bio-balls

[Dmann]

I don't have.a skimmer yet. But I'm on the look out

 

[microd0t]

I'm vary happy with my seaclone 150, works great always pulling stuff out of the water and no micro bubbles

 

[Wy Renegade]

Bioballs can be just as effective, if not more so than LR rubble if they are properly cleaned and maintained. Doing so requires that clean a 3rd of the bioballs at a time on a regular basis by cleaning/rinsing them off in freshly mixed saltwater. The notion that LR rubble provides more surface area for bacteria than the bioballs is a myth. As is the notion that LR rubble will not trap debris and become a source of nitrate over time. Studies have shown that both LR and Live sand can eventually begin to absorb nutrients when they are present in high concentration in an aquarium and begin to slowly release them back into the system. Anyone who has ever had LR rubble and cleaned it out at some point will tell you for a fact that all kinds of junk gets trapped in or under the LR rubble. IMPO, regardless of what you place in the sump, it needs to be removed and the sump cleaned out on a regular basis.

The one real difference between bioballs and LR rubble is that LR rubble provides anaerobic spaces for denitrifying bacteria to live and grow, so your LR rubble will actually help to convert the nitrate produced by nitrifying bacteria into atmospheric nitrogen. Provided that you don't have cyanobacteria populations in your sump/tank that can trap and convert that atmospheric nitrogen into a usuable form, it will gas out.

 

[Dmann]

Just curious as to what happens if there is cyano in the tank?

 

[Wy Renegade]

cyano is a nitrate-fixing bacteria, one of the few forms of algae which are capable of capturing and converting atmospheric nitrogen into a usuable form. That gives it a big time growing advantage over other types of nusiance algae which may appear in your aquarium (it doesn't have to relie on waste or overfeeding as a nutrient source); similar to clover or Russian olive trees in a terrestrial setting it can quickly become invasive.

 

[microd0t]

I'm thinking the refuge over the sump is goin to be the way for me seems like a better way to go

 

[ekirn]

If you have a skimmer in front of the bio balls, won't that eliminate the need to clean the bio balls?

 

[Dmann]

You should always clean your bio balls

 

[Wy Renegade]

If you have a skimmer in front of the bio balls, won't that eliminate the need to clean the bio balls?

No; even with a foam filter pad located above the bioballs, you are still going to get a large amount of debris building up. Part of what you are eliminating is the organic build up that grows on the bioballs.

 

[ekirn]

So maybe then 50% LR & 50% bio balls

 

[microd0t]

I think what I'm hearing is no matter what you put in there its going to need to be cleaned and looked after. I'm going to start a thread for my refuge build if you have any insight on it I would love to hear.

 

[Wy Renegade]

So maybe then 50% LR & 50% bio balls

Personally, I'd pick one or the other as the cleaning/maintanence schedule for each is going to be different and a mixture would be very difficult to maintain.

I think what I'm hearing is no matter what you put in there its going to need to be cleaned and looked after. I'm going to start a thread for my refuge build if you have any insight on it I would love to hear.

Agreed

 

[Dmann]

I'm going to stick with my bio balls since I have not had any problems with them as of yet. Go with what works for you right? Don't fix it if its not broken! Stuff like that

 

[Brandon4432]

You dont need to clean the bio-balls.... It wont hurt thow. But better left undisturbed

 

[Brandon4432]

Unless you have them running for a long,long,long period of time like maybe replace or clean 25% a year

 

[Dmann]

That's good because my sump is under my tank in the stand and is really hard to get to

 

[TheTodd]

I've had my current tank going for almost a year now. Ive never cleaned the bio balls and i never have nitrate problems. I had a nearly identical system about 15 years ago and had the same results with no cleaning the balls. It's working for me now, but if I start getting problems, I may have to rethink the setup.

 

[Dmann]

I've had my current tank going for almost a year now. Ive never cleaned the bio balls and i never have nitrate problems. I had a nearly identical system about 15 years ago and had the same results with no cleaning the balls. It's working for me now, but if I start getting problems, I may have to rethink the setup.

Those are reassuring words, my system is only about a month old and I have been wondering how the bio balls would work out. I'm not planning on doing a ton of rock. I am going to do a few nice big pieces and that's about it. I like the minimal open space look but want the fish to feel comfortable.

 

[Brandon4432]

Ive prefer not to clean them ever

 

[microd0t]

Ive prefer not to clean them ever

You don't get any nitrate problems from that? What type of filter media do you have before the bio balls?