Are you supposed to change bio-balls?

[rockonreef]

if so, how often?

 

[cooqie]

no dont change them over the time they build up bacteria and if u even take the bioballs out at the same time u can get a spike... the bacteria help clean the tank but later on try going with live rock its will give the natural filtration

 

[earlybird]

I believe you don't have to change them out but you should clean them regularly. They become "nitrate factories" over time if you don't. Like Cooqie said, instead "clean" about 1/4 of them at each water change.

 

[mie]

Get rid of them completly like earlybird said they are nitrate factories replace them with cheeto and live rock

 

[gtdarock]

How long do wait until you change them and add live rock-? For a new tank -?

 

[porthosandjazz]

What if you just take like one out every couple of weeks? Will that be ok? I didn't realize they were "nitrate factories." I would never have kept them in the 'fuge this long if I had known

 

[cooqie]

just take out like the most 10 everytime you do a water change so u can be on the safe side unless uoy dont have any fish or corals, if u have hermits u cant take out all the bio balls those thing surviv everything and crabs survive everything to

 

[tarball]

I have a Marineland C-360 canister filter. One of the trays are full of bio-ball. Its their job to trap bacteria, that's why they are there. Just clean them now & then, that's all.
Just my opinion...

 

[triga22]

I dont get this. Everyone believes what each other says. They are not nitrate factories, unless you just leave them there. Clean them once every month and your good to go. I have <5 trates on my 29 and I use bioballs.

 

[usc932000]

Originally Posted by TriGa22
I dont get this. Everyone believes what each other says. They are not nitrate factories, unless you just leave them there. Clean them once every month and your good to go. I have <5 trates on my 29 and I use bioballs.
ditto

When that revelation (take out the bio-balls) came out years ago everyone just simply started doing it w/o really thinking about it. I actually prefer my bio balls...I use them as my tank indicator. When my Nitrates rise, I know exactly what the reason is without guessing. I simply clean them during a water change (using tank water of course) and the trates return to 0.

 

[reefer545]

Why have your nitrates raise?! Take the damn things out and put as much LR in as possible. Bio filtration is better than any man made one. Restaurants use bio in thier grease traps, so do water filtration companies that feed your city water, so do bottled water manufacturers, adn what do think filters the well water you drink if you have well water? BIO FILTRATION. After that it only runs through a filter that removes particulate matter like sediment and sand.

 

[reefkprz]

bio balls are bio filtration, LR rubble can trap gunk just as easy as bioballs. if you pile ruybble where the bio balls are you get the same scenario, areobic bacteria on rubble, you still have to clean the rubble of detritus build up on a regular basis, or it will create excess nitrates due to the gunk buil up on the rubble......