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06/28/2007, 11:00 AM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Newport News, Virginia
Posts: 347
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Live rock instead of Bio balls
Let's say you take a sump/filter and take out the bio balls and replace them with live rock. Wouldn't the live rock be doing the same thing as the bio balls? Acting as a wet/dry filter?
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"Good? Bad? I'm the one with the gun." "Hail to the king, baby!" -Ashley J. 'Ash' Williams This board has taught me that common sense is not so common..... Current Tank Info: 120 SPS Dominate |
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06/28/2007, 11:18 AM
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#2 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 541
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Yes.
... and if you have a good amount of live rock in your display, bio balls/rock rubble in your sump shouldn't be needed. That stuff is just a big detritus trap, allowing the development if unnecessary nitrates. --csb
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Winter ski bum, summer reef bum. Tank pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/snojrnl Current Tank Info: 30g mixed reef |
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06/28/2007, 11:35 AM
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#3 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Newport News, Virginia
Posts: 347
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Thanks csb. That's what I thought. Define "good amount of live rock".
__________________
"Good? Bad? I'm the one with the gun." "Hail to the king, baby!" -Ashley J. 'Ash' Williams This board has taught me that common sense is not so common..... Current Tank Info: 120 SPS Dominate |
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06/28/2007, 11:39 AM
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#4 |
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Recovering Detritophobe
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Cary, NC
Posts: 7,443
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A good amount would be around 1 lb per gallon, +/- depending on the density of the rock.
Rock rubble will actually be better then bio balls. The bio balls house the bacteria that convert ammonia into nitrite and nitrite into nitrate. The bio balls lack the anaerobic areas which are needed to convert nitrate into nitrogen gas. The live rock has these areas deep within it, so it will take the process one step further. But I agree... it shouldnt really be needed anyway. I wouldnt do it unless you have a lot of flow inthe area to keep the rubble from trapping detritus.
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If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles |
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06/28/2007, 11:50 AM
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#5 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Newport News, Virginia
Posts: 347
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Good info!!!!
__________________
"Good? Bad? I'm the one with the gun." "Hail to the king, baby!" -Ashley J. 'Ash' Williams This board has taught me that common sense is not so common..... Current Tank Info: 120 SPS Dominate |
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06/28/2007, 12:48 PM
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#6 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 541
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How much rock do you currently have in the display? 1lb/gal is a good starting point. I've found that I usually want more rock anyway (more is good) because 1lb/gallon doesn't actually fill a lot of space.
--csb
__________________
Winter ski bum, summer reef bum. Tank pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/snojrnl Current Tank Info: 30g mixed reef |
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