Bio Balls, I have a question

serg141

serg141

Member
I was told that if you have live rocks and would like to make a reef tank you don't need bio balls in your wet/dry. I have a 120 gal tank, 120lbs of live rock and 80lbs of live sand.
Thank you
 
bot587

bot587

Member
yes, but it would not hurt to have it, so unless someone else argues this (i do not know a huge amount about wet/dry filtration) i would put it in.
 
B

big911dog

Guest
I'm new to the hobby, but as I understand bio-balls, they are in the wet/dry filter to provide surface area for beneficial bactieria to accumulate on. They are used predominantly where live rock is not in the tank. The surface of the live rock does the same thing the bio-balls' surface accomplishes.
The purpose of the bacteria is to assist in the de-nitrification process.
 
B

big911dog

Guest
there is no such thing as too much bacteria. The con for the bio balls (again I'm new to this) is they also provide a place for waste to collect which will eventually cause an ammonia problem.
one solution i've heard of is to put ur protein skimmer in line BEFORE the wet/dry. that filters out the garbage before it gets to the bio-balls.
thats why some people say to lose the bio-balls when you have live rock. i have also heard to keep them for tank cycling and removing them progressively as the tank matures and stabilizes with bacteria on the live rock.
 
msd2

msd2

Active Member
This is a highly debated topic. Personally I had nothing but trouble with the bballs. Unless you take them out and clean them regularly. They can very easily become nitrate factories. My advice unless you plan on being very dilgent is just get rid of em.
 
B

big911dog

Guest
again, I'm new, so get others' opinions! i've heard anywhere from every 6 months to 1 year.
they are simply pulled out and rinsed out. you dont want to get rid of the good bacteria, but you do want to wash out any particulate matter which accumulates.
that particulate matter is the problem with the bio-balls. as it decomposes, it creates ammonia.
i was once advised to use them for tank cycling and pull them out a handful at a time as the tank stabilizes and the bacteria developes in the live rock.
 
msd2

msd2

Active Member

Originally posted by Serg141
How often should I clean them, if I choose to keep them, and how should I clean them?
I had to clean them every few months. If your running a dsb and lr, I would really suggest not even bothering with the balls and use the extra space as a water reserve.
 
johnic

johnic

Member
I had a W/D filter running on my fresh water for 7 years and now on my SW tank...I never had a nitrate rise..I placed a filter pad before the water ran on my bio balls to pick up any waste and changed the pad every day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top