Bio Ball ?

rooroo

rooroo

Member
Okay, not sure if I am in the right section. I am having a horrible hair algea problem in my corner tank. I have done weekly water changes, do not overfeed, I have not tested for phosphates in a while, however when I did test for them the test was not too bad (cant remember for sure what it was). My question is can I take all my bio balls out of my skimmer? What will it do if anything. I have taken all my rock out and scrubbed it, cleaned the glass and filters, the only thing I havent done is taken the bio balls out? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
How offten do you clean the bio-balls...I use bio-balls in my sump but I take them out and wash them down with salt water every two weeks. They work if you take care of them.
 
rooroo

rooroo

Member
I was rinsing them every other water change. It seems like they just get caked with hair algea in nothing flat. Do you use fresh salt water or the water you take out of your tank?
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Bio balls don’t raise nitrates readings. Lack of good husbandry and lack of denitrification are the cause of high readings
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Originally Posted by rooroo
http:///forum/post/3041877
I was rinsing them every other water change. It seems like they just get caked with hair algea in nothing flat. Do you use fresh salt water or the water you take out of your tank?
I use the water I take out after my water change.
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3041959
Bio balls don’t raise nitrates readings. Lack of good husbandry and lack of denitrification are the cause of high readings
+1 So much bad info out there. It all comes down to how well you maintain your system.
 
salt210

salt210

Active Member
I agree bioballs have to be taken care of and cant just be left alone. you should try cleaning them more often. even try cleaning some of them with distilled vinegar
 
invertcrazy

invertcrazy

Member
Originally Posted by rooroo
http:///forum/post/3041807
My question is can I take all my bio balls out of my skimmer? What will it do if anything. I have taken all my rock out and scrubbed it, cleaned the glass and filters, the only thing I havent done is taken the bio balls out? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Maybe I'm reading this wrong but why do you have bio balls in your skimmer?
 
rooroo

rooroo

Member
They are in my skimmer because that is how it came. The only difference between this tank that I have problems with and my other tank is the bio balls. I rinse the balls every other water change. I guess I will just try scrubbing them off with a toothbrush just like with my rock.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Hold on a minute DO NOT REMOVE OR CLEAN your bio balls post a pic please by scrubbing your bio balls you can in fact greatly diminish your bio filtration
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3042432
Hold on a minute DO NOT REMOVE OR CLEAN your bio balls post a pic please by scrubbing your bio balls you can in fact greatly diminish your bio filtration
I can not type what I am thinking
 
rooroo

rooroo

Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3042432
Hold on a minute DO NOT REMOVE OR CLEAN your bio balls post a pic please by scrubbing your bio balls you can in fact greatly diminish your bio filtration

So you want a pic of my bio balls?
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Call it crazy and it makes no since to me but I did see a guy with one of those seaclon skimmers with bio-ball down in the tube that pushes the air up into the sediment cup, but I was there with another friend and I didn't know the guy and we had been drinking and I didn't have the heart to ask why because no answer he could give me would I have been able to keep a strate face. I did say if you put a light on it, it would look like a lava lamp.
 
rooroo

rooroo

Member
The skimmer is like a CPR Backpack, but it is an off brand. I have a CPR on my other tank that has the biobale in it. I found this skimmer that was half the price for my other tank except it didn't have the biobale like the CPR but came with bio balls instead. So could this be my problem? I can try to get a picture of it in a little bit.
 
jdhorn98

jdhorn98

New Member
Originally Posted by InvertCrazy
http:///forum/post/3042840
What's the name of the skimmer? I never saw one that has bio balls in it.
As florida joe said a pic would help alot.
ETS uses bio balls to make more bubbles as the water sprays down over them before going into the main compartment of the skimmer I love mine it skims like no other nice coffee black sludge
 
pete159

pete159

Member
i would replace the bio ball with either live rock rubble, or ehiem pro substrate. bio balls are kinda cheap, thats why they come with most canister filters. You can also add kent denitrate to it. Anything that offers bio filtration can be added, the higher quality the better.
 
invertcrazy

invertcrazy

Member
Originally Posted by jdhorn98
http:///forum/post/3043484
ETS uses bio balls to make more bubbles as the water sprays down over them before going into the main compartment of the skimmer I love mine it skims like no other nice coffee black sludge

Wow- I guess you never stop learning in this hobby
 
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