Need Advice

[momof6kids]

I won a 150 tank on Ebay and brought it home and am in the process of setting it up.

He had a trickle down filter in the sump, it was filled with BioBalls, also the overflow was filled with BioBalls. What are everyones opinion of these? I am getting conflicting views and want to hear the pros and cons before I use these in my system.

 

[jer1198]

im no expert, but what i have read is the bio-balls arent too good because they become nitrate factoies, what i have heard as an alternative, is using live rock rubble.

i have seen some nice setups, and they are using wet/dry's with bio balls, so maybe what i said about nitrate factories, is incorrect.

i had a 55 gallon reef about 12 years ago, my main filtration, was a wet/dry filter and a skimmer, it worked ok for me.

sorry if this isnt anyhelp, but that is my experiences, and what i have read.
good luck, and congrats on the tank.
jer

 

[Phyl]

Congrats on the new tank. Very cool catch.

I originally set my tank up in October with a wet/dry with bioballs. I've taken out a few of them at a time (so as not to remove too much of the bio processing at once). I had planned to replace the bio balls with rubble at some point, I just haven't done that yet. I have heard that over time, the bio balls could contribute to a nitrate problem, which is why I started taking mine out. I don't have a nitrate problem, but my system has not been setup "long term" at this point. HTH.

 

[sharks]

You can run the system with or without the bio-balls. Bottom line is they cannot create nitrates unless there is nutrient being added. Yes they are a very fast and effective way to break down nutrients. They’re covered in bacteria that convert ammonia into nitrate, then nitrate faster then a natural system might. But again unless your tank is over stocked or over fed you will be fine with them. Your entire tank is covered with this bacteria. Sand, rock, glass, plumbing, etc…
Our reef in the LFS has bio-balls in the filter. We just keep the fish load light, feed even lighter, and do weekly water changes.
The only plus as I see it is by removing the balls you are giving the skimmers a slightly longer time to remove the organics before they are broken down.
I have not read up on the latest reasons for removing them.
Any thoughts?

 

[Brian]

FWIW I have live rock rubble in my wet dry on my 90 gallon FOWLR and everything seems fine. I have also had one filled with Bio Balls, and had high nitrates in that. I was a newbie at the time though and my husbandry skills weren't the greatest (if you ask my wife, she'll probably tell you they still aren't that great  )

 

[nagel]

No bioballs for me in a reef (notice there wasn't a single bioball in my house?)

Nitrate factories for sure.. Rock rubble can do the same thing. Key point here is the exposure to AIR.

I've done every reef with live sand, and my 300g (1200g system) relies on good skimming, lots of good rock and a refugium with a DSB. Nitrates and Phosphates are always 0, even when I am slow on the waterchanges (which, at 120g a pop, I don't do as often as I should)..

I may setup a system with bioballs for clownfish breeding soon, but thats because there will be no live rock and I do need something for the bacteria to adhere to. Hundreds of baby clownfish can really wreak havok on a reef system LOL