back to bioballs

[reefgeezer]

Go back and read post #26, I do not use bio balls to remove nitrates. Stability and Oxygen, I tried a tank with out bio balls and have had issues.

OK... reread #26. Help me understand what it says where nitrates are concerned. What mechanism maintained the nitrates @ 2 ppm?

 

[alton]

Water changes, longevity, stability. The animals growing in my trickle filter. The softies, the Lps. To me it takes years for a tank to mature. I feel like the longer a tank runs the easier it is to take care of. On my 158 if I ran the skimmer too much the Xenia would not pulse. Every tank is different.

 

[reefgeezer]

Water changes, longevity, stability. The animals growing in my trickle filter. The softies, the Lps. To me it takes years for a tank to mature. I feel like the longer a tank runs the easier it is to take care of. On my 158 if I ran the skimmer too much the Xenia would not pulse. Every tank is different.

Cool. No argument there. I'd be willing to bet the skimmer isn't even doing you much good. Can you estimate the change that would occur if you now slowly removed the bioballs?

 

[djbon]

This tank is running on a fully bacteria driven system. No refugium, no skimmer, no water changes. It's running on bio media in a reactor and carbon fed. Cheap and easy to run.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

With large, frequent water changes, you can run any bio media you like. Any nitrate build up should be taken care of in the WC. Most of us are too lazy to do frequent, large water changes, so we seek easier ways to combat nutrient build up. If that's your method, go with it. It's a very good method!

Me, I like plants. They NEED the nutrients our tanks make. I struggle to have ENOUGH nutrients. I have to add them…

 

[elegance coral]

Why do you think you need more real estate for biological filtration?
You said you would have some LR in the display. It takes very little LR to accommodate even a large load.
Highly aerobic real estate, like you're talking about, typically just leads to higher NO3 levels.
I don't see the benefit........
Peace
EC