Filter Question

[Solarris]

I am using an Emperor 400 Biowheel filter on my 55 gallon tank. Currently I am using the cartridge that contains both filter floss and carbon in one unit on it but I was under the impression that carbon isn't really needed all the time. I was considering replacing that cartridge with one that is just filter floss for every day use and maybe adding some Azoo Quartz Balls in the extra plastic media container that came with it just for the extra biological filtration. Has anyone ever used those before? Also, does that sound like it would work ok? That would give me the biowheels, filter floss and the quartz balls. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Blueiz]

I have no experience with the azoo quartz balls, however you can use the filter cartridges without carbon. Personally, I use the ones with carbon, for the minute amount that is in them, they carbon is useless after at most a couple weeks in the tank. I simply rinse the filter pad in tank water or conditioned tap water and use them until they are falling apart or are no longer filtering out the fine particles from the water.