts.

Now to figure out the lighting... good god

Thanks,
Ser

 

most wet drys work off an overflo, water goes down overflow into skimmer ,1st compartment then into bio ball chamber (after tank cycles remove bio balls THEN INTO RETURN CHAMBER IVE HAD MINE OVERFLO ONCE IN 5 YEARS BUT JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OTHER THAN THAT THEY SEEM OK

 

just maintain it and it will maintain your tank

 

Why would you remove the bio balls?

 

bio balls after the tank has cycled are a nitrate magnet ,i just put a couple of chemi pure bags in stead ,but that works for me maybe not for everyone

 

can you help counter the higher nitrates with a deeper sand bed?

 

I never had a problem with them and I've used them for years. The trick is to not overfeed and to clean the bioballs from time to time. Besides if you remove them right after cycling, you're removing a heck of a lot of bacteria in the process.

 

i took mine out after the tank was running about 3 years and i havent really had any problems, but like i say it may work for me and not everyone else,this tank is mostly 95% sps coral,i also have a 40 gal mixed tank w/a hang on back skimmer /bio bale media that the mfrg says for reef tanks remove bio bale, like i say this method works for me ,all tanks are different

 

interesting.


Well, still up in the air on whether to use this or not.

Thanks guys,
Sean Kenney