YES/NO Bio balls?

[Got Water?]

I have been told I should take out the bio ball in my sump.
Yes? No?
If so why and what with?

 

[melosu58]

Bio balls trap waste and cause higher nitrate readings. I have them in my refuge but I`m getting ready to replace with a LR rubble. The LR rubble will help with the natural biological filtration and also the anerobic bacteria that will help to get rid of nitrates.

 

[Got Water?]

What about a filter pad?

 

[fijiwigi]

On my setup I have no filter pad no bio balls nothing really except live rock and water flow thats it I am not even running any chemical media at all. I have a overflow box with sump/skimmer/powerheads/live rock/sand/light/heater/thermomoter and that is it. I have about 80# in my main display. I have another 8# rock in my skimmer chamber of my sump then I have a refugium chamber with live rock rubble and Chaeto.

 

[cmor1701d]

I'm assuming that your sump is actually a wet/dry that you are converting to a sump. Filter pads are fine as long as you take them out and clean them at least weekly. They trap the larger particles and that is what you need to remove often. You shoudl clean them in aged sw that was removed from the tank during a pwc. It's best to not have them at all.

 

[ccCapt]

I ran a true wet/dry with bioballs for well over 15 years. I never had a nitrate problem. I had a sponge on the overflow to catch any crap before it made it into the filter. I cleaned the sponges every 3-4 days and did a 20% pwc every 2 weeks.
With proper mantainence, you will not have nitrate problems using a wet/dry and bioballs.