Should I take out the bio balls??????

[doubletap4311]

I have had 10-20 ppt of nitrate for a while now. I change atleast 20% of my water weekly with no drop in nitrate. Sounds crazy huh. I have a 150 rr tank with a PM wet dry on a mag 18. I have over 150 lbs of mature live rock that I have picked up from several of the guys here locally. I went to a LFS today and was explaining all of this. I was told to remove all of my Bio balls. He stated this would allow my nitrate to come way down. I have a 3 inch picasso trigger, 2 very small true percs, and a 2 inch blue tang. I also have 1 gtba for the clowns. By the way, no ammonia, no nitrite, ph 8.3, SG is 1.21-22.. I am using two different new tests kits

Does this sound right?
I guess then I could use the space for cheato, etc
Will my tank crash?
Should I do it?
_________________
150 reef system

 

[marioensf]

I think you have to do it gradually, converting from bio to a sump/plenum/refugium, otherwise you might crash your tank, my brother is in the process of converting from wet/dry to sump and was recomended by the two best LFS in SF to do it gradually

 

[m2434]

It may or may not help your nitrate problem. Generally, their benefits seem to be limited. If you do remove them take them out slowly over the course of weeks or even a month.

 

[BangkokMatt]

Definitely take them out - a handful a day until they are gone

 

[mg426]

I would be gtting them out slowly as stated,

 

[tony45power]

it would not be just your bioballs causing this/ how big is your sump or wetdry?if it is your bioballs you can claen them out take about a 1/4 of your bio balss every few days and clean them. no reason to just get rid of them. sound like your filtration is not big enough or your tank is not being cycled enough GPH?

 

[luvnpc69]

why is it necessary to remove them slowly?

 

[doubletap4311]

i've got a pm wet dry. its rated for 250 gallon tank. I have a 150. I'm running a mag 1800 for a return pump

 

[tony45power]

check your tanks over turn and you gotta figure for how your tank is piped, it is very easy to loose GPH with the head loss. i had the same problem all i did was design a bigger sump and it drastically help my water levels. i have all same filtraion , all i changed was a bigger sump and a bigger pump.

 

[plummike]

maybe add a Fuge and clean any buildup from bio's

 

[REEF-n-Chicago]

Take the balls out for sure but slowly.... you can have a tank crash if you take them out all at once.

 

[m2434]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11357012#post11357012 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luvnpc69
why is it necessary to remove them slowly?

The bacteria on the bio-balls may out compete the live rock for ammonia and nitrite. Bacteria only grows if there is enough food. So if the bacteria on the bio-balls are consuming it, there may not be enough bacteria on the rocks alone to support your tanks bio-load. It will then take time for the bacteria on the rocks to "catch up" and in the meantime its possible you tank could cycle.

 

[luvnpc69]

i have been pulling mine a couple handfuls per day over a week and they are about out...is this slow enough? i haven't noticed any changes

 

[REEF-n-Chicago]

m2434> said so much better then me

 

[350nine]

I was gonna pull mine gradually like advised but once I got my hands in there it's like cruise control. I pulled all 6 gallons of it out all at once with no consequence. My nitrates are now zero. I think if your tank is heavily stocked you could have an ammonia spike but if your tank is light you most likely will be fine, especially with all that rock.

 

[tmz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11357388#post11357388 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by m2434
The bacteria on the bio-balls may out compete the live rock for ammonia and nitrite. Bacteria only grows if there is enough food. So if the bacteria on the bio-balls are consuming it, there may not be enough bacteria on the rocks alone to support your tanks bio-load. It will then take time for the bacteria on the rocks to "catch up" and in the meantime its possible you tank could cycle.

That's correct. The bioballs support bacteria that use oxygen and are effective at coverting amonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. If you take them out suddenly before the bacteria on your rock surfaces can increase you could spike ammonia.
So why take them out at all? You need bacteria in low oxygen environments to take nitrate to free nitrogen that will realease into the air as theh final step in denitrification if you are raising corals. This happens in a dsb or inside the rock. The supply of nitrite for this process should be proximate to the anerobic bacteria. That is not the case when the bioballs are used, since the oxic bacteria on the bioballs may outcompete those on the rock keeping the later's population low and consequently keeeping the anerobic bacteria relatively sparse. So it is thought to be better to encourage all three steps on the rock and or substrate.

 

[vito is hooked]

IM in the middle of LOOSING MY BALLS(Name of my other thread) I have a 125, 20 gal bio ball filter, It,s been a week of takeing them out SLOWLY, half way there. Added Cheato and live rock rubble. Nitrate was 20ppm down to in between 10ppm. Ammonia went to .025 but i have been in the sump every day moveing things around. About 175lbs of live rock and some fish But ive learned if you have a FOWLER tank with a bio ball filteration system its very hard to get below 20ppm and the fish and some softies can handle it. BUT Sump with ref WILL lower nitrate. I was scared to try, things have been good for the last year,did,nt want to rock the boat, BUT NEED CORALS so i think you will get your answer from everyone here on RC. If You Dont Ask You,ll Learn The Other Way.......