removing bioballs
- Thread starter salt life
- Start date
naclh2o nut
Member
what was the answer? I have bio balls and have thought about rubble.
salt life
Active Member
Originally Posted by NaClH2O Nut
http:///forum/post/2985254
what was the answer? I have bio balls and have thought about rubble.
I asked if i can remove the bio balls and replace with rubble or just remove them since I have a fuge with a DSB, posiden said that I can just remove them and my fuge should be able to support what the bioballs do. he also said that switching them out for LR rubble will not do much because the rubble will also catch crap in them...
http:///forum/post/2985254
what was the answer? I have bio balls and have thought about rubble.
I asked if i can remove the bio balls and replace with rubble or just remove them since I have a fuge with a DSB, posiden said that I can just remove them and my fuge should be able to support what the bioballs do. he also said that switching them out for LR rubble will not do much because the rubble will also catch crap in them...
naclh2o nut
Member
Originally Posted by Salt Life
http:///forum/post/2985281
I asked if i can remove the bio balls and replace with rubble or just remove them since I have a fuge with a DSB, posiden said that I can just remove them and my fuge should be able to support what the bioballs do. he also said that switching them out for LR rubble will not do much because the rubble will also catch crap in them...
Thanks, Why are you taking them out?
http:///forum/post/2985281
I asked if i can remove the bio balls and replace with rubble or just remove them since I have a fuge with a DSB, posiden said that I can just remove them and my fuge should be able to support what the bioballs do. he also said that switching them out for LR rubble will not do much because the rubble will also catch crap in them...
Thanks, Why are you taking them out?
nanomantis
Member
Originally Posted by NaClH2O Nut
http:///forum/post/2985833
Thanks, Why are you taking them out?
Because he is buying into the philosophy that bioballs do more harm than good. The organic wastes they trap is more damaging than the bacteria they house is beneficial.
http:///forum/post/2985833
Thanks, Why are you taking them out?
Because he is buying into the philosophy that bioballs do more harm than good. The organic wastes they trap is more damaging than the bacteria they house is beneficial.
geoj
Active Member
Originally Posted by NanoMantis
http:///forum/post/2985840
Because he is buying into the philosophy that bioballs do more harm than good. The organic wastes they trap is more damaging than the bacteria they house is beneficial.
Well, the way I look at it is if you have a reef tank with one or two fish, then you don’t need to put in much of the organic wastes in the first place. I concede that in a FO tank you must feed the fish and it may be hard for some people to keep from adding more and more fish, adding more and more waste to the tank…
http:///forum/post/2985840
Because he is buying into the philosophy that bioballs do more harm than good. The organic wastes they trap is more damaging than the bacteria they house is beneficial.
Well, the way I look at it is if you have a reef tank with one or two fish, then you don’t need to put in much of the organic wastes in the first place. I concede that in a FO tank you must feed the fish and it may be hard for some people to keep from adding more and more fish, adding more and more waste to the tank…
naclh2o nut
Member
Originally Posted by GeoJ
http:///forum/post/2985863
Well, the way I look at it is if you have a reef tank with one or two fish, then you don’t need to put in much of the organic wastes in the first place. I concede that in a FO tank you must feed the fish and it may be hard for some people to keep from adding more and more fish, adding more and more waste to the tank…
That is what I was thinking. I understand where some people think that they can become nitrate factories. I prefer nitrate factories that just means I will not have ammonia or nitrites. I can deal with Nitrates- fuge, waterchanges, nitrate absorbing materials, TIME(dinitrate bacteria)
One just has to understand that it is a filtermedia and will need to be maintained.
I was curios on the use of rubble and have heard many times it will collectmore"dirt" then the bio balls. I can see that happening. So as for now I am sticking with my blue balls.
http:///forum/post/2985863
Well, the way I look at it is if you have a reef tank with one or two fish, then you don’t need to put in much of the organic wastes in the first place. I concede that in a FO tank you must feed the fish and it may be hard for some people to keep from adding more and more fish, adding more and more waste to the tank…
That is what I was thinking. I understand where some people think that they can become nitrate factories. I prefer nitrate factories that just means I will not have ammonia or nitrites. I can deal with Nitrates- fuge, waterchanges, nitrate absorbing materials, TIME(dinitrate bacteria)
One just has to understand that it is a filtermedia and will need to be maintained.
I was curios on the use of rubble and have heard many times it will collectmore"dirt" then the bio balls. I can see that happening. So as for now I am sticking with my blue balls.
salt life
Active Member
Originally Posted by NanoMantis
http:///forum/post/2985840
Because he is buying into the philosophy that bioballs do more harm than good. The organic wastes they trap is more damaging than the bacteria they house is beneficial.
I am? that's not the reason why actually but ok. Don't speak for people when you have no idea what you are talking about.
http:///forum/post/2985840
Because he is buying into the philosophy that bioballs do more harm than good. The organic wastes they trap is more damaging than the bacteria they house is beneficial.
I am? that's not the reason why actually but ok. Don't speak for people when you have no idea what you are talking about.
posiden
Active Member
If folks would read the whole thread that they are posting in, there would be a lot less confusion. It is pretty obvious this thread didn't start off with complete info.
There is nothing wrong with Bio Balls as a filtration method. Just like there is nothing wrong with any other form of filtration. They all have their draw backs and they all have their good sides.
As stated above. The key is to maintain the form of filtration that you employ correctly. Which in this particular case, The OP was interested in a little simpler form (less time demanding) and , easier access to it.
