Cycling Bio Balls
- Thread starter bhdmc
- Start date
sir_dudeguy
Active member
So why add the bioballs if the tank has been going for many years? They're just gonna end up creating nitrates...
To answer your question though, i'd expect about 4-6 weeks...
To answer your question though, i'd expect about 4-6 weeks...
bhdmc
New member
I am adding bio balls to the intake portion of my refugium and to create a biological system. The nitrate will be taken up by the macro algae and DSB in the refugium. I am getting alot of crap growing in the refugium and the LFS recommended trying this. The LFS was not trying to sell me bio balls. I have bio balls from my old wet/dry system which I stop using years ago.
drummereef
Team RC
I really don't believe the macro/dsb will be able to handle the amount of nitrate the bio-balls will cause. I think this was poor advice by your LFS. Stick to growing your macro and keeping your dsb happy and ditch the balls. 
bhdmc
New member
Just curious on everyone comments which I respect. Since the water going into the refugium is coming from the sump, and this water contains ammonia and nitrite, the bio balls will convert this to nitrate and the be uptake by the macro algae and DSB? Are you saying that is is better to have the ammonia and nitrite in the refugium? The LFS, Fishtown USA in Flushing, NY uses bio balls before the refugium on their main reef tank. Pet Barn in Franklin Square, NY has the same set up.
sir_dudeguy
Active member
well if you've got amonia in your water to begin with, you've got a different problem. There should be zero amonia and zero nitrites in an established tank, meaning somethings died.
The cycle process is constantly going...amonia is always being broken down into nitrites and so on, but its broken down before it shows up, unless like i said..something's died. But the live rock is already doing that for you, so there's absolutely no point in putting them there, and i'm with the others...thats just gonna make your nitrates go up.
Also, is this a display refugium we're talkin about? If not...why care about the crud growing in there? If its growing in there, its not in the tank, right? I've seen some pretty nasty stuff growin in fuges, but as long as its not a display, i dont think it really matters.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10217855#post10217855 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bhdmc
Just curious on everyone comments which I respect. Since the water going into the refugium is coming from the sump, and this water contains ammonia and nitrite, the bio balls will convert this to nitrate and the be uptake by the macro algae and DSB? Are you saying that is is better to have the ammonia and nitrite in the refugium? The LFS, Fishtown USA in Flushing, NY uses bio balls before the refugium on their main reef tank. Pet Barn in Franklin Square, NY has the same set up.
I also go to Fish Town in Flushing and had them detail to me their method. They're methods of keeping Low Nitrates is a little bit different because they are a LFS and can constantly keep up with the tanks. There methods are based on the following -
a. Fishtown does almost daily waterchanges which removes a lot of wastes before they even can become nitrates.
B. They use a gigantic skimmer which helps with the removal of wastes.
Lastly, their display tank does not really have many of the coral that would be affected by even a bit of nitrates. Its mainly LPS and hardier SPS's. Not too many acro's in there.
Just my opinion though. . .
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I also go to Fish Town in Flushing and had them detail to me their method. They're methods of keeping Low Nitrates is a little bit different because they are a LFS and can constantly keep up with the tanks. There methods are based on the following -
a. Fishtown does almost daily waterchanges which removes a lot of wastes before they even can become nitrates.
B. They use a gigantic skimmer which helps with the removal of wastes.
Lastly, their display tank does not really have many of the coral that would be affected by even a bit of nitrates. Its mainly LPS and hardier SPS's. Not too many acro's in there.
Just my opinion though. . .
_________________________
I think this is a good explanation to this whole topic. I came out of fresh water-- raising discus, where premium water quality is also crucial. But getting to premium is different than in salt. In FW bio balls and bio wheels are king. In SW, they are soooo efficient they create nitrate problems. It took me a while to understand this. Plus, as you stated, lfs stocking is usually much less, they have mammoth equipment and do water changes often. They have issues, but they are different than hours.
a. Fishtown does almost daily waterchanges which removes a lot of wastes before they even can become nitrates.
B. They use a gigantic skimmer which helps with the removal of wastes.
Lastly, their display tank does not really have many of the coral that would be affected by even a bit of nitrates. Its mainly LPS and hardier SPS's. Not too many acro's in there.
Just my opinion though. . .
_________________________
I think this is a good explanation to this whole topic. I came out of fresh water-- raising discus, where premium water quality is also crucial. But getting to premium is different than in salt. In FW bio balls and bio wheels are king. In SW, they are soooo efficient they create nitrate problems. It took me a while to understand this. Plus, as you stated, lfs stocking is usually much less, they have mammoth equipment and do water changes often. They have issues, but they are different than hours.
sir_dudeguy
Active member
well...maybe...but the reason they create nitrates in the first place is because they cant break them down. Live rock has the bacteria to break nitrates down to nitrogen gas i think it is...bioballs/wheels/medias cannot do that, so they build up.
All I know is working with guys that have done this for lot's of years and doing searches (I've done several) and this subject, many have had trouble with the balls and wheels putting out so much nitrates the tank/sumps can't handle the load. Everybody's experience is their own and if it's working don't fix it. It's not my experience, haven't been in it long enough. Just relaying what some have had happen.
luigisacs response was stated well and echoes what local biologist who keeps reef tanks shared with me as well as lots of people here on RC.
luigisacs response was stated well and echoes what local biologist who keeps reef tanks shared with me as well as lots of people here on RC.
sjfishguy
Active member
The bioballs trap more funk in them than they are worth. They themselves will make ADDITIONAL ammo and nitrite that would not have been in your tank if you had not added them. And this is not from making it from more fish crap, it will be created from all the funk they collect. Take everyone's opinion on here, do not add them to your system. You will be sorry in about a year.
Esp, in an est system: if it ain't broke, don't fix it...
Esp, in an est system: if it ain't broke, don't fix it...
bhdmc
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10218150#post10218150 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sir_dudeguy
well if you've got amonia in your water to begin with, you've got a different problem. There should be zero amonia and zero nitrites in an established tank, meaning somethings died.
The cycle process is constantly going...amonia is always being broken down into nitrites and so on, but its broken down before it shows up, unless like i said..something's died. But the live rock is already doing that for you, so there's absolutely no point in putting them there, and i'm with the others...thats just gonna make your nitrates go up.
Also, is this a display refugium we're talkin about? If not...why care about the crud growing in there? If its growing in there, its not in the tank, right? I've seen some pretty nasty stuff growin in fuges, but as long as its not a display, i dont think it really matters. [/QUOTE
Sir-dudeguy
Unfortunately, my refugium is a display refugium. Instead of bio balls, what about live rock?
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