New 17 Gallon - Filtration Tips Please?

Hi everyone!  I'm almost ready to setup my new ~17 gallon reef aquarium.  Now, before I get too excited, I just want to ask some last minute questions on my setup, specifically the filtration.  Here's what I have:

• ~17 gallon acrylic aquarium (hex front, flat back, 30" long, 12" deep, 12" high)
• PC/Moon-Lite lighting with 2x65W (1 - 10,000k premium daylight, 1 - ultra-actinic, 2 - 24hr moon-lites)
• Power Sweep 212 (rotating powerhead)
• Penguin 170 Bio-Wheel Power Filter
• Algone Pouches for the filter (supposed to be good for small tanks to remove nitrates and reduce ammonia; see algone.com for more info)

I plan to have a sand bed that is about 2.5 - 3", made up of about 1/3 live sand from a LFS.  I also plan to add about 17 pounds of live rock.  I will be using water from my six stage RO/DI filtration system for water changes.

I had planned to get a larger tank, but ended up winning this one on the Tenacor website.  I know that a tank this small can be challenging, but I'm determined to make this work.  This is where I need your expert advice...

First, the Bio-Wheel - should I keep it or lose it?  I've had LFSs give me conflicting recommendations.  One person said to keep it...  That way if I ever have to use it for a nursing tank, the bacteria will be well established.  Another person told me to definitely take the wheel out and use the filter with only the mechanical and chemical filtration...  That person said that the bio-wheel would actually make the water quality worse?  What has your experience been or what do you think? 

(Just so you don't think I'm a moron for buying the bio-wheel filter without doing this research first, I should probably let you know that my first thought for this new tank was to set it up as fresh water.  The more research I did, the more confident I became on making salt water work.  Even though it's still brand new, the filter not returnable.)

Next, I'm not including a protein skimmer, UV filter, or sump tank in my setup.  Do you think this will be a problem?  I plan to have soft corals and would like two or three small fish in the future.  Should I be looking at adding a protein skimmer when I can?  The ones I've looked at are rated for tanks much bigger than mine.

I've been reading everything I can in books and on Reef Central, but it only seems to leave me more confused.  I'd really appreciate any advice you have to offer.  Thanks in advance!!

Even though I have never used a bio wheel, from what I have read on different forums they appear to work fine.  The only thing to watch out for would be a build up of denitrus and such in it.  When that happens you just need to clean it or replace the filter media.

Also there are probably others on this forum that have a small tank of either your size or smaller that could provide better insight as I have never ran a tank that small.  The big thing to watch out for with smaller tanks from what I have read is the change in temp, salinity, and quality.  In smaller tanks the swings for each one can some times be very dramatic if you are not careful in how you maintain the system. Other than that it looks good to me, and I am curious about the algone filters you have and how well they work.

The only time you ever have to replace the bio-wheel is if it is damaged physically.  Even then you can fix them sometimes.  Why throw away all that good bacteria.  If you read the manual that comes with it, it will tell you that you do not have replace it.  I do not replace the pads until I have washed them out a couple times.  They usually last six months or so if you wash them out when they get plugged up.  I have also seen peolpe take the pads out and fill up the back with bio-balls.  I do not have any first hand knowledge of this so maybe someone else can speak on it.

Water changes should not be that difficult unless you have corals too close to the surface that come out of the water when you drain it down.  Another thing to watch closely is your water level.  Since there is is less water in a 17 gal tank than there is in a 125 gal tank, when water evaporates it makes more of a difference.  A good way to keep your salinity and other water levels the same is to keep up on your top-off.

A good brand of test kit to purchase is Salifert.  They seem to be the most complicated and the most accurate.  Hagen also makes some test kits that are very popular.

Sounds like you are on your way with a good start.

Regarding the biowheel, do whatever you want.  Personally, I wouldn't use.  The worst thing that could happen from use of the biowheel is excessive nitrates, perhaps the added benefit of excess nitrifying bacteria is justified in a small tank *shrug*.  If you do use it, it will be very dirty (only on the wheel itself), this is normal, don't clean/wash it off.

I've got a 20 gallon reef.  I do nothing to equalize temperatures when doing water changes.  I mix the salt up about 10 minutes before adding it to the tank.

I agree, the Salifert kits are very good for the money.

The algone has the smell of snake-oil to me.  Definately not needed, imo.

I would keep the Bio-wheel.

As for the Algone I agree with Jon.  It sounds like Snake-Oil.  I would like to know exactly what it is.

I wouldn't worry about a skimmer or UV on this small of tank.  A sump would be beneficial, but not necessary.

My $.02

Oh, and just for the record I have kept many small reef tanks.

misanthrope, I think that you have other problem going ont hat are not the result of the biowheel.

How is your temp?  How much do you feed?  How often are you doing water changes, How old/new is our tank.  What are your Amonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels?

Do you have live rock?  How long has it been alowed to cure?  IMO it looks your tank is still cycling.

This MB is for saltwater aquarium hobbyists.

Nevertheless, your freshwater problem is probably due to too many fish/too much feeding and not enough biological filtration.

You need to reduce the amount of fish and/or feeding and increase biological action.
Biological filtration is done by plants and bacteria. If you have no plants get some quick. If you do not have at least 2 inches of undisturbed gravel, get some quick! Then find out more about filtration and bioload in the freshwater aquarium from a book or another place on the web.