should the bioballs stay

chris31 · 07/11/2007, 07:46 AM

should i keep my bioballs are they really going to cause a problem in the future?

mwwhite · 07/11/2007, 08:20 AM

I've read here that they're essentially nitrate factories, but I've never used them personally.

If you have sufficient live rock and a protein skimmer, you don't need bio balls, and they should be gradually removed (to prevent nitrate build-up).

Again - not personal experience; I'm parroting what I've read here a number of times.

der_wille_zur_macht · 07/11/2007, 09:24 AM

Describe your system and your goals for it, and we'll give you an answer.

Bioballs are fine in certain circumstances, but terrible in others. The key is understanding the theory and making your own choice.

TylerMoore · 07/11/2007, 09:37 AM

i've seen some people put them in their sumps to add more surface area for bacteria to grow? is this a good idea? I put some in my sump and everything is working as planned so far.

der_wille_zur_macht · 07/11/2007, 09:43 AM

Tyler, same questions - what's your system like and what are your goals?

The purpose of bio-balls is indeed to provide surface area for bacteria to grow. These bacteria break harmful waste products down into simpler, less harmful chemicals. However, depending on what you want to do with your tank, that could be a very good thing or a very bad thing.

The alternative is to use a filtration method that completely removes waste products from the system, rather than just breaking them down. Protein skimmers are probably the most common way to do that.

CookUP · 07/11/2007, 09:58 AM

yes i would take them out get some lr rubble and get some chetto do u have a Refugime???

Sk8r · 07/11/2007, 10:00 AM

If you're going to have a reef [fish with corals], they're a problem. If you're going to have a fish-only-with-live-rock [FOWLR] tank they can be useful, along with other frequently-cleaned filter media. If you don't know yet, keep them and if you go reef, get rid of them handful at a time so as not to throw your tank into a cycle.

drummereef · 07/11/2007, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by chris31
should i keep my bioballs are they really going to cause a problem in the future?

I've used them in the past and yes, over time they will cause issues. The bio-balls do a great job breaking down ammonia and nitrite, but are inefficient at breaking down nitrate. Thus the problem. If you have at least 1lb/gallon of live rock, then it is safe to remove the bio balls as the rock will serve as the primary bio filter. Remove them slowly over the course of a few weeks to allow the rock to take up the bio load.

07/11/2007, 07:46 AM	#1
chris31 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: long island NY Posts: 928	should the bioballs stay should i keep my bioballs are they really going to cause a problem in the future?

07/11/2007, 08:20 AM	#2
mwwhite Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Land O Lakes, FL Posts: 690	I've read here that they're essentially nitrate factories, but I've never used them personally. If you have sufficient live rock and a protein skimmer, you don't need bio balls, and they should be gradually removed (to prevent nitrate build-up). Again - not personal experience; I'm parroting what I've read here a number of times. __________________ gwen Current Tank Info: 150 Mixed reef (gone now)

07/11/2007, 09:24 AM	#3
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	Describe your system and your goals for it, and we'll give you an answer. Bioballs are fine in certain circumstances, but terrible in others. The key is understanding the theory and making your own choice. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

07/11/2007, 09:43 AM	#5
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	Tyler, same questions - what's your system like and what are your goals? The purpose of bio-balls is indeed to provide surface area for bacteria to grow. These bacteria break harmful waste products down into simpler, less harmful chemicals. However, depending on what you want to do with your tank, that could be a very good thing or a very bad thing. The alternative is to use a filtration method that completely removes waste products from the system, rather than just breaking them down. Protein skimmers are probably the most common way to do that. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

07/11/2007, 10:00 AM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	If you're going to have a reef [fish with corals], they're a problem. If you're going to have a fish-only-with-live-rock [FOWLR] tank they can be useful, along with other frequently-cleaned filter media. If you don't know yet, keep them and if you go reef, get rid of them handful at a time so as not to throw your tank into a cycle. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

07/11/2007, 09:37 AM	#4
TylerMoore Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 81	i've seen some people put them in their sumps to add more surface area for bacteria to grow? is this a good idea? I put some in my sump and everything is working as planned so far.

07/11/2007, 09:58 AM	#6
CookUP Moved On Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 36	yes i would take them out get some lr rubble and get some chetto do u have a Refugime???