So if I take out the bio balls, what do I put in?

Cope · #1 12/18/2007, 06:16 PM

Hi I've been running marine tanks for over ten years, all my tanks filtered through sumps and bio balls. I'm new to this site and saw some info about removing the bio balls from the sump. Question what do I replace the balls with? nothing?

My current set up is a 100 gal true view aquasystem, built in little sump.
In the sump I have on the first layer a
very course filter pad, on top of a very fine cloth like pad, all in a drip tray, Under that is four rolls of fiber wrapped in plastic?, under that is the bio balls. I think the return pump is a mag drive pond pump? It's been years since I took it apart to look in the sump.

No skimmer as of now

I want to start to switch over to a mixed reef. what do you think are some good options? ( Filter wise, No room to go to remote sump)

Thanks
Cope

reefkrazy · #2 12/18/2007, 06:53 PM

live rock- reef rubble!

mg426 · #3 12/18/2007, 06:54 PM

LR

Acillaton · #4 12/18/2007, 07:17 PM

LR about 1-1.5lbs per gal and good skimmer.

Acillaton · #5 12/18/2007, 07:18 PM

Hey, Brian...WELCOME TO REAF CENTRAL!!!

ReefSparky · #6 12/18/2007, 07:36 PM

Yes sir. Live rock. I'm doing the same thing as we speak. When I decided to go reef, I started reading here and at other forums like mad! It seems that bioballs are bad. I'm removing one bio ball a day. When the bioball tower portion of my wet/dry is vacant, all the beneficial bacteria that grew on the balls should have slowly recolonized elsewhere. Elsewhere means mostly on live rock, but tank glass, substrate, the walls of the sump/refugium, any available surface area, really. It'll be nice to be rid of those detritus-collecting balls of plastic.

Hi, my name is Larry, and I've been off bioballs for 90 days.

HI LARRY!!!!!

Cope · #7 12/18/2007, 11:50 PM

Thanks for the replys, I'll start removing the bio balls soon!
Thanks again
Cope

bertoni · #8 12/18/2007, 11:53 PM

I wouldn't remove the bio-balls until there's enough live rock in the system to take over filtration. What's in this setup?

Cope · #9 12/19/2007, 12:53 AM

@75 - 100 LBS of rock (Non live and base rock mix) The rock was LR about 5 or 6 years ago. After all that time of almost no up keep all the rock is just semi bleached coral now. @ an inch of sugar sand and a little crushed coral. ( I have added some TLC? bacteria)

as far as life goes I've got one large 8" marine beta (gonna trade it in soon) , sail fin tang 4", fire fish, six line wrasse, Two spotted cardinals(small), 6 peppermint shrimp, one large cleaner shrimp, 3 or 4 snails 1", one emerald crab (small), one red crab with while dots (small, algae eater)

The tank has been up and running for a long time (5 or 6 years) I have dismantled it 3 time to move. saving all the water in 5 gal buckets and putting the rock in wet plastic pags. Fish in 5 gal buckets. Now I own a home and will not have to move the tank any more. :]

Thanks for all the help
Cope

uscharalph · #10 12/19/2007, 02:14 AM

The main thing you need to do is decide what you want in your tank in the end and then research how to accomplish that.

Cope · #11 12/19/2007, 02:29 AM

I'm looking to up grade to MH lights and do a mixed reef. corals and a few small fish. The filter in this tank is very small, so I figure on keeping the fish load low.

I guess I'm just looking for any advice on my filter, and what I can do to make this little filter perform at it's best.

I'm also planing on puting in a skimmer soon.

Thanks
Cope

Cope · #12 12/19/2007, 03:24 AM

Also when I do switch to LR /RR in the sump, should it be submerged? or do I continue with the drip wet/dry method?

Thanks
Cope

Captain Bucket · #13 12/19/2007, 06:33 AM

Rocks are submerged, you are now trying to cultivate a different type of bacteria.

KD9RG · #14 12/19/2007, 09:03 AM

Live rock, remove all the balls. Mike/KD9RG

nayotte · #15 12/19/2007, 11:00 AM

Someone teach me about removing bioballs.

It seems like each visit on reef central there is a new idea about a widely practiced method. It always gets me ready to revamp my setup.

I have always used bioballs in a sump as well as tons of live rock in my tanks.

I just bought a new 220 gallon and I'm setting it up/filling. Brand new sump full of bioballs. What I'm hearing here is to start with live rock instead? Teach me. Why are bioballs frowned upon??

uncleant · #16 12/19/2007, 11:25 AM

bio balls are not good and collect dirt and ditrus. This will then lead up to nitrates. Hight nitrates.... I know from experence

Cope · #17 12/19/2007, 12:20 PM

SO the bacteria on the LR breaks down dirt? I would think that both would collect dirt as well? I was under the impression that the bio balls had more surface area that most everything else?
Sorry for the questions I'm just trying to wrap my head around this, It's hard to forget everything everything I thought I knew and relearn.
Thanks again
Cope

bertoni · #18 12/19/2007, 08:39 PM

Bio-balls are very effective at converting ammonia to nitrate. That's very handy in a fish-only system. Most reefkeepers want to keep nitrate low, and the bio-balls seem to cause problems along those lines. There are some theories, as to why, if you want to do some reading.

You could try removing the bio-balls slowly, over a period of a few weeks, at least. I'd watch the ammonia level carefully.

Chibils · #19 12/19/2007, 08:50 PM

Most fish can tolerate nitrates in excess of 1000ppm. Invertebrates in general (this includes corals) are not nearly as forgiving.

Bio-balls are not bad; they do a very good job of converting ammonia->nitrites->nitrates. Live rock cultivates another type of bacteria that bio-balls can't. It breaks the nitrates down.

They will both collect detrius. But when detrius collects on the rocks and breaks down, instead of on the bio-balls, it will for all intents and purposes disappear.

plummike · #20 12/19/2007, 09:01 PM

I like bio-balls, what I did was to add ~20 pounds of rubble in my sump. I kept my bio-balls to break Ammonia, followed by rubble to control the Nitrates. I also change the particulate pad twice per week.
You should watch the bio-balls, don't allow them to gather much build up. Clean about 1/3 of them every 2-3 months.

cloak · #21 12/19/2007, 10:41 PM

If you changed the bioballs to ping pong balls would they still be collecting detritus? Lot of people don't have a wet/dry but do have a refuge. Figure your going to get nitrates one way or the other.

FWIW

birmy · #22 12/19/2007, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by plummike
I like bio-balls, what I did was to add ~20 pounds of rubble in my sump. I kept my bio-balls to break Ammonia, followed by rubble to control the Nitrates. I also change the particulate pad twice per week.
You should watch the bio-balls, don't allow them to gather much build up. Clean about 1/3 of them every 2-3 months.

How do you go about cleaning them?