Cycling/Bio-Balls

[pspiegel]

I am starting the process of cycling my 14 Gallon Oceanic BioCube tank. I put in some live rock and live sand and so far so good. My question is though, this new tank has no Ceramic Ring filtration system, or activated charcol pack. instead it uses a Wet/Dry filter system using an insert filled with I assume activated charcol or something like that. It also uses a series of Bio-Balls as the second part of the filtration system.

I am wondering if the Bio-Balls are something I should leave in or not? I seem to remember once learning that for a reef tank Bio-Balls are not a good thing.. However, since I do not have the ceramic rings.. Do the Bio-Balls take their place?

Thanks so

 

[roka64]

Props for not cycling with live animals!!!

Personally, I would buy some base rock, or even LR and break it up and replace the balls with the rock. Bioballs/wheels tend to be nitrAte factories, after a while.

 

[melosu58]

I agree in using LR rubble instead of bioballs. I am in the process of replacing mine in my refugium to LR.

 

[roka64]

I am in the process of replacing mine in my refugium to LR.

I'm going to break up the base rock and putt it in my filter tonight.

 

[pspiegel]

can i use ceramic rings instead of the bio balls as well? only reason I was thinking of that was because they come in that little pouch that is easier to pull out if I needed to some day than crushed up rock..

also, what is the difference between base rock and live rock? i have only ever heard of live rock? is it just live rock rock that has died/has no living things on it?

 

[melosu58]

Base rock is rock that has been dried out and has lost its beneficial bacteria and sea life that were in it.

 

[roka64]

The base rock I bought was pure white. All life gone. Cured LR has living bacteria and other critters on/in it. Base rock, if seeded with some LR will become colorful and "live".
The example I can think of is. LR is generally in the tank at the LFS, with fish in it. Base rock is sitting on a shelf or in a box/crate.

 

[pspiegel]

Thanks for the advice! Do you think a bag of ceramic rings would work as well as base rock?

 

[roka64]

Do you think a bag of ceramic rings would work as well as base rock?

It really has to do with surface area. The more, the better. I wouldn't imagin the ceramic would be much different, you could even break that up for even more surface area. I believe the base rock might have more "nook and grannies" as austinsdad would say. In short, I believe either would do.

 

[pspiegel]

thanks, i will pick up a little of both probably!

now i think it is time to add maybe a crab or two... not sure the tank is ready for fish yet..

 

[roka64]

now i think it is time to add maybe a crab or two... not sure the tank is ready for fish yet..

Is you cycle finished, if not, the crabs probably won't make it, neither will fish. What are your water parameters? How long have you been cycling?

 

[pspiegel]

water parameters look good, it seems to have peaked and is now leveling off. The only thing that is a bit high is the nitrAtes. I have been cycling this water/rock for two and a half/three weeks now.

I am not sure if it makes any difference that the first two weeks were in a different tank which broke and I just transferred the water/rock/sand into another tank.. However it did switch to a new filter system.

It is only a 14 gallon tank as well I should add.