Finally removed bioballs, now what?

rachelcb80 · 03/09/2009, 10:29 AM

I've known for a long time that I needed to remove the bioballs but just hadn't done it. I've been battling cyano for several months now and I'm fairly sure it's the bioballs to blame. I bought a new skimmer last week and needed to rework my sump in order to fit the skimmer in so while I had everything out this weekend, I took the bioballs out. Course I didn't realize I should of done it slowly, instead of all at once but the damage is done now. (The bioballs spent the night in a bucket outside in the back of the RTV so pretty sure adding them back in order to slowly remove is kind of out of the question now.) My ammonia readings are at zero this morning so hopefully I won't have any trouble with the balls all being removed at once. I've got water made up in case I need to do some quick water changes though. (Yes I am smacking my head saying "duh"!)

Anyways, I now have the problem of immense water noise coming from my sump. I knew that would be an issue so it's not a suprise. I've read where adding LR is just the same as bioballs, hair curlers, ping pong balls, etc. Anything that is exposed to the air with water trickle will be a nitrate factory. So I'm not looking for an idea of what to add, but for an idea of how to reduce the water trickle noise. What I have for a sump is a Mega Flow model 4, pictured below. I was wondering if I could just put a plastic box in that area, something that would take up the space and let the water just run off of it. It would be something I could take out regularly and clean. Would that work or would it likely build up and release nitrates just as bad?

pimpinitup6969 · 03/09/2009, 10:35 AM

just fill it with live rock rubble and you will be golden

thegrun · 03/09/2009, 12:10 PM

+1 on the live rock, it will not be a nitrate factory like your bio-balls were.

Uncle Salty 05 · 03/09/2009, 12:26 PM

Base rock will work and is a lot cheaper than LR.

bph0013 · 03/09/2009, 12:27 PM

great decision to remove bioballs. You're on the right track IMO it will just take a little time for your tank to readjust.

streetjudge79 · 03/09/2009, 02:01 PM

I had the same problem, what I did was build an egg crate stand, put that in the chamber where the bioballs were, put filter floss on top of it and it took care of the water noise problem.

rachelcb80 · 03/09/2009, 03:03 PM

Streetjudge, that's the kind of idea I was looking for. How tall did you build the egg crate stand? Does the water make much noise at all when it comes out the other side of the filter floss?

Does someplace like Lowes or Home Depot sell egg crate?

Alaskan Reefer · 03/10/2009, 02:29 PM

I had the same problem, with the same sump.

Live rock I don't think will solve the problem, as much of it will remain of the water and you'll still end up with nitrate production -- what you can't see in that rendering is that most of the bioballs end up out of the water and trickled over. The same would happen for live rock placed in that area. What I did was to reduce the bioballs down to just over the water level in the lower sump -- about one layer to cut the splash noise down to less than my skimmer hiss noise. Still, I'm carrying nitrates of 5ppm, which in a barebottom tank with a heavy duty skimmer and chaeto ball, I have to attribute to the remaining bioballs that are still out of the water. What I'm doing next is cutting some spare Starboard I have from going barebottom into two pieces just a bit wider than the bioball area with slats in one end of each -- should be able to position them in a "Z" pattern stacked on one another to make two diagonal spills and kill the noise.

I would guess that filter floss with fresh tank water trickled / aerated over it would eventually produce nitrates as well.

Also get rid of the sponge in the sump unless you want to clean it very regularly -- good nitrate factory there as well...

rachelcb80 · 03/10/2009, 03:03 PM

Alaskan Reefer, I got rid of the sponge awhile back so it's out of the picture. I'm thinking if I build an egg crate stand and put filter floss on top and just change it out every week like I change out the first filter pad section, I should be okay nitrate wise.

(I used to live in Anchorage BTW. Lovely place but a little to extreme on the cold end of the spectrum for me.)

Alaskan Reefer · 03/10/2009, 03:05 PM

With weekly changes, you should be golden -- the floss setup would function like a filter sock, which is something these sumps don't accomodate.

I was born in Alaska and I'll die in Alaska, but yeah it's a little cold at times.

