bio wheels for or against

[mke6103]

I was just wondering if bio wheels are bad like everbody says the bio balls are. I so why are they bad. thanx im new to the hobby just reading and looking up so many things.

[Chris777]

I've never used bio balls but just saying this from stuff that ive have read on here and on other sites. The dislike from most is that they belive it to keep in nitrates which ends up in a result of your nitrates being higher. Like i said this is just what ive read maybe someone that has used them and has first hand experince will chime in.

[JCorbett]

I am not sure of your type of set up you are working with, but here's my two cents. bio balls are an affordable alternative for a fish only system. Most fish will be more tolerant of nitrate levels and those levels can be controlled with water changes. Advantage : you can treat with many medications without concern for killing off live rock and the inverts it contains. Bioballs are typically associated with high nitrate production due to the fact that in a wet/dry or similar applications the bioballs are in a highly areated area. It is the aeration that provides a conducive enviroment for the bacteria that convert nitrites to nitrates, as well as the good bacteria that consumes ammonia converting it to nitrites. However, if using liverock, the cavernous structure allows anaerobic bacteria to thrive and convert nitrites into nitrogen gas which can exit the system into the air. With a reef tank where corals and other inverts are less tolerable of nitrates, you want to encourage more anaerobic bacteria and less aerobic bacteria. This is also why big old sponges and floss filter pads all over the system can lead to increased nitrate production too. When I use them, I try to limit there use and remove them right after tank has cleared.