bio balls yes or no?
- Thread starter kevinohio
- Start date
bio balls
bio balls
So would you recommend taking them out.
I do not know if my bio filtration is totally up though i assume it is.
tank is 3 months old at this point.
It is fish only at this time as well.
I am just looking down the road my nitrates are not bad. only about 20PPM i would just like to keep them as low as possible.
If I were to take them out do you just leave the section they came out of empty, and fill it with more water?
bio balls
So would you recommend taking them out.
I do not know if my bio filtration is totally up though i assume it is.
tank is 3 months old at this point.
It is fish only at this time as well.
I am just looking down the road my nitrates are not bad. only about 20PPM i would just like to keep them as low as possible.
If I were to take them out do you just leave the section they came out of empty, and fill it with more water?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
even clean bioballs will produce nitrates because it's what they were designed to do: reduce (more harmful) ammonia and nitrites to nitrates.
If you have enough LR (and/or other areas for anaerobic bacteria to thrive) you should slowly eliminate your bioballs and leave that section of your wet/dry empty.
If you have enough LR (and/or other areas for anaerobic bacteria to thrive) you should slowly eliminate your bioballs and leave that section of your wet/dry empty.
shuturhole316tx
Premium Member
Thanks you answered most of my question without me asking it. The last part though is how much live rock is enouph to get rid of them? I have got (to my best figures) at least 110 lbs maybe a little more, but right in that ballpark.
kau_cinta_ku
New member
1.5 - 2lbs per gal. is a good rule but 1 lb per gal is good as long as your bioload is lower.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
how much rock depends on the liverock itself. Large porous pieces are better. Branch rock is usually denser and you'll need more of it.
The best thing to do IMO is to continue your normal maintenance routine and start removing bioballs (like 1/4 of them each week for four weeks) while monitoring nitrates.
A month after all the bioballs are gone assess your nitrate level and consider adding some more liverock if necessary.
Consider adding a skimmer if you don't already have one.
A good skimmer can help keep water changes to a minimum and thus pay for itself in saltmix savings.
bio balls
bio balls
I have a protien skimmer in now.
I added onlly about 20 lbs of live rock, but i have another 50 to to 60 lbs of tufa that i designed. since it is nice anr purous i assume it will be like live rock as faras the bacteria is concerned, though certainly not as colorful.
bio balls
I have a protien skimmer in now.
I added onlly about 20 lbs of live rock, but i have another 50 to to 60 lbs of tufa that i designed. since it is nice anr purous i assume it will be like live rock as faras the bacteria is concerned, though certainly not as colorful.
coast2coast7390
Moved On
they add to the nitrate level because they work...isnt that what we want our filters to do
change ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate???
junk such as ditritus shouldnt get stuck in them if proper mechanical filtration is placed before them...as we are supposed to do
i run them in my reef tank and they never get dirty with ditritus because i have foam placed in the over flow
just make sure that you do your water changes and you shouldnt have a problem with nitrates
change ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate???
junk such as ditritus shouldnt get stuck in them if proper mechanical filtration is placed before them...as we are supposed to do
i run them in my reef tank and they never get dirty with ditritus because i have foam placed in the over flow
just make sure that you do your water changes and you shouldnt have a problem with nitrates
shuturhole316tx
Premium Member
I do have a ASM Skimmer, and most of the rock if Fiji with only >3 lbs Tonga Branch. Ill try the gradual removal.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
Re: bio balls
Re: bio balls
A "fish only" system with liverock is often called a "FOWLR", an acronym for fish only with live rock.
Liverock provides biological filtration that will help keep nitrates down.
A deep sand bed can perform a similar function.
Why settle for filtration that's doesn't reduce nitrates as well as nitrites and ammonia?
The fewer water changes I need to do the better.
Re: bio balls
nonsense.
A "fish only" system with liverock is often called a "FOWLR", an acronym for fish only with live rock.
Liverock provides biological filtration that will help keep nitrates down.
A deep sand bed can perform a similar function.
Not me!
Why settle for filtration that's doesn't reduce nitrates as well as nitrites and ammonia?
The fewer water changes I need to do the better.
bio balls
bio balls
I have all that as well. The sand bed may not be deep enough it is about 2". I have a total of about 70lbs of rock. Some was just tufa I put in, and some live rock of various types.
So that should be good, Sounds like I could slowly start to remove the Bio Balls.
and thanks for telling me what FOWLR was. I knew what fish only was, but i am just learning all the acronyms now.
bio balls
I have all that as well. The sand bed may not be deep enough it is about 2". I have a total of about 70lbs of rock. Some was just tufa I put in, and some live rock of various types.
So that should be good, Sounds like I could slowly start to remove the Bio Balls.
and thanks for telling me what FOWLR was. I knew what fish only was, but i am just learning all the acronyms now.
shuturhole316tx
Premium Member
Along with the rock I also have a 2-3 in sand bed about 90lbs in the tank and 20lbs mor in the fuge
wooden_reefer
New member
Re: bio balls yes or no?
If bioball is the only biological filter then your nitrate level will be high since denitrification will be supressed as the oxygen level is uniformly high; this is NOT to say that bioball "add nitrate level".
Consider nitrogen mass balance.
If bioball is the only biological filter then your nitrate level will be high since denitrification will be supressed as the oxygen level is uniformly high; this is NOT to say that bioball "add nitrate level".
Consider nitrogen mass balance.
coast2coast7390
Moved On
i have a bioball filter and my nitrates are at or close to 0...because i do water changes...water changes replace "stale" water...
Mavrk
New member
Please take special note of the work "SLOWLY." I totally agree that these should be eliminated (and should not be used in the first place when using LR and DSB). Just remember that like everything else, have patience. Remove a few balls a day (I don't have an exact number to offer) if possible.
-Mav
A.T.T.R
Active member
they DO NOT ADD ANY EXTRA NITRATE they can not.. they can not make what isnt there.
sure you cna use live rock and get an effect that also eliminates no3 but if bio balls are used with live rock in the tnak. you are better off
higher gas exchange and cooler water temps.
the whole "no3 factory" is another example of people bouncing bad info back and forth till it is accepted as fact.
do some real research that isnt hear say,, iv posted about this before but am sick of doing it. i have run may tanks with bio balls that have no probloms.
(manage over 5000 gallons of aquariums. )
sure you cna use live rock and get an effect that also eliminates no3 but if bio balls are used with live rock in the tnak. you are better off
higher gas exchange and cooler water temps.
the whole "no3 factory" is another example of people bouncing bad info back and forth till it is accepted as fact.
do some real research that isnt hear say,, iv posted about this before but am sick of doing it. i have run may tanks with bio balls that have no probloms.
(manage over 5000 gallons of aquariums. )
spongebob120
New member
I removed my bioballs about a month ago and filled the empty chamber with a sponge as the water from chamber 1 of my biocube was making too much noise falling into the now empty chamber 2. my nitrate levels have since dropped from about 10 to 7.5 ppm.
coast2coast7390
Moved On
exactly
thank you
