?bio balls?

damitchsta · 09/21/2006, 03:41 PM

ok i have an established tank and have noticed my nitrates are starting to go out of control i have bio balls and am now going to take them out what is going to go wrong if i take tehm all out at once. and input from someone who has done that before would be cool to. thanks
mitchell

Billybeau1 · 09/21/2006, 03:51 PM

How many lbs of live rock do you have ?

damitchsta · 09/21/2006, 03:53 PM

50ish

Billybeau1 · 09/21/2006, 06:00 PM

Well, you'll have to be careful about removing the bio's at this point. Most recommend 1 to 1 1/2 times lbs per gallon to handle the proper amount of filtration for converting ammonia to trites to trates. This is very important.

If you have fish only, dont worry about the trates, but if you have a reef, you'll want to get some more live rock before you start removing bio's.

This is your biological filter and there must be enough surface to hanble your bio-load, otherwise your system will not be able to handle the conversion of ammonia to nitrites to nitrates.

bertoni · 09/21/2006, 09:02 PM

With only six fish in the tank, you might have enough live rock. You could start pulling out a handful every few days or so, and see how it goes. I'd keep some Amquel Plus on hand in case of an ammonia spike.

sir_dudeguy · 09/21/2006, 09:30 PM

only six fish? is that not very much for a 55? Dang...i've only got 4 (clown pair, sixline, and a diamond goby) and i was worried that adding another fish would be too much lol.

But ya i had a canister filter which the media in those do the same thing basically. And i've also got about the same rock (actually about 10 lbs more..so like 60) in my 55. But my canister made my nitrates skyrocket to like 100 while i was on vacation. I took those out slowly and the nitrates went away w/them. But i took out one basket every week and a half and never saw any spikes of any kind (unless you can have a negative spike of nitrates lol)

So i'd take out like maybe a quarter of it per week, only i wouldnt take the whole quarter out at once...do like bertoni said and take out a handfull or so at a time...just so that in a weeks worth of taking them out, you remove about 1/4 of whats there.

drummereef · 09/21/2006, 09:34 PM

I'd pull them out slowly for sure. Probably a quarter of them per week. I would bolster the live rock when you can. 1.5lb per gallon would be good.

Skyesfire · 09/22/2006, 12:57 PM

Do you have to have bio balls!?!

Nu2SW · 09/22/2006, 01:02 PM

if your running a reef you DO NOT want BIO balls.... BB's are more for FOWLR but then they still suck.

Get a good protein skimmer, watch your feedings and do your water changes.

sir_dudeguy · 09/22/2006, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Do you have to have bio balls!?!

srry, but...werent we just saying to ditch the bioballs?

bertoni · 09/22/2006, 01:54 PM

6 fish is perhaps a bit more for a 55g than I'd add (given my guesses as to the size of the fish), but it's not anywhere nearly as bad as some tanks.

sir_dudeguy · 09/22/2006, 03:03 PM

ok cool. (srry to hijack the thread too). So i've got my 55 w/the fish i listed above (false perc pair, sixline, and a diamond gobie)...do you think that i could add a flame angel, or something similar in size to that? Also, do those eat hair algae like tangs do? I'm guessing either no, or not as much, but i really dont know.

bertoni · 09/22/2006, 11:55 PM

The flame angel would probably get along with the other fix, but it might eat corals. Some do; some don't.

sir_dudeguy · 09/22/2006, 11:58 PM

ya i know some do some dont. At this point, its kinda just a risk i'm willing to take lol. I love that fish to death, so if its good w/them, i'll keep it...if not, he'll go back. Of course i'm not putting it w/any expensive stuff. Just softies...xenia kenya tree, gsp, shrooms some polyps and whatnot. Maybe later some more expensive stuff.

09/21/2006, 03:41 PM	#1
damitchsta Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: talbott TN Posts: 147	?bio balls? ok i have an established tank and have noticed my nitrates are starting to go out of control i have bio balls and am now going to take them out what is going to go wrong if i take tehm all out at once. and input from someone who has done that before would be cool to. thanks mitchell

09/21/2006, 09:02 PM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	With only six fish in the tank, you might have enough live rock. You could start pulling out a handful every few days or so, and see how it goes. I'd keep some Amquel Plus on hand in case of an ammonia spike. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/21/2006, 09:30 PM	#6
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	only six fish? is that not very much for a 55? Dang...i've only got 4 (clown pair, sixline, and a diamond goby) and i was worried that adding another fish would be too much lol. But ya i had a canister filter which the media in those do the same thing basically. And i've also got about the same rock (actually about 10 lbs more..so like 60) in my 55. But my canister made my nitrates skyrocket to like 100 while i was on vacation. I took those out slowly and the nitrates went away w/them. But i took out one basket every week and a half and never saw any spikes of any kind (unless you can have a negative spike of nitrates lol) So i'd take out like maybe a quarter of it per week, only i wouldnt take the whole quarter out at once...do like bertoni said and take out a handfull or so at a time...just so that in a weeks worth of taking them out, you remove about 1/4 of whats there. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

09/21/2006, 09:34 PM	#7
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	I'd pull them out slowly for sure. Probably a quarter of them per week. I would bolster the live rock when you can. 1.5lb per gallon would be good. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

09/22/2006, 01:02 PM	#9
Nu2SW Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Arden Fair Posts: 1,772	if your running a reef you DO NOT want BIO balls.... BB's are more for FOWLR but then they still suck. Get a good protein skimmer, watch your feedings and do your water changes. __________________ _____________________________ Its Only $100 Dollars dear.... ______________________________ Current Tank Info: Looking to get back in

09/21/2006, 03:51 PM	#2
Billybeau1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dyer, Indiana Posts: 12,010	How many lbs of live rock do you have ?

09/21/2006, 03:53 PM	#3
damitchsta Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: talbott TN Posts: 147	50ish

09/21/2006, 06:00 PM	#4
Billybeau1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dyer, Indiana Posts: 12,010	Well, you'll have to be careful about removing the bio's at this point. Most recommend 1 to 1 1/2 times lbs per gallon to handle the proper amount of filtration for converting ammonia to trites to trates. This is very important. If you have fish only, dont worry about the trates, but if you have a reef, you'll want to get some more live rock before you start removing bio's. This is your biological filter and there must be enough surface to hanble your bio-load, otherwise your system will not be able to handle the conversion of ammonia to nitrites to nitrates.

09/22/2006, 12:57 PM	#8
Skyesfire Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Waco, Texas Posts: 130	Do you have to have bio balls!?!

09/22/2006, 01:54 PM	#11
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	6 fish is perhaps a bit more for a 55g than I'd add (given my guesses as to the size of the fish), but it's not anywhere nearly as bad as some tanks. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/22/2006, 03:03 PM	#12
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	ok cool. (srry to hijack the thread too). So i've got my 55 w/the fish i listed above (false perc pair, sixline, and a diamond gobie)...do you think that i could add a flame angel, or something similar in size to that? Also, do those eat hair algae like tangs do? I'm guessing either no, or not as much, but i really dont know. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

09/22/2006, 11:55 PM	#13
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The flame angel would probably get along with the other fix, but it might eat corals. Some do; some don't. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/22/2006, 11:58 PM	#14
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	ya i know some do some dont. At this point, its kinda just a risk i'm willing to take lol. I love that fish to death, so if its good w/them, i'll keep it...if not, he'll go back. Of course i'm not putting it w/any expensive stuff. Just softies...xenia kenya tree, gsp, shrooms some polyps and whatnot. Maybe later some more expensive stuff. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!