filter foam
 

I am running an aqua clear 105, what is everyones opinion on running Foam media?

Nitrate Factory just about says it all.

you could use it for polishing. but its will need to be cleaned once ore twice a week. depends on the bioload. I used an aquaclear on my old nano, with foam, and never had nitrates that were noticable on the tests.

I'm really worried about it catching tiny critters that would otherwise just add to my ecosystem

its going to trap them for sure.. but I stil had a decent amount of pods, enough to feed my blenny anyway

That's the idea of a filter like aquaclear and foam pad. They trap small (or big) particles for later removal. That's why so important that you rinse the pad with tank water everytime you do water change.
I would look to invest in a good skimmer and ditch the aquaclear.

The tank will have a skimmer as well

if your running a skimmer then there is no real need on a small tank for a bunch of extra filtration, regular water changes are an option too. why not make the aquaclear into a refugium?

That is kinda were I was leaning too. I have the foam in right as I have just filled the tank and would like to polish the water, before I add any critters