Should I Lose My Balls?

vito is hooked · #1 12/03/2007, 06:00 AM

125 been up and running for little more than a year.20gal sump.Wondering if i should take them out SLOWLY and put some -cured live rock in with a little live sand ? l -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Remeber- It.s The Same Thing, Only Different.

BangkokMatt · #2 12/03/2007, 06:45 AM

Yes you should. A handful a day until they are gone will be ok.

steven_dean17 · #3 12/03/2007, 08:48 AM

Don't loose them, they make great practice golf balls!

scaryperson27 · #4 12/03/2007, 09:17 AM

Are the submerged? If they are, they act the same way live rock does.

Abso · #5 12/03/2007, 09:38 AM

So basically if they r under water LvL no need to change them with LR?

Savas · #6 12/03/2007, 09:48 AM

I prefer live rock to bioballs - you should give some good thought to switching them out.

sabbath · #7 12/03/2007, 09:51 AM

Bio-balls under water will not remove Nitrates. It is not the same.

Dustin1231 · #8 12/03/2007, 10:07 AM

can you have too many rocks in your sump.. i have both rocks and bio ball. Once i did that, and added a fuge, my skimmer almost stopped pulling stuff out. I havent had to change out my cup in three weeks. i have a Euro-Reef CS-8 Skimmer w/Sedra Pump that was i was need to empty every other day...

samtheman · #9 12/03/2007, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by scaryperson27
Are the submerged? If they are, they act the same way live rock does.

That is incorrect and very poor quality advice.

Zifer · #10 12/03/2007, 11:14 AM

YES! get them out of there!

hahnmeister · #11 12/03/2007, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scaryperson27
Are the submerged? If they are, they act the same way live rock does.

Submerged or not, Bio Balls are not porous, so they cant act like live rock EVER, except at the surface where they will harbor aerobic bacteria which will convert ammonia and nitrite to nitrate, with phosphates as a byproduct.

Quote:

Originally posted by sabbath
Bio-balls under water will not remove Nitrates. It is not the same.

Unless you put them inside a nitrate reactor, or bury them in a sandbed, neither having your bio-balls above or under water will remove nitrates. Bio-balls, unless kept in an anaerobic environment (as the two previous examples would be), will convert ammonia and nitrite to nitrate because they will be in an aerobic environment.

NealNano · #12 12/03/2007, 12:30 PM

Join the 21 first centry in reef keeping loose the bio balls aka nirtrate factory. Great for fish only and fresh water though.

sabbath · #13 12/03/2007, 12:38 PM

LOL, OK you got me. There is ways to make it possible for them to remove Nitrates. I just read that post saying that that Bio-alls remove Nitrates under water and responded on that. Good points, Hahn!

Unless you put them inside a nitrate reactor, or bury them in a sandbed, neither having your bio-balls above or under water will remove nitrates. Bio-balls, unless kept in an anaerobic environment (as the two previous examples would be), will convert ammonia and nitrite to nitrate because they will be in an aerobic environment. [/B][/QUOTE]

ReefEze · #14 12/03/2007, 12:47 PM

Out. Duh.

HippieSmell · #15 12/03/2007, 01:12 PM

Your thread title is funny because at first I thought you were referring to your testicles. Boy, how I was wrong. My initial advice was to encourage you to keep your balls, but since my mind was in the gutter I now advise you to lose them. Don't just throw them away though. First, be sure to bang them together to loosen any hitchhikers, then gently wash them with mild soap and water. Finally, towel dry your balls while looking in the mirror. You may be nervous about making such a large change, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

hahnmeister · #16 12/03/2007, 01:19 PM

Can you actively 'lose' something anyways? I mean, losing something is usually done by accident... if you lose something on purpose, its not really lost because you know where you put it, right? I suppose... you could throw them out of an airplane or something... that would be cool (as long as not the anatomical balls).

HippieSmell · #17 12/03/2007, 01:26 PM

Good point hahnmeister. Maybe he should just put them in a box? That's where I put my junk.

mattb71 · #18 12/03/2007, 01:43 PM

remove the balls

LobsterOfJustice · #19 12/03/2007, 01:51 PM

You should go ahead and take them out... and you probably dont need to replace them with anything. Some rubble might help create a place for pods to breed, but it might also be a place for waste to stagnate and raise nitrates.

webbstock · #20 12/03/2007, 02:56 PM

Quote:

hey will harbor aerobic bacteria which will convert ammonia and nitrite to nitrate, with phosphates as a byproduct

Just a note-

Phosphates are not a by-product of the conversion of ammonia to nitrate

ReefEze · #21 12/03/2007, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HippieSmell
Good point hahnmeister. Maybe he should just put them in a box? That's where I put my junk.

Petition to rename this thread to "Should I put my balls in a box?"

mg426 · #22 12/03/2007, 03:21 PM

Cats usually like to play with them.

webbstock · #23 12/03/2007, 05:12 PM

Quote:

quote:
Originally posted by HippieSmell
Good point hahnmeister. Maybe he should just put them in a box? That's where I put my junk.

Petition to rename this thread to "Should I put my balls in a box?"

I heard that placing one's balls in a box requires three steps.....

kar93 · #24 12/03/2007, 05:13 PM

i would switch live rock is more beneficial

hahnmeister · #25 12/03/2007, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by webbstock
I heard that placing one's balls in a box requires three steps.....

Really only 2 steps, since 3 is 'make her open the box'...