bioballs, yay or nay

[tdchicago]

starting the reef, are bio balls really going to cause me that much trouble that I should take them out?

It is a mega flow sump, what would go in that chamber? I have no rubble from a live rock, I guess I could smash one.

What about filter media?

Upgraded to a Coral life comp flour fixture, what a difference!

Added some mushrooms and euphyilla, they seem fine so far

advice......enough light? Bio balls?

trates are at 20ppm

[zma21]

Nay, nay and nay again.

[drummereef]

Originally posted by zma21
Nay, nay and nay again.

I'll add another nay. So thats 4 nays so far. Just do nothing in the first chamber. Some people convert it to house live rock, but just make sure it is totally submerged under water. Doable, but takes a little diy skill.

[tdchicago]

take em out over a period of time right....90 lbs of live rock in the display will take care of the bio filtration?

What about media....do I still need it?

[tdchicago]

and is this a good light fixture?

should I put the corals up higher?

[jer77]

Which fixture would that be? I say nay for the bioballs too.

[tdchicago]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113345

here is the fixture

[tdchicago]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113345

here is the fixture

[matasw]

Nay as well. Most LFS's sell LR rubble for pretty cheap.

[mk2flip]

youll just end up taking them out the more you learn about the hobby anyway.

[drummereef]

Originally posted by tdchicago
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113345

here is the fixture

For a 90 gallon you'd only be able to keep softies with that fixture. Maybe some LPS up high. I'd look into a T5 setup or Halides, imo.

[coast2coast7390]

does anyone ever say yay to them

[tk1360]

A standard 90 gallon is about 24 inches I believe. That is alot of depth for those PCs to penetrate. While MHs are ideal I am sure you could get by with T5s. Unless of course softies is your plan.

P.S. I say nay to bioballs. They serve the same purpose are your LR with much more trouble.

[TitusvileSurfer]

I'll throw another nay in there, just for effect

[Invisible Reef]

Bio balls are good for degassing. I would leave them there for that reason alone. Do you have a strong skimmer? Skimmers are also good for degassing. If you dont have a skimmer leave the bio balls. If you do have a skimmer then taking them out wont matter either way.

[IPowderBlueTang]

Also Nay!

[tdchicago]

what about the filter pads? leave in or take out?

[rustybucket145]

nay on the balls and the filter pads. You need to keep the stuff suspended so your fuge and/or skimmer can remove it from the system. Catching it with a filter pad just lets it rot inside the tank.

[Jesse-KT]

I'll say yay. I've had bio-balls for over a year now and no problems.

[Snowboarda42]

BioBalls=Nitrate Factory

Nay.

Take them out and put in LR rubble where they were.

[alexb518]

If you are going to use a filter pad, I'd replace weekly

[amoryodio]

take them out

[coast2coast7390]

Jesse-KT
finally someones says yay...ive never had problems with them either

[conchead]

What grows in the live rock rubble that doesn't grow on bio balls?

[conchead]

Be careful, alot of what you read on here is just people who repeat what they have heard. How many of those nay's are from people who have used bioballs in the past?