03/09/2009, 10:29 AM	#1
rachelcb80 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Jackson, MS Posts: 468	Finally removed bioballs, now what? I've known for a long time that I needed to remove the bioballs but just hadn't done it. I've been battling cyano for several months now and I'm fairly sure it's the bioballs to blame. I bought a new skimmer last week and needed to rework my sump in order to fit the skimmer in so while I had everything out this weekend, I took the bioballs out. Course I didn't realize I should of done it slowly, instead of all at once but the damage is done now. (The bioballs spent the night in a bucket outside in the back of the RTV so pretty sure adding them back in order to slowly remove is kind of out of the question now.) My ammonia readings are at zero this morning so hopefully I won't have any trouble with the balls all being removed at once. I've got water made up in case I need to do some quick water changes though. (Yes I am smacking my head saying "duh"!) Anyways, I now have the problem of immense water noise coming from my sump. I knew that would be an issue so it's not a suprise. I've read where adding LR is just the same as bioballs, hair curlers, ping pong balls, etc. Anything that is exposed to the air with water trickle will be a nitrate factory. So I'm not looking for an idea of what to add, but for an idea of how to reduce the water trickle noise. What I have for a sump is a Mega Flow model 4, pictured below. I was wondering if I could just put a plastic box in that area, something that would take up the space and let the water just run off of it. It would be something I could take out regularly and clean. Would that work or would it likely build up and release nitrates just as bad?

03/09/2009, 10:35 AM	#2
pimpinitup6969 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Elmira, Ny Posts: 2,503	just fill it with live rock rubble and you will be golden __________________ I'd rather burp and taste it than fart and waste it! Current Tank Info: 125 Gallon, 150 Gallon

03/09/2009, 12:26 PM	#4
Uncle Salty 05 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 3,799	Base rock will work and is a lot cheaper than LR. __________________ In all that I endure, of one thing I am sure. Knowledge and reason, change like the season. A jester's promenade. - Kerry Livgren Current Tank Info: 180 gal reef tank with dual attached refugiums 20 long and 10 gallon. Plus 55 gallon True Percula breeding tank.

03/09/2009, 12:27 PM	#5
bph0013 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Denton, Texas Posts: 317	great decision to remove bioballs. You're on the right track IMO it will just take a little time for your tank to readjust. __________________ Ben Current Tank Info: 40br SPS Reef, 20H sump/refugium, L3MS on a ARO 250W E-ballast, 250w XM 20k bulb, 2 x Tunze 6025 NS, Tunze 9005 DOC Skimmer, Mag 5 return

03/10/2009, 02:29 PM	#8
Alaskan Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Eagle River, Alaska Posts: 2,360	I had the same problem, with the same sump. Live rock I don't think will solve the problem, as much of it will remain of the water and you'll still end up with nitrate production -- what you can't see in that rendering is that most of the bioballs end up out of the water and trickled over. The same would happen for live rock placed in that area. What I did was to reduce the bioballs down to just over the water level in the lower sump -- about one layer to cut the splash noise down to less than my skimmer hiss noise. Still, I'm carrying nitrates of 5ppm, which in a barebottom tank with a heavy duty skimmer and chaeto ball, I have to attribute to the remaining bioballs that are still out of the water. What I'm doing next is cutting some spare Starboard I have from going barebottom into two pieces just a bit wider than the bioball area with slats in one end of each -- should be able to position them in a "Z" pattern stacked on one another to make two diagonal spills and kill the noise. I would guess that filter floss with fresh tank water trickled / aerated over it would eventually produce nitrates as well. Also get rid of the sponge in the sump unless you want to clean it very regularly -- good nitrate factory there as well... __________________ Unattended children will be given double shot espresso and a free puppy. Current Tank Info: 125g FOWLR -- Conversion Back To SPS In Progress

03/09/2009, 12:10 PM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	+1 on the live rock, it will not be a nitrate factory like your bio-balls were.

03/09/2009, 02:01 PM	#6
streetjudge79 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Miami Beach, Fl Posts: 1,970	I had the same problem, what I did was build an egg crate stand, put that in the chamber where the bioballs were, put filter floss on top of it and it took care of the water noise problem.

03/09/2009, 03:03 PM	#7
rachelcb80 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Jackson, MS Posts: 468	Streetjudge, that's the kind of idea I was looking for. How tall did you build the egg crate stand? Does the water make much noise at all when it comes out the other side of the filter floss? Does someplace like Lowes or Home Depot sell egg crate?

03/10/2009, 03:03 PM	#9
rachelcb80 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Jackson, MS Posts: 468	Alaskan Reefer, I got rid of the sponge awhile back so it's out of the picture. I'm thinking if I build an egg crate stand and put filter floss on top and just change it out every week like I change out the first filter pad section, I should be okay nitrate wise. (I used to live in Anchorage BTW. Lovely place but a little to extreme on the cold end of the spectrum for me.)

03/10/2009, 03:05 PM	#10
Alaskan Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Eagle River, Alaska Posts: 2,360	With weekly changes, you should be golden -- the floss setup would function like a filter sock, which is something these sumps don't accomodate. I was born in Alaska and I'll die in Alaska, but yeah it's a little cold at times. __________________ Unattended children will be given double shot espresso and a free puppy. Current Tank Info: 125g FOWLR -- Conversion Back To SPS In Progress