Bio Balls

[dhiatt41056]

I have a 180 gallon setup using a sump filter with bio balls. I have heard that bio balls are nothing but nitrate breaders and makes for constent water changes. I was wandering if anyone has any suggestions on this and if I can remove them and go with something that is better. Thanks

 

[czcz]

Bioballs as wet/dry in sump? As I understand, much mulm and waste will increase nitrates, but if you have a prefilter before hand I don't think this would be a big issue. If necessary, I believe floating the bioballs in aquarium water for cleaning will preserve most of the bacterial colony.

In one of the other chambers of your sump, how about floating some hornwort and anacharis for nitrate removal and additional oxygenation? Neither plant is demanding in my exp, and a desk lamp with flourescent lighting is adequate. Upkeep will involve pruning plants when necessary (could be every couple of weeks if they fill the sump chamber). If interested, you can see pics in my gallery and link in signature. FWIW, I bought anacharis from a local nursery and they threw in one strand of hornwort, and the plants have multiplied many times over.

 

[Billsgate]

To answer your question, yes, bio balls are nitrate breeders. That is what they are made for. Bio balls are made so that they have allot of suitable surface area for bacteria to grow on.
This is good, you won't get more nitrates because you have more bio balls. But if you have too little bio balls, nitrItes will start showing, which are offcourse even more poisonous to your fish.
Like czcz suggested, I would get some fast growing stern plants. They soak up nitrates very effectively. If you can, put them in your main tank! It's a pretty sight.
And offcourse pwc to remove nitrates are necesairry.

 

[dhiatt41056]

I know that you need some nitrates but I was told that the bioballs can collect debri other than the good bacteria. My girlfriend wants me to put plants in but my African Cichlids would just tear em up. I will try putting the plants in my filter though. I tried once before and it not only gave me snails wich I still have some of. But I guess that there just wasnt enough lite down there to keep them alive and it made my nitrates jump. I will again if those plants are easy to keep alive.

 

[jsoong]

bioballs will collect debries, but better there than in your tank ..... Mulm will decompose & give you nitrates whether in the tank or on the bioballs, so really there is no difference. Better to have the bioballs so stuff will decompose to nitrates & not ammonia or nitrites ....

If you want, you can collect debries in a prefilter & rinse it out to get rid of the stuff ... but I find that too much work <you have to rinse frequently - before the stuff breaks down in the prefilter - to reduce nitrates>.

 

[dhiatt41056]

I think i am going to try the plant thing. I hope it will help. Thanks for all the information.

 

[czcz]

jsoong, so stuff decomposing at prefilter becomes NO3 slower than stuff decomposing in wet/dry? I'm using an elbow with slits and open celled foam to keep animals out of sump, and am just learning/curious. Thanks.

 

[jsoong]

No, I don't think stuff decompose any slower in the prefilter ... but if you remove the stuff in the pre-filter regularly (say several times a week), the stuff won't have a chance to decompose .... and you have a slower nitrate rise.

I simply brought up the idea of the pre-filter since it is much easier to clean out the prefilter than to clean out the bioballs in the wet/dry ..... although personally I hate to have to clean out anything!