Bioball/filter question

They're very easy to misuse or not maintain properly, and many people have problems with them because of it.

 

Their very function is to break down waste to nitrates. And being in a highly oxygenated place they are very good at that. They most certainly do produce nitrates and release them to the water column. That is their job.

Nitrate reduction that is also taking place in the tank is the other part of the equation. Bio balls separate that equation. Live rock combines it. Live rock needs the nitrate producing bacteria to strip oxygen from the water and provide a much more conducive place for nitrate eating bacteria deeper in the rock. A supply of low oxygen water and nitrates. By providing a high oxygen area in the sump and supply of waste, bioballs separate the two types of bacteria. Live rock is a much more beneficial way to process waste as a whole.

 

Thank you all for taking the time to debate and comment on my problem. I think that I am going to remove 1/5 at a time rinse them in tank water and replace them back into the sump. I will get a protein skimmer, how is Eshopps as a brand?

 

Blackraven,
What do you have in sump if you're not using bioballs?

 

Good plan. Not familiar with Eshopps, I have a Coralife Super skimmer, but, most (not all) are on par with one another. If it skims...it skims.

 

A skimmer, heater and return pumps.

Bioballs are totally unnecessary in a system with enough live rock. It's really only useful for a FOWLR, or a system with a lot of open water, like a shark tank.

 

You can't clean them in chlorinated tap water because you will kill the bacteria. So you rinse them off in old tank water you just took out for a water change. You can generally clean half at a time just rinsing the junk off.

Having said that... that is why most people do not use bio balls. I strive to minimize maintenance as much as possible. Most problems in the hobby arise from not doing proper maintenance. Live rock does not really need maintenance, bioballs do. Then you have to change filters, and you have to clean them.... time and expense.

I have a skimmer and a tank full of rock. No filters, no rubble in the sump, nothing. I turn on a powerhead at night with a timer to stir up the sump and keep it clean. Very low maintenance. Zero nitrates.

Work with nature, not against it. Let the live rock filter your waste. Skim the rest. After that, there will still need to be nitrate export from the system. Macro algae, live rock, deep sand beds, and yes finally water changes. You need to address the whole cycle and let nature do the work where ever you can.

Depends which Eshopps. Them and Bubble magus can be very economical. Vertex is a very good performer at a very good price. SWC and Octopus are generally the best when it comes to a price/performance/build quality. Of course after that, the sky is the limit.

Here are a couple of things to read to get up to speed to see how all these things work together in a system.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-aquarium-articles-how-tos/all-about-sumps-filters-fuges-79852.html

http://www.3reef.com/forums/protein-skimmers/all-about-skimmers-skimmers-skimmer-85389.html

 

Unwarrented and blanket statements. Unfounded.

 

Then I will just stick to my experience and it is completely founded in my experience. I have heard many others say the same thing. I like to do as little maintenance as possible. I don't have to clean bio balls cause I don't have them. Nitrates are zero, maintenance is zero. Completely unneeded in my system. YMMV

Not to mention... I just got back into doing water changes again, I have no nuisance algae, and my cheato grows very little. My nitrate import/export is very good with very little maintenance. I clean my skimmer once a week. YMMV

Please explain why you have found that bio balls are necessary in a reef tank as opposed to a FOWLR and that the maintenance is worth the end result.

 

Powerman my friend, I never said necessary. I simply state the fact that they are not good or bad, they just are. If people use them, keep them clean and have success (like me and many others), great. However I don't like blanket statements, that's all. It's all good.