bioballs or live rock?

so, i'm setting up an integrated 3 tier fish system(pro-clear 3 75g DT & 50g sump). it was previously running on bioballs and Im not sure if i like bioballs and want to keep using them, so i was thinking about some solutions. And im thinking about just packing the areas(basically, the overflow boxes) that were filled with bioballs, with live rock instead. Any downside to this? upside? reasons for or against? Or is it just overkill and i should just stick with the bioballs? thanks for reading if you got this far

 

If you have 1lb to 1.5lbs per gallon of live rock in the DT then there should be no need for any bioballs or live rock elsewhere in your system.

Placing bioballs or live rock in your sump and other connect tanks just creates more area for detritus to settle and cause nitrate issues if you do not carefully keep the detritus removed.

 

thanks 2. I had that feeling/option also, forgot it up there^^. I bought the units used, and that is what the previous owners were using. The balls werent in the sump, they were packed into the overflow boxes on the back of the units. each tank(level) has 2-3 overflow boxes and that is where the balls were.

THAT, is going to be a lot of live rock in the display area, designed to sell fish. im not opposed to some live rock in the fish units, but at 1-1.5# a gallon, that might be a bit much.

 

If you are not going to put it in the DT then putting it in the other tanks is the way to go. I would lean to live rock over bioballs personally because you can get nitrate reduction more readily in the live rock than bioballs IMO.

 

+1, Evidence Based Reefing (if there is such a thing) agrees

 

Live rock for sure

 

live rock +1 over the nitrate factory Bioballs

 

That's definitely my preference. and I agree a much better source of bio media.

2in10: here's a pic of the back of the tanks. The clear overflow boxes is where the bio balls were. I was thinking of putting Live rock in there. And maybe the sump and of course in the display tanks.

 

The only use for bioballs is if your surface area (rock, sand, etc) is not enough to handle the amonia produced by your fish. That only happens in a small tank with a LOT of fish!

 

You could put a few pieces of rock for pods and grow cheato if you have a small light.