Reefs and Bio-Balls
- Thread starter rane
- Start date
T
thomas712
Guest
The do tend to get dirty, therefore they will collect a certain amount of slime and junk on them. This leads to a nitrate buildup. In larger amounts the nitrates can lead to a problem, typically nitrates above say 30 ppm.
This initself is the cheif complant about them and the big con that everyone talks about.
One of the big reasons that people change or remove the bio balls is to go to a more natural type of filtration. The other is that they do not want to hassle with cleaning them.
They work great in the begining to cycle and help convert the ammo>trites>trates. Once the DSB starts to mature people feel they don't need the balls anymore, they feel that it is the balls that are creating the nitrates in the system of course this is only due to lack of maintanance IMO.
Thomas
This initself is the cheif complant about them and the big con that everyone talks about.
One of the big reasons that people change or remove the bio balls is to go to a more natural type of filtration. The other is that they do not want to hassle with cleaning them.
They work great in the begining to cycle and help convert the ammo>trites>trates. Once the DSB starts to mature people feel they don't need the balls anymore, they feel that it is the balls that are creating the nitrates in the system of course this is only due to lack of maintanance IMO.
Thomas
broomer5
Active Member
I removed the bioballs in my 75 reef tank for one simple reason.
I want my benefical bacteria to grow in and on the sand grains, and in and on the live rock.
There's only so much food for them in the form of ammonia/nitrite - and I want them to concentrate on the surfaces of the sand and rock.
That's where they can do what they do ... and the clean up crew can do what they do. Keep everything clean.
Less maintenance for me.
I want my benefical bacteria to grow in and on the sand grains, and in and on the live rock.
There's only so much food for them in the form of ammonia/nitrite - and I want them to concentrate on the surfaces of the sand and rock.
That's where they can do what they do ... and the clean up crew can do what they do. Keep everything clean.
Less maintenance for me.
T
thomas712
Guest
A valid point sir 
one that I have not factored into my many bio ball posts.
Thomas
one that I have not factored into my many bio ball posts.Thomas
rane
Member
The reason I ask of this is because when I had my tank as an agessive tank I never had a problem with my water. or never got any cyno in my tank, since I went to reef and took out the bio balls I have had all sorts of problems, cyno,cloudy/dusty water, today I had to emptie out my tank completly, one of my pvc pipes which I didnt do correctly to begin with started to leak, I had to empty out the tankso I decided to go back to my old wet/dry with the bioballs, now my only problem is that my euro-reef doesnt fit in it with the mag12 return pump, so now I am skimmerles I am wondering if I am going to have a problem?