LR and Bioballs

neinhorn · 09/22/2013, 04:46 PM

I am setting up a 75g FOWLR and went into the LFS store today to get some advice. The owner there said I should use about 30lbs of LR and use bioballs in my sump. I've read both sides of the arguments for/against using bioballs and also think that 30lbs of LR might not be nearly enough. Is his recommendation a good one or should I nix the bioballs and go all LR? What do you all think?

charliet21 · 09/22/2013, 05:15 PM

I have a mixed 55g reef and I use bio balls in my sump with not problems. But every tank is different. It's really what works for u. This hobby is all about trail and error. Hopefully more trail then error. But u need to see what works for u.
I also clean half of my bio balls every couple months and don't run a skimmer with a fully stocked tank.

oscarinw · 09/22/2013, 05:48 PM

The weight of the rock LARGELY depends on the type of rock you use. You can have 50 pounds of base rock that provides you 10% of the rock surface of 20 pounds of pukani rock.
So, the higher the quality of your reef rock, the lesser the weight you will need. With regular tonga rock and assuming you want to keep corals, I would say total water volume * 1.6 to 1.8 lbs. In other words, If you go with tonga or fiji rock, you should use between 120 to 135 pounds of rock roughly (that's my recommendation; you will find different points of view on this)... Bio balls can help but can also be a problem in the long run. I don't use bio-balls as they provide nitrification surface for the 1st nitrification cycle and not the 2nd (second process breaks down nitrates) which requires less oxygen-rich areas. Rock does provide this in the smaller, deeper crevices of their bodies. This is why bioballs are often attributed long term nitrate problems. However, many people use them. So on that, it's up to you.
Good luck with things.

neinhorn · 09/22/2013, 07:46 PM

If for the time being I plan on keeping just fish and no corals would I still need 1.6 -1.8 times my water volume?

oscarinw · 09/22/2013, 09:30 PM

Definitely not. You can probably get away with much much less and a higher rate of high quality water changes but I would not recommend going with less than 50 pounds or so.
This hobby can be successfully carried out in one million and one ways. What I refer to is general guidelines or widely adopted practices.
You can never have too much rock but you can certainly have too little. The only practical consideration to this rule is that you also want to leave as much swimming and display volume in your tank as possible at the same time...
Good luck with things!

09/22/2013, 04:46 PM	#1
neinhorn Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 4	LR and Bioballs I am setting up a 75g FOWLR and went into the LFS store today to get some advice. The owner there said I should use about 30lbs of LR and use bioballs in my sump. I've read both sides of the arguments for/against using bioballs and also think that 30lbs of LR might not be nearly enough. Is his recommendation a good one or should I nix the bioballs and go all LR? What do you all think?

09/22/2013, 05:48 PM	#3
oscarinw Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Western Massachusetts Posts: 1,091	The weight of the rock LARGELY depends on the type of rock you use. You can have 50 pounds of base rock that provides you 10% of the rock surface of 20 pounds of pukani rock. So, the higher the quality of your reef rock, the lesser the weight you will need. With regular tonga rock and assuming you want to keep corals, I would say total water volume * 1.6 to 1.8 lbs. In other words, If you go with tonga or fiji rock, you should use between 120 to 135 pounds of rock roughly (that's my recommendation; you will find different points of view on this)... Bio balls can help but can also be a problem in the long run. I don't use bio-balls as they provide nitrification surface for the 1st nitrification cycle and not the 2nd (second process breaks down nitrates) which requires less oxygen-rich areas. Rock does provide this in the smaller, deeper crevices of their bodies. This is why bioballs are often attributed long term nitrate problems. However, many people use them. So on that, it's up to you. Good luck with things. Last edited by oscarinw; 09/22/2013 at 06:35 PM.

09/22/2013, 05:15 PM	#2
charliet21 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: earth Posts: 160	I have a mixed 55g reef and I use bio balls in my sump with not problems. But every tank is different. It's really what works for u. This hobby is all about trail and error. Hopefully more trail then error. But u need to see what works for u. I also clean half of my bio balls every couple months and don't run a skimmer with a fully stocked tank.

09/22/2013, 07:46 PM	#4
neinhorn Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 4	If for the time being I plan on keeping just fish and no corals would I still need 1.6 -1.8 times my water volume?

09/22/2013, 09:30 PM	#5
oscarinw Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Western Massachusetts Posts: 1,091	Definitely not. You can probably get away with much much less and a higher rate of high quality water changes but I would not recommend going with less than 50 pounds or so. This hobby can be successfully carried out in one million and one ways. What I refer to is general guidelines or widely adopted practices. You can never have too much rock but you can certainly have too little. The only practical consideration to this rule is that you also want to leave as much swimming and display volume in your tank as possible at the same time... Good luck with things!