Switching from Bioballs Question

[lalleman]

Man, feels so good to be back on this site. I've had the pleasure of spending the last few years stationed overseas, but back now and getting back into the hobby.

Being a newb again, I started with a 29 gallon biocube to get my feet wet. I'm in the middle of my cycle so bored to death reading on what I can do to improve this thing.

I've never been a fan of bioballs, especially the plastic ones so going to replace them with a multimedia rack after I cycle. Just going standard floss, purigen, chemipure and probably a chunk of cheato on the side. All ready designed my light been so bored staring at it lol.

My question is, I know the bioballs will be a significant source of my bacteria so not sure how to properly make the switch without hurting the balance. I assume I can gradually remove a handful every other day or so to force the population to increase inside the tank but not sure.

In tank now:

20 lbs dry sand
10 lbs live sand
15 lbs dry rock
8 lbs live rock from lfs

Thanks

oh, and because you guys like pictures.

 

[homer1475]

Very nice aquascape!

Since your beginning your cycle, take the balls out now and let your bacteria populate your rock. If you try to take them out after you cycle, you'll probably start another cycle when you remove all the bioballs and bacteria that populate them.

 

[lalleman]

You must be trying to torture me, aren't you Homer.....I'm on the home stretch! You are probably right though, I should take them out now and keep it cycling with the fish food. I would think if I took out a handful a week for about 3 weeks after my CUC goes to work I can get by. Sure these have been replaced in an already cycled tank before but haven't read much on the eco-effect.

 

[RA]

I wouldn't use the floss unless you change it weekly. It's just going to create nitrates. I would get rid of the bio balls also. If you don't want to take them all out at once them remove 1/2 of them each week.

 

[lalleman]

I wouldn't use the floss unless you change it weekly. It's just going to create nitrates.

Actually, I plan on changing it every 3 days or so, why it's going on top shelf. Or remove it if we go away for a few days. Will more than likely switch between floss and carbon, likes me some clear water! I'm a micro-manager and look forward to it!

 

[homer1475]

You should check out the nano section of the forums. Plenty of us have 29g biocubes and have well maintained build threads with plenty of mods.

Personally, I would just pull them all at once, and check how I'm cycling again(shouldn't take much more then a couple extra days). Better to start out right, then do it wrong only to regret it.

 

[homer1475]

Actually, I plan on changing it every 3 days or so, why it's going on top shelf. Or remove it if we go away for a few days. Will more than likely switch between floss and carbon, likes me some clear water! I'm a micro-manager and look forward to it!

There is a thread in the nano section just about this. General consensus is every 2 days. I persoanlly run carbon all the time in the bottom chamber, purigen in the middle, GFO under the purigen in the middle(Long story on a sh*tty pump and not running my reactor), and floss I change every other day in the top section.

 

[CafeReef]

I use blue floss mechanical filtration in the top basket of my 21 AIO "biocube". I replace it about every 2-3 days, else I worry that detritus build up will cause a big nitrate swing, that and it just is more clean that way

 

[bat21]

I have a 66g AIO and also love running floss. I don't mind changing it every 2-3 days because it takes so much crap out of the water, which is crystal clear, and my nitrates are never above 5ppm. It takes maybe 10 seconds to swap it out. Love that stuff.

 

[Shawn O]

This may sound stupid but couldn't the OP just put a handful of them on the sand bed (for direct contact) for a day or two then remove all of them completely?

Also, CafeReef, how is that Halloween Hermit, aggression-wise?

 

[bat21]

If you are still cycling, and there is no livestock, you can just take them all out at once. I don't know how much cycling time you're going to save by doing things gradually. The main source of your bacteria is the live rock, not the bioballs. And then I would wait on the chemical filtration until after you've added livestock and need to supplement the bacteria and floss if they aren't doing the job well enough by themselves.

 

[lalleman]

Ya, with about 16 to 20 lbs of rock and 30 lbs of sand and no load, the bioballs are over kill. Just going to remove them all at once tonight and be done with it, let the tank finish cycling and put my skimmer, CUC, and media in. Rather have the good stuff in my tank anyway!

 

[CafeReef]

This may sound stupid but couldn't the OP just put a handful of them on the sand bed (for direct contact) for a day or two then remove all of them completely?

Also, CafeReef, how is that Halloween Hermit, aggression-wise?

0 aggression, keeps to himself and just walks around and eats.

 

[Shawn O]

0 aggression, keeps to himself and just walks around and eats.

Cool, I'm a big hermit fan and have five species in there already. The Halloween is one of the four others that I'd like to have.

 

[tyre447]

Replacing Bio Balls

Replacing Bio Balls

Can anyone give me the benefit of their experience in the replacement of Bio Balls in my sump. I currently have a tank that has been cycled for quite some time. However, I recently changed from T5 lights to Leg lights and Its my believe that the intenisty of the LEDs has exposed the presence of Nitrates in my tank. The old Bio Balls in my sump are the most likely culprit of the excessive Nitrates. I want to replace them. can someone give me a best plan of action in make this happen with a little impact on the tank as possbile.