Anyone use fluidized sand bed or bioball in their setup?

[MimicTang]

Anyone use fluidized sand bed or bioball in their setup?

 

[billsreef]

I've used both at point or another. Any particular reason your asking?

 

[Fishboy42]

I use both. I do like the idea of what I call "fluidized bioball" filters (low-space bioreactors utilizing plastic carrier elements), but as I'm sure some can relate, I've been on the throne too long with my new AES catolog...

Matt

 

[MimicTang]

Is either better? Is either needed?

 

[Fishboy42]

Knowing more about your specific application would be helpful for deciding on which biofilter. In certain situations, you may not need either one (ex: in a reeftank live rock usually serves as a fine substrate for biofiltration) Fluidized-bed filters are great in terms of having a huge surface area for colonization by bacteria and by being resistant to excess build-up of biofilms or channeling of the media, but they use oxygen and create CO2, so it is good to have a way to degas the water or at least have extra aeration to counteract the biofilter. Bioballs are better with gas-exchange, but they take up a lot of space and will have trouble rivaling the surface area of a fluidized bed. Using a large number of bioballs (or a smaller amount of a more efficient, higher surface-area media assuming the water is first cleaned of solids) or using both together are both possible ways to achieve good biofiltration (among others...).

 

[billsreef]

A lot depends on your set up and your goals. Fluidized beds take up less space to yield the same biological filtration capacity as a wet/dry bioball filter. However, the use lots of O2 while the wet/dry will end up oxygenating the water. If the power goes out, a fluidized bed can rapidly go anoxic in a few hours causing problem on start up if precautions are not taking, while a wet/dry will no issues so long is the balls stayed damp. With fluctuating bioloads, the fluidized bed responds faster.

As for need, on any closed recirculating system you will need some kind of biological filtration.

 

[aomont]

If the power goes out, a fluidized bed can rapidly go anoxic in a few hours causing problem on start up if precautions are not taking, while a wet/dry will no issues so long is the balls stayed damp.

Hey Bill, what precautions should be taken this problem ?

Anderson.

 

[billsreef]

Either set up to run on a battery operated pump to keep it oxygenated, or run it in in a bucket for awhile after the power comes back on. In practice I find it takes at least 2 hours or longer before it becomes a problem

 

[MimicTang]

I have no setup as of yet just broodstock. I'm gonna start with a 240 system and build more as I go along.

 

[Dman]

I'm using both, the bioballs help with oxygenation as Bill pointed out and the fluidized bed filter on my growout tanks due to the sheer volume of fish and crazy-assed flucuations in stocking densities.
Bill's definately right aboutnot letting 'er set too long, disaster will follow.