Bioballs - Yes or NO

moonlightdriver

moonlightdriver

New member
Is anyone out there using bioballs?

I see that BRS is selling Marine Pure Ceramic Bio media and just wondering if it would be something to look into?

what do you think? Bioballs... Yes or no
 
Bioballs used in a wet/dry trickle filter are very efficient at converting nitrite to nitrate. The problem arises when there is no way of converting the nitrate to nitrogen. You are better off putting live rock rubble in a fuge than bioballs.
 
Back in the 80's, most serious systems (fish & corals/reef) used bio balls in the sump with some sort of wet/dry filter under the tank. This "trickle" filter then drained into the sump, returning the water to the display. They tend to be "nitrate factories" in that they convert ammonia & nitrites into nitrates very well. Bad news, the nitrates are not affected with this type of filter (typically).

The product you are referring to that BRS is marketing is different in many ways for certain. The design has great amounts of surface area for (hopefully good) bacteria to set up camp. Likely the type that will perform akin to live rock, just in the sump vs. your display.

Anyway, bio Balls are largely unused in today's reef systems. Now, I use about 65 of them in my down draft protein skimmer, all together different application for sure.

Happy Reefing

Edited: I failed to mention, this "new" bio media can work great if kept free of debris (the hard part).
 
Maybe in an ozone reactor but not as a bio filter on a reef tank.

Efficient denitrification is like real estate ; it's about; location, location ,location.

Media( bioballs, ceramics, biowheels, sponges ,etc., placed in a high flow location provide surface areas that get lots of oxygen for colonization by bacteria .These environments promote nitrifying bacteria, those that breakdown the ammonia(NH3/4) to nitrite(NO2) and add an extra O2 molecule to form NO3.

For the NO3 to break down requires a lower flow hypoxic envirnonment( low in oxygen but with nitrate).In this environment the bacteria use all the available oxygen and then turn to the NO3( nitrate) for oxygen reducing it to N which joins with another N atom and forms N2 nitrogen gas that bubbles out of the tank.

These two types of digestion, aerobic( O2 for energy) and anaerobic(the O from NO3 for energy ) occur more efficiently when occurring in close proximity.
For example, breakdown of ammonia and oxygenation of nitrite( nitrifiction) on live rock or substrate can readily transition to denitrification, the consumption of the O in NO3( nitrate) in lower flow areas when it originates on the substrate or rock with adjacent hypoxic areas in the sand or rock pores or even in the bacterial mulm.

If the locations for these two types of digestion are separated as they are with trickle filters, bioballs , biowheels,etc., the nitrate goes into the water where nuisance algae or other organisms may use it before it gets to any hypoxic areas and nitrate reducing bacteria.
 
I asked a similar question not too long ago... see here.

The gist I got out of it is that if all things are equal, the benefits of bioballs = the benefits of LR rubble. Keep them submerged and don't expose them to air and they will help in biological filtration.

The difference is that LR rubble is generally not used the same way bioballs are. LR rubble is generally submerged in a sump, bioballs are generally used in overflow areas, wet/dry filters, etc.
 
jacksonpt said:
I asked a similar question not too long ago... see here.

The gist I got out of it is that if all things are equal, the benefits of bioballs = the benefits of LR rubble. Keep them submerged and don't expose them to air and they will help in biological filtration.

The difference is that LR rubble is generally not used the same way bioballs are. LR rubble is generally submerged in a sump, bioballs are generally used in overflow areas, wet/dry filters, etc.
Click to expand...
so nobody walks away from this thread with the wrong understanding it's important to note that the benefits of bioballs DO NOT = the benefits of liverock!

read this thread
 
For the record... still valuable in systems where live rock is not widely used (i.e. freshwater systems). From what I have read, you not only have a nitrogen problem but the live rock begins to compete with the bioballs.
 
I use them in my clownfish broodstock system in lieu of live rock. I would never use them in a reef aquarium setup.
 
Live rock rubble in a trickle filter type set up or very high oxygen area will have some pores where the facultative bacteria( use O2 or NO3) may exhaust the O2 and turn to nitrate for oxygen and reduce it to nitrogen gas but probably not much denitrification will occur since there will be plenty of oxygen around most of the available surface area,perhaps even in the pores. Rubble will also trap detritus. It's not the media used as much as it is the high oxygen envirornment. The potential for hypoxic environs where denitrification occurs is much greater with larger pieces of rock and/or lower flow. So if you use a set up with water falling over and through a bunch of rubble the net output is likely to be an increase in nitrate,imo.

I think a trickle filter with bioballs or even a biowheel is fine for a quarantine tank where your only concern is ammonia.
 
I use a large aquaclear hob with open cell sponge; its a real cryptic fuge under the sponge. For seven years I've never had detectible N3, granted I don't test very often. During the years I was w/o a skimmer I always suspected them during my occasional bouts with algae, but they never showed up on cheopo hobby grad test kits. I do try getting as much detritus out as I can by rinsing it out in my waste water bucket most water changes (never in fresh).
 
tmz said:
Scott, is NO3 any concern with broodstock?
Click to expand...

I'm not Scott, but I'll add my thoughts.

Nitrate isn't a large concern with broodstock systems. Clownfish (especially) don't require pristine water conditions and will breed when Nitrates are present. I've heard reports of them breeding all the way up into the 70ppm Nitrate range.

I wouldn't suggest having Nitrates that high, but it's not going to hurt anything. People also routinely report having nitrates in the fry and growout tanks in excess of 50ppm without too many problems. Although, misbarring is thought to occur with less than pristine conditions.

Honestly, I don't even bother to test my broodstock system for nitrates.
 
NirvanaFan said:
I'm not Scott, but I'll add my thoughts.

Nitrate isn't a large concern with broodstock systems. Clownfish (especially) don't require pristine water conditions and will breed when Nitrates are present. I've heard reports of them breeding all the way up into the 70ppm Nitrate range.

I wouldn't suggest having Nitrates that high, but it's not going to hurt anything. People also routinely report having nitrates in the fry and growout tanks in excess of 50ppm without too many problems. Although, misbarring is thought to occur with less than pristine conditions.

Honestly, I don't even bother to test my broodstock system for nitrates.
Click to expand...

Thanks for saving me the typing, Joe! :lol:

Of the three pairs I have in the system, only one is mature enough and has started spawning. I'm pretty convinced they'd spawn in a toilet bowl, although I'm sure that sub-par conditions would result in sub-par offspring.

I've never tested the system for nitrates. I use the discarded water from the reef tank for water changes.
 
pretty clear from this thread, rock is better than bio balls - with that said, I have about 15 gallons of these if anyone needs them
 
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