No more bio-balls..

Holmez221b · 11/06/2006, 07:50 AM

What is the correct way to remove bio balls from a sump... I think I read your supposed to remove a few a day so you don't shock the system... but I'm not 100% sure...

lvpd186 · 11/06/2006, 08:20 AM

If you have enough live rock you can take them out over time. I took a couple of handfuls out every time I did a water change (once a week). It took a little while but everything is still looking good and no spikes in the water quality.

Holmez221b · 11/06/2006, 11:58 AM

I actually don't have alot of live rock in the tank.... The only reason I want to take them out is because the nitrates are through the roof..

clekchau · 11/06/2006, 12:47 PM

you need an area for the bacteria to reside in, ie live rock, sand etc

i would not recommend removing the bioballs until you have that in place

Holmez221b · 11/06/2006, 12:48 PM

I have a fairly deep sand bed...not tomuch LR...

acliao · 11/06/2006, 03:30 PM

It's better to remove those bio-balls slowly to prevent potential tank crash.

Sun Devil · 11/06/2006, 05:27 PM

I removed all my bio balls at once from my undertank ecosystem due to cyano problems. Quite a bit of detritus had settled underneath them on on the bottom levels. Within a week, my cyano was gone and no problems with tank crashing (removed around 75-100 balls). Just fyi

Henry Bowman · 11/07/2006, 06:42 PM

I'm with clekchau, dont remove them without the LR in the tank. A pound or so per gallon is the norm. You risk removing most of the avaliable biological filtration that you do have. A Sand bed is not the same as the Live Rock, in fact, I believe that you need the live rock to seed a sand bed with enough microfauna to make the sand bed effective at removing the nitrates that you are having a problem with...

toastman · 11/07/2006, 06:46 PM

Your nitrates are high from not doing enough water changes, taking out the bio balls will not lower your nitrates, only way to lower them is with a reactor or waterchanges or both...stop blaming the bio balls everyone, they have been in use forever without problems, only issue they ever have is if they clog up, then you rinse them and you are fine..... water changes will fix your nitrate problems

Henry Bowman · 11/07/2006, 11:31 PM

Water changes will dillute any polution any the tank. Deep sand beds have been proven to lower nitrates if used properly. Bio balls have been in use "forever", however, they have been indicated in perfectly running systems as a contributing to increased nitrates. See jaubert's notes and Berlins information on systems set up without them ?

Holmez221b · 11/08/2006, 06:08 AM

I have 2 55 gallon tanks.. One I use bio-balls the other I don't... I do water changes on the same exact days for both tanks, The one WITH OUT bio balls never even shows a trace of nitrate while the other one is over 10ppm.

11/06/2006, 07:50 AM	#1
Holmez221b Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Danbury, CT Posts: 273	No more bio-balls.. What is the correct way to remove bio balls from a sump... I think I read your supposed to remove a few a day so you don't shock the system... but I'm not 100% sure...

11/06/2006, 08:20 AM	#2
lvpd186 Reefing in NE Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Papillion, NE Posts: 1,485	If you have enough live rock you can take them out over time. I took a couple of handfuls out every time I did a water change (once a week). It took a little while but everything is still looking good and no spikes in the water quality. __________________ "A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice." Bill Cosby

11/06/2006, 12:47 PM	#4
clekchau Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: TX Posts: 1,159	you need an area for the bacteria to reside in, ie live rock, sand etc i would not recommend removing the bioballs until you have that in place __________________ RIP: 550 Fowlr, 600 Mixed Cichlids Aquarium Blog: www.clekchau.com

11/07/2006, 06:42 PM	#8
Henry Bowman Reefing since '87 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Allegheny Mountains of VA Posts: 2,162	I'm with clekchau, dont remove them without the LR in the tank. A pound or so per gallon is the norm. You risk removing most of the avaliable biological filtration that you do have. A Sand bed is not the same as the Live Rock, in fact, I believe that you need the live rock to seed a sand bed with enough microfauna to make the sand bed effective at removing the nitrates that you are having a problem with... __________________ Have a good'un Current Tank Info: 90 gl SPS dominant / upgrade in the works

11/07/2006, 11:31 PM	#10
Henry Bowman Reefing since '87 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Allegheny Mountains of VA Posts: 2,162	Water changes will dillute any polution any the tank. Deep sand beds have been proven to lower nitrates if used properly. Bio balls have been in use "forever", however, they have been indicated in perfectly running systems as a contributing to increased nitrates. See jaubert's notes and Berlins information on systems set up without them ? __________________ Have a good'un Current Tank Info: 90 gl SPS dominant / upgrade in the works

11/06/2006, 11:58 AM	#3
Holmez221b Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Danbury, CT Posts: 273	I actually don't have alot of live rock in the tank.... The only reason I want to take them out is because the nitrates are through the roof..

11/06/2006, 12:48 PM	#5
Holmez221b Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Danbury, CT Posts: 273	I have a fairly deep sand bed...not tomuch LR...

11/06/2006, 03:30 PM	#6
acliao Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 107	It's better to remove those bio-balls slowly to prevent potential tank crash.

11/06/2006, 05:27 PM	#7
Sun Devil Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Dallas/Ft Worth Posts: 112	I removed all my bio balls at once from my undertank ecosystem due to cyano problems. Quite a bit of detritus had settled underneath them on on the bottom levels. Within a week, my cyano was gone and no problems with tank crashing (removed around 75-100 balls). Just fyi

11/07/2006, 06:46 PM	#9
toastman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Lebanon, Ohio Posts: 164	Your nitrates are high from not doing enough water changes, taking out the bio balls will not lower your nitrates, only way to lower them is with a reactor or waterchanges or both...stop blaming the bio balls everyone, they have been in use forever without problems, only issue they ever have is if they clog up, then you rinse them and you are fine..... water changes will fix your nitrate problems

11/08/2006, 06:08 AM	#11
Holmez221b Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Danbury, CT Posts: 273	I have 2 55 gallon tanks.. One I use bio-balls the other I don't... I do water changes on the same exact days for both tanks, The one WITH OUT bio balls never even shows a trace of nitrate while the other one is over 10ppm.