cleaning bioballs

I was told to clean like a 1/4 of my bioballs in my cube every now and then. I don't know if this is true or if it helps I don't want my tank to cycle if I do it or kill anything. Does anyone do this?

 

I would slowly start to remove them completely if you have corals. They work for FW and FOWLR but they collect so much crap after a while it becomes just a area for ammonia to build up. I have a 29g Biocube and I replaced the bioballs with the right size live-rock

 

Okay, taking out bioballs will not take away your bacteria or maturity in the tank, since your majority of it comes from your Live Rock and a little from the sand. If you clean all of them, it will take away alot, but i removed my bioballs in my 29g because they honestly were just a constant nitrate problem. They are a pain in the ass to clean and stuff, so i just took em out and i have been fine, no problems since and the tanks nitrate problem improved.

If i were you, i would remove the bioballs, and buy abuncha live rubble rock and throw it down there and fill it about halfway up with rubble. Then it will do the same job as the bioballs but you dont have to clean them..And i honestly think rubble is better, its natural.

 

Should i do this even if I have had my tank set up for about a year now i was thinking of getting a media basket for the back can i replace it now with out it craching my tank

 

yes u can just be sure to remove like 10% of the balls at a time, just don't do it all at once

honestly rubble will also trap detritus, i personally went to the LFS and picked out the perfect porous rock that I can easily move around clean around, fits in the back like a charm, and i also threw some chaeto and a light to top it off. This sure as hell beats the bioballs ANY DAY

 

Yup! Great input!

I have a nice colony of chaeto in the back of my biocube, but its just using some MH from the main tank and a lil T5HO and its fine, i also have a mad insane colony of xenia on cocaine going insane and it acts like a fuge for me..

 

im debating on pulling out my xenia before it spreads or not. i said in another post im fixing to add a fuge so maybe he will go in there. cuz im about to get rid of all my leathers, but at the same time a fuge would make a great home for them! just hope i can squeeze a tank inside the cabinet my cube is sitting on