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  #1  
Old 11/03/2007, 12:40 AM
Ben485 Ben485 is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 170
bio ball ?

I have bio-balls in my internal overflows via suggestion of my lfs. I've been reading that they are bad as far as producing nitrates. my tank has only been cycled for about 2 months, so I want to fix this before it's a problem. can I clean them every so often, or do they need to go? if they need to go I need to put something in there so my living room doesn't sound like a waterfall. LR rubble maybe? or something less expensive. info. that you might need to know: 180 lbs LR, 120 lbs LS, w/dry w/ LR(not balls), gx1 skimmer, corner overflows, refuge.
thanks
ben
  #2  
Old 11/03/2007, 12:44 AM
uscharalph uscharalph is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 1,021
Bio balls will need to be cleaned regularly. LR rubble is a much better solution.
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Long Beach, CA
  #3  
Old 11/03/2007, 05:18 AM
BangkokMatt BangkokMatt is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Posts: 1,072
I would remove them altogether. Take a handful out every couple of days.
You can get rid of the 'waterfall' by putting in a Durso Standpipe. They are easy and cheap to make, easy to install and are very effective. Here is the website with all instructions.
http://www.dursostandpipes.com/
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I've spent a lot of money on booze, women and fish. The rest I just squandered.
  #4  
Old 11/03/2007, 09:19 AM
aaron L aaron L is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: keller tx
Posts: 106
Get rid of them. Replace with LR.
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120 gal custom, 45 gal fuge with MH,1000 watts of light. SPS,LPS,softies
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  #5  
Old 11/03/2007, 11:40 AM
Burbs Burbs is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Charleston,SC
Posts: 99
if you have LR you dont need them
  #6  
Old 11/03/2007, 11:47 AM
icliao icliao is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Indonesia
Posts: 541
Some old FO system use minimal or no liverocks altogether. Those system requires bioball as the sole biological filtration. It seems that you have enough LR unless you have tons of fish. I personally do not have any bio balls in any of my systems ever.
  #7  
Old 11/03/2007, 02:08 PM
Ben485 Ben485 is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 170
thanks guys, anybody else want to chime in?
  #8  
Old 11/03/2007, 04:24 PM
jamiep jamiep is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Ireland
Posts: 358
I( use bio balls and they can be fine. They just need washed every once in a while, but yes I will be changing to live rock rubble in due course!
  #9  
Old 11/03/2007, 07:48 PM
WDWDen WDWDen is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Southern NJ
Posts: 236
I have been slowly removing my balls. I have a FO system. Its a 180 gallon system with another 50 gallons in the sump. I now have about 230 lbs of LR and 30lbs of LS. I have 3 medium size fish and a med. eel. They are pretty messy eaters. Do you think its safe to remove all of my balls, or should I leave some in there to help out the LR?
  #10  
Old 11/03/2007, 07:56 PM
reefergeorge reefergeorge is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: St Louis MO
Posts: 766
In a FO bio balls are great. They are very good at changing ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates. They just need to be kept clean.
  #11  
Old 11/03/2007, 08:57 PM
coast2coast7390 coast2coast7390 is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Garden Grove
Posts: 2,713
bioballs are good and are clean....if you prefilter the water before the bioballs have a chance to do anything...

had them in my reef tank...never had a problem because i used them right
  #12  
Old 11/03/2007, 09:00 PM
coast2coast7390 coast2coast7390 is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Garden Grove
Posts: 2,713
people think that LR rubble in a wet dry work better...they dont because they are not submerged dont look dirty because they are already brown...trust me they get dirty
 


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