Switching from wet/dry bioballs to refugium

Firegrant · 01/08/2012, 08:27 PM

After heavy research I decided to switch out my wet/dry filter with a pre-filter and bioballs to a refugium setup.

My question is, can I make a cold turkey swap from the bioball system to the refugium? Or do I need to gradually remove the bioballs?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

capschamp · 01/08/2012, 08:33 PM

I would think you could go cold turkey. Bio balls provide an area for the beneficial bacteria to grow, water flows over them to convert waste into nitrate. If your tank is past its cycle, i'm sure you have enough bacteria on other surfaces that the balls can go without thinking twice about it. Just my opinion. I just bought a tank with sump and first thing i did was toss the bio balls.

Psirex · 01/08/2012, 08:33 PM

gradually - how long has the refuge been up and what do you have in it? What is in your DT?

Firegrant · 01/08/2012, 08:44 PM

The tank has been up since September 2011. Full of live rock, lps and livestock. My corals look really good and healthy and my water never has had any problems. I dont have a refuge up and running yet. I just have a wet/dry filter sump with bioballs, PS, heater, ph monitor, etc.

Should I remove the bioballs now? or just wait till i get the new refuge sump?

Firegrant · 01/08/2012, 08:44 PM

The tank has been up since September 2011. Full of live rock, lps and livestock. My corals look really good and healthy and my water never has had any problems. I dont have a refuge up and running yet. I just have a wet/dry filter with bioballs.

Should I remove the bioballs now? or just wait till i get the new refuge sump?

Psirex · 01/08/2012, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firegrant

The tank has been up since September 2011. Full of live rock, lps and livestock. My corals look really good and healthy and my water never has had any problems. I dont have a refuge up and running yet. I just have a wet/dry filter with bioballs.

Should I remove the bioballs now? or just wait till i get the new refuge sump?

Are you planning on a DSB? Or do you have a DSB in your DT?

Firegrant · 01/08/2012, 09:59 PM

I do have a DSB in my Main tank. Full of snails, starfish, pistol shrimp and sand sifting goby's!

Psirex · 01/08/2012, 10:42 PM

Ok, in that case a cold turkey swap may work..... The tank is only 4 months old and I believe for a DSB to fully mature takes almost a year ( i could be wrong) but I would error on the side of caution. But you never know it could totally work for you since the tank is so young....

Metal Man 1221 · 01/08/2012, 11:09 PM

I started with bioballs. I also had a DSB and made a cold turkey swap with no issues. Just keep an eye on your parameters and keep a batch of saltwater ready in case anything gets out of line.

Make sure not to release a lot of detritus that may have built up on the bioballs, which I noticed happens pretty quickly.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 01/09/2012, 11:33 AM

While cold turkey may work, I can't see any reason to not remove them over a period of a couple of weeks to play it safer. The concern would be ammonia.

Firegrant · 01/09/2012, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

While cold turkey may work, I can't see any reason to not remove them over a period of a couple of weeks to play it safer. The concern would be ammonia.

So you suggest I remove a little at a time over two weeks until there are none in my filter and then replace with the refugium?

Randy Holmes-Farley · 01/09/2012, 01:25 PM

Yes.

Psirex · 01/09/2012, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firegrant

So you suggest I remove a little at a time over two weeks until there are none in my filter and then replace with the refugium?

the original point I was trying to make earlier..

uchris84 · 03/19/2012, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firegrant

So you suggest I remove a little at a time over two weeks until there are none in my filter and then replace with the refugium?

Hey I noticed this post is pretty aged, and I was wondering if you had any issues doing the bioballs swap and starting the new refugium at once? Any pictures of what your setup looks like now with the refugium in place.

Thanks!

karsseboom · 03/19/2012, 11:55 PM

I can't believe people are still using bio balls. With all tech we have now you dont really need that much live rock or a refugium.

uchris84 · 03/20/2012, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha39

I would think you could go cold turkey. Bio balls provide an area for the beneficial bacteria to grow, water flows over them to convert waste into nitrate.

Right. So if I remove the Bio balls and have no refugium in place will I not have some sort of fluctuation in the water chem.? If so what should I expect and how to fix it.

01/08/2012, 08:27 PM	#1
Firegrant Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cutler Bay Posts: 171	Switching from wet/dry bioballs to refugium After heavy research I decided to switch out my wet/dry filter with a pre-filter and bioballs to a refugium setup. My question is, can I make a cold turkey swap from the bioball system to the refugium? Or do I need to gradually remove the bioballs? Thanks in advance for your advice.

01/08/2012, 08:33 PM	#3
Psirex Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 1,934	gradually - how long has the refuge been up and what do you have in it? What is in your DT? __________________ SALINITY NOW.... Last edited by Psirex; 01/08/2012 at 08:43 PM.

01/08/2012, 10:42 PM	#8
Psirex Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 1,934	Ok, in that case a cold turkey swap may work..... The tank is only 4 months old and I believe for a DSB to fully mature takes almost a year ( i could be wrong) but I would error on the side of caution. But you never know it could totally work for you since the tank is so young.... __________________ SALINITY NOW....

01/08/2012, 11:09 PM	#9
Metal Man 1221 FMMAS Executive Director Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Fargo ND Posts: 1,504	I started with bioballs. I also had a DSB and made a cold turkey swap with no issues. Just keep an eye on your parameters and keep a batch of saltwater ready in case anything gets out of line. Make sure not to release a lot of detritus that may have built up on the bioballs, which I noticed happens pretty quickly. __________________ "My advise is, always look at their aquarium before you take their advise. Because alot of people give advise and they havnt got a clue" ~David Saxby~ "Only after the last tree's cut and the last river poisoned only after the last fish is caught will you find that money cannot be eaten" ~Lamb of God~ Current Tank Info: 125g DT, 45g sump ---- 57g Illuminata, custom sump

01/09/2012, 11:33 AM	#10
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	While cold turkey may work, I can't see any reason to not remove them over a period of a couple of weeks to play it safer. The concern would be ammonia. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

01/08/2012, 08:33 PM	#2
capschamp Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: N/W Ohio Posts: 101	I would think you could go cold turkey. Bio balls provide an area for the beneficial bacteria to grow, water flows over them to convert waste into nitrate. If your tank is past its cycle, i'm sure you have enough bacteria on other surfaces that the balls can go without thinking twice about it. Just my opinion. I just bought a tank with sump and first thing i did was toss the bio balls.

01/08/2012, 08:44 PM	#4
Firegrant Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cutler Bay Posts: 171	The tank has been up since September 2011. Full of live rock, lps and livestock. My corals look really good and healthy and my water never has had any problems. I dont have a refuge up and running yet. I just have a wet/dry filter sump with bioballs, PS, heater, ph monitor, etc. Should I remove the bioballs now? or just wait till i get the new refuge sump?

01/08/2012, 09:59 PM	#7
Firegrant Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cutler Bay Posts: 171	I do have a DSB in my Main tank. Full of snails, starfish, pistol shrimp and sand sifting goby's!

01/09/2012, 01:25 PM	#12
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	Yes. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

03/19/2012, 11:55 PM	#15
karsseboom Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 2,183	I can't believe people are still using bio balls. With all tech we have now you dont really need that much live rock or a refugium.

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