I have a refugium that uses bio balls as a filtration

Are these bio balls any good and are they really doing something to my reef tank? Basically, are they a good thing for my reef tank or bad. whats your guys opinions... was thinking of just using no bio balls or sock etc etc. and just let my chaeto and live rock in my refugium take care of everything...

 

emotion filled subject - with 2 or more seperate schools of thought on this issue

I am personally not in favour of bio balls as a means of biological filtration
my reasons (and I stand to be corrected) are
Bioballs offer a large surface area for colonisation of oxygen requiring bacteria, but do not offer the non oxgygen area required for the final class/ classes of bacteria that do not breath oxygen (anaerobic) and these bacteria are the species (multiple) that convert Nitrate into nitrogen gas

in systems that use Bio balls you can have issues with high nitrates

now the people who do favour their use will tell you that regular cleaning and the addition of some other anaerobic area like DSB in the sump or a nitrate reductor etc can compensate for this inbalance and Nitrates wont be an issue
and as stated above, they may well be right !

If it where my tank, I would have a fuge with live sand/ argonite combo and some macro algaes
and maybe some CC or crushed live rock or even sintered glass rings in the area that the Bioballs are in now ( as IMO the substitutes i mention do contain more areas for the non oxygen breathing bacteria to do their work

if I have this wrong - the next poster or a subsequent poster will let me know - hopefully, for both our sakes

Steve

 

after reading your pose.. it kinda makes it clear and i'm leaning towards of removing my bio balls since it does bad more then good to my reef system..

 

Hi Reefchaos - whilst your reply is very much appreciated, thank you.

please wait for further replies, which you will get! before making any desicions

one convincing arguement from a Bio ball user, may be enough to change your opinion

I do know that people who use them not fully submerged have a better all round opinion of them, then people who use them undewater
(helps with tank O2 levels) - Props to Tangster on this one

Steve

 

Hi reef chaos -

just realised you have an existing set up using Bioballs and not starting a set up with them

need to add that whatever you do, dont just remove any part of your filtration system in 1 go - because obviously if your remove all of your filtration - your tanks inhabitants are going to poison themselves

Biioballs should be removed in stages IMO and IME - and levels monitored along the way

this is what I did when I made the desicion to remove mine ( and once again let me state wait for others opinions before just following my opinions)

I removed 50% of the bioballs but put them in a 20 gallon bucket in Ehiem filter trays the bucket had 8 gallons of mature saltwater from my tank ( water change water)

I added a Phead to keep oxygen levels up -

my thinking was , if the levels in my DT showed negative movement - I had kept the bacteria alive on the bioballs in the bucket and could have replaced them if required

im my case my parameters stayed in check (lots of mature rock and good water movement plus skimming in the DT - it was all on the rock as the saying went at that time ) so after a week or so, I threw out the 1st lot of balls and did the same again with the other half

but once again

please wait for other opinions before folllowng the advice on the 1st reply you get to a post

Steve

 

there are many many opinions on this subject, I have done both and like having a Refugium/sump over a Trickle, if you keep the balls you should rinse them in the tank water you take out during a water change about twice a year, what i used to do is turn off my return and run a canister filter in my trickle blowing off the detritus for about 30 mins then start my water change from there before taking water from the DT.
Technicaly you currently have a trickle filter or wet dry, not a refugium
If you decide to remove it, 50% seems a little high, depending on how much LR you have
I would remove 15-25% every 10-14 days, also i would shut down your return while removing them so you can suck out any falling detritus before it goes into the DT.