bio ball filtration

[alexblanelayder]

i was looking at the aqua clear aquatics filtration system for a long time it cost a PRETTY PENNY!!!!!!!!!! is it any good. And also how does the bio balls in the filter work. what are your experiences with this filter. thank for the replies.

 

[newbienz]

From what I've learned and understand there is a lot of debate about the Bio Balls.
From my experience and what I learned here if you have corals, LR, and sand. Do not put or use Bio balls at all. Its ok if you have fish only tank.
I've noticed that once I removed my bio balls from my tank, the corals and inverts started to do a lot better.
But since I'm fairly new to the Saltwater hobby, it may be better to take someone else's advice.
Good Luck!

 

[wooddood]

i have a aquclear 200 pro with protein skimmer on my 120gal tank itworks great,thers been alot said about not using bio balls but their are a whole lotta people still using themwith no problems and i am one of them,heres a pic of my tank.

 

[sebae0]

the main belief is that the wetdry with bioballs works so efficiently that your gonna have a nitrate problem which is not good for your corals.
i can attest to that because i have a fo with a wetdry and my trates are out the roof with only 2 decent size fish in there and a 135gallons.
in my 180 with a dsb,sump, and fuge my trates are at 0 for more than a year now, you make the call.

 

[joecavender]

the first tank i ever had had that filter with there skimmer it worked to get it going gut i found it sucked bad you should try a mud filter if you can and find a protein skimmer that is better the bigger the better no matter how big the tank i switched the tank over to just liverock filter which i had 4 power heads flowing behind the rock wall in my tank that is all i had and i went to a very big skimmer now we get a very big one here for around 250 but if you run more than 150 gallon the skimmer is around 400 for the bigger one picture the tube totally and i mean totally full of bubbles aqua clear does not do that good but it will get you buy goood luck hope this helps

 

[dreeves]

Bio-balls are plastic balls designed to provide excellent housing for nitrifying bacteria...nothing more, nothing less...they are not nitrate factories, they dont create nitrate, they dont even add to a nitrate problem...the house bacteria...that is all.
Lazy users of bio-balls create nitrate problems...
Bio-balls need to be rinsed every now and again...use your water from a water change to do this rinsing. They are like anything else in a system which gathers debris which decompose....it is up to you to keep them clean, just like any other part of your system.

 

[thomas712]

Atta boy Dreeves

 

[tony detroit]

Originally posted by dreeves
Bio-balls are plastic balls designed to provide excellent housing for nitrifying bacteria...nothing more, nothing less...they are not nitrate factories, they dont create nitrate, they dont even add to a nitrate problem...the house bacteria...that is all.
Lazy users of bio-balls create nitrate problems...
Bio-balls need to be rinsed every now and again...use your water from a water change to do this rinsing. They are like anything else in a system which gathers debris which decompose....it is up to you to keep them clean, just like any other part of your system.
Good call Dreeves
So class what have you learned today???
1. Change your filter pads often (bi-weekly)
2. Don't overfeed
3. Change your water on a regular schedule.
My wet dry works like a champ

 

[sebae0]

maybe i should rephrase a little, with a dsb a wetdry can break down waste faster than a dsb can convert it to nitrogen, this is my experience. correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[dreeves]

Sebae0...
That is possible...but then it goes right back to the owner again...what is being added, etc, to create this excessive build up? A filter system can only do so much...we are trying to mimic the entire oceans worth of filtration which ma nature has had billions of years to perfect, all in our little home tanks...
We have a system..we know, or should know the limitations of our individual systems...we work with that, not against it.