Bio-balls VS Refugium??

but dont you think it would be doing more good getting those balls out with all that nasty bacteria that is causing his poor water quality and getting some cheato in there to clean up his water naturally..

 

Nope

The poster has a lot of bio-balls. They are a large part of his biological filter right now, removing them all at once will diminish the filter capacity quickly. Addition of sand and chaeto will not be effective initially enough to make up for that. Chaeto is not going to export an elevated ammonia level. JM2C

 

Thanks! i think what i may do is just take out 1/4 for a week or so and just continue to do my tests and make sure i didnt cause any problems, now what kind of stuff do you have in your refugium? what is miracle mud?? is it similar to "live sand" or is it just something to waste more money on?

 

so the OP should take out what 1/4 every couple days over the period of a week or so..or less over a longer period of time??

 

IMO yes, his current nitrate level is not critical. One thing I have learned the hard way is to make small changes to a stable system.

 

ive read mixed reviews about miracle mud, some people use it and some dont, and some people have had bad things with miracle mud.. Pretty much most people just use sand..I use sand just cause i had some laying around when i set my tank up, and everyone i know use sand in theres too..

 

yea 15-20 is not bad, most corals will thrive with that..

 

alright yea my rock is in tank water, and oddly enough i did a very small water change in it just a day ago b/c i had some left overs from my larger tank, lol and i have brittle stars and everything living in the rock in the bucket, and there are a few copepods in there that i can see swimming around, and i currently have grape caulerpa growing in my tank for my tangs, and they LOVE it could i grow that in my fuge? or would that not do the same thing as cheato? i can get cheato from my LFS the guy will give it to me if i ask, i get all my plants from him b/c he wants them out of his systems, so let me know! and ill grow which ever is best for my fishy friends!

 

i like to have my nitrates and phosphates undetectable to tests, i know i have some trates and phates, if you have any fish then its almost impossible not to have some..unless your super understocked..

 

i agree with small changes, but if he is having nitrates of 15-20 wouldnt the bio balls basically not be doing the job they are supposed too, since they are leaking nitrates back into the water..which is why i would think you would want to take them out so no more was being leaked and replacing it with sand and cured live rock the OP has from an already established taken down tank..This is the only reason i told the OP to do so..so my apologizes for the incorrect directions..