There is nothing wrong with Bio Balls as a filtration method. Just like there is nothing wrong with any other form of filtration. They all have their draw backs and they all have their good sides.
As stated above. The key is to maintain the form of filtration that you employ correctly. Which in this particular case, The OP was interested in a little simpler form (less time demanding) and , easier access to it.
salt life
Active Member
Originally Posted by Posiden
http:///forum/post/2986190
If folks would read the whole thread that they are posting in, there would be a lot less confusion. It is pretty obvious this thread didn't start off with complete info.
There is nothing wrong with Bio Balls as a filtration method. Just like there is nothing wrong with any other form of filtration. They all have their draw backs and they all have their good sides.
As stated above. The key is to maintain the form of filtration that you employ correctly. Which in this particular case, The OP was interested in a little simpler form (less time demanding) and , easier access to it.
thank you posiden, people don't read sometimes, they just talk.
I was looking to remove the bio balls because the way I set up my sump, the bioballs are submerged and collect all the crap coming from both of my drains. also they are under a stand that would be a PITA to take out all the time since it helped keep my drain pipes in place, the reason I asked in the first place is because I now have a fuge in the new sump so I was asking if I even needed the bio balls. If I do need them I have no problem mantaining them, I do that with the rest of the system so that is not a problem.
http:///forum/post/2986190
If folks would read the whole thread that they are posting in, there would be a lot less confusion. It is pretty obvious this thread didn't start off with complete info.
There is nothing wrong with Bio Balls as a filtration method. Just like there is nothing wrong with any other form of filtration. They all have their draw backs and they all have their good sides.
As stated above. The key is to maintain the form of filtration that you employ correctly. Which in this particular case, The OP was interested in a little simpler form (less time demanding) and , easier access to it.
thank you posiden, people don't read sometimes, they just talk.
I was looking to remove the bio balls because the way I set up my sump, the bioballs are submerged and collect all the crap coming from both of my drains. also they are under a stand that would be a PITA to take out all the time since it helped keep my drain pipes in place, the reason I asked in the first place is because I now have a fuge in the new sump so I was asking if I even needed the bio balls. If I do need them I have no problem mantaining them, I do that with the rest of the system so that is not a problem.
geoj
Active Member
Originally Posted by NaClH2O Nut
http:///forum/post/2985941
That is what I was thinking. I understand where some people think that they can become nitrate factories. I prefer nitrate factories that just means I will not have ammonia or nitrites. I can deal with Nitrates- fuge, waterchanges, nitrate absorbing materials, TIME(dinitrate bacteria)
One just has to understand that it is a filtermedia and will need to be maintained.
I was curios on the use of rubble and have heard many times it will collectmore"dirt" then the bio balls. I can see that happening. So as for now I am sticking with my blue balls.
If the live rock rubble is big thick peaces then you will get the benefit of the removal of nitrate. If the peaces are thin and small it may just give you the same benefit as bio-balls and only convert ammonia and nitrite.
As to trapping the waste, there is not much difference in filtration media, just the ease of cleaning. If you completely remove the bio-balls and leave it empty then where do you think that waste is going to go?
The waste will end up in the sand, on the LR, or in some other mechanical filter. So if your maintenance procedure has you cleaning the sand, the LR, and any mechanical filter you may have then removing the bio-balls and letting the waste collect where you will remove it is a benefit. If you chose to clean the bio-balls then you get the added benefit of more ammonia and nitrite conversion.
So the belief that bio-balls needs to be removed to reduce nitrate is false. It is true that waste gets caught in bio-balls and you need to decide if you are going to clean that waste out or use LR, a skimmer, carbon, or algae to remove the nitrate associated with that waste.
http:///forum/post/2985941
That is what I was thinking. I understand where some people think that they can become nitrate factories. I prefer nitrate factories that just means I will not have ammonia or nitrites. I can deal with Nitrates- fuge, waterchanges, nitrate absorbing materials, TIME(dinitrate bacteria)
One just has to understand that it is a filtermedia and will need to be maintained.
I was curios on the use of rubble and have heard many times it will collectmore"dirt" then the bio balls. I can see that happening. So as for now I am sticking with my blue balls.
If the live rock rubble is big thick peaces then you will get the benefit of the removal of nitrate. If the peaces are thin and small it may just give you the same benefit as bio-balls and only convert ammonia and nitrite.
As to trapping the waste, there is not much difference in filtration media, just the ease of cleaning. If you completely remove the bio-balls and leave it empty then where do you think that waste is going to go?
The waste will end up in the sand, on the LR, or in some other mechanical filter. So if your maintenance procedure has you cleaning the sand, the LR, and any mechanical filter you may have then removing the bio-balls and letting the waste collect where you will remove it is a benefit. If you chose to clean the bio-balls then you get the added benefit of more ammonia and nitrite conversion.
So the belief that bio-balls needs to be removed to reduce nitrate is false. It is true that waste gets caught in bio-balls and you need to decide if you are going to clean that waste out or use LR, a skimmer, carbon, or algae to remove the nitrate associated with that waste.
naclh2o nut
Member
Originally Posted by Salt Life
http:///forum/post/2986255
thank you posiden, people don't read sometimes, they just talk.
I was looking to remove the bio balls because the way I set up my sump, the bioballs are submerged and collect all the crap coming from both of my drains. also they are under a stand that would be a PITA to take out all the time since it helped keep my drain pipes in place, the reason I asked in