bio ball HELP

kingofsalt · 02/06/2014, 04:43 PM

Hello all. As discussed before, I decided to pursue a skimmer that actually produces, rather than my current one. In order to fit any of the reef octopus, or asm, or bubble magus, I needed to make footprint room in my sump. The only way I could have accomplished this was to remove my bio ball container (box, etc) I was told my numerous people that bio balls are simply outdated and should be removed.

So knowing this, I pulled the bio ball container from my sump, and have the drain lines simply running right into my sump. I can now fit a skimmer of whatever foot print into my sump.

Today I called someone from reef octopus, and he said I SHOULD have bio balls, for in a fish only tank, that is your bacteria surface. I was under the impression, that my bacteria would live in the sump, on the sand, live rocks, tank etc.

Is it stupid to remove them? Or is that just one guys opinion, and I have plenty of other areas for surface area bacteria?

Thanks

62SVT · 02/06/2014, 04:46 PM

If you have live rock and sand then that is the biological filter, he may have tankin the "fish only" as just the fish and nothing else which would make him say to keep the bio balls as the biological filter.

How big is your tank and how much live rock do you have in the sump?

Sk8r · 02/06/2014, 04:56 PM

When pulling a bioball unit, best to go VERY easy and only remove a fraction at a time, as the sandbed may not be robust enough yet for independent life.

Reefs don't use them. FOWLR tanks don't [fish-only-with-live-rock [and sand]] --- but fish-onlies that are short of live rock and sand do. Fish aren't as sensitive to nitrate as corals generally are. If your tank is large enough to go the FOWLR route and you've got that going on quite stably and nicely, in general your water quality will be nicer. Less bouncing around of nitrate.

nlgill13 · 02/06/2014, 04:56 PM

^^^+1 your sand and rock are the biological filter and they store the bacteria

richnic07 · 02/17/2014, 10:42 PM

should the bio balls be underwater or only 1/2 way

02/06/2014, 04:43 PM	#1
kingofsalt Registered Member. Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Austin,MA Posts: 24	bio ball HELP Hello all. As discussed before, I decided to pursue a skimmer that actually produces, rather than my current one. In order to fit any of the reef octopus, or asm, or bubble magus, I needed to make footprint room in my sump. The only way I could have accomplished this was to remove my bio ball container (box, etc) I was told my numerous people that bio balls are simply outdated and should be removed. So knowing this, I pulled the bio ball container from my sump, and have the drain lines simply running right into my sump. I can now fit a skimmer of whatever foot print into my sump. Today I called someone from reef octopus, and he said I SHOULD have bio balls, for in a fish only tank, that is your bacteria surface. I was under the impression, that my bacteria would live in the sump, on the sand, live rocks, tank etc. Is it stupid to remove them? Or is that just one guys opinion, and I have plenty of other areas for surface area bacteria? Thanks

02/06/2014, 04:46 PM	#2
62SVT Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 40	If you have live rock and sand then that is the biological filter, he may have tankin the "fish only" as just the fish and nothing else which would make him say to keep the bio balls as the biological filter. How big is your tank and how much live rock do you have in the sump? __________________ 100 gallon

02/06/2014, 04:56 PM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	When pulling a bioball unit, best to go VERY easy and only remove a fraction at a time, as the sandbed may not be robust enough yet for independent life. Reefs don't use them. FOWLR tanks don't [fish-only-with-live-rock [and sand]] --- but fish-onlies that are short of live rock and sand do. Fish aren't as sensitive to nitrate as corals generally are. If your tank is large enough to go the FOWLR route and you've got that going on quite stably and nicely, in general your water quality will be nicer. Less bouncing around of nitrate. __________________ 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%.

02/06/2014, 04:56 PM	#4
nlgill13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Boulder,CO Posts: 1,291	^^^+1 your sand and rock are the biological filter and they store the bacteria __________________ 90G DT w/ 30G sump, 2 Apollo SolarBlast Dimmable LEDs, 160 Reef Octopus Extreme, Neptune Apex, Mag 7, MP10 & MP40

02/17/2014, 10:42 PM	#5
richnic07 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: new jersey Posts: 1	bio balls should the bio balls be underwater or only 1/2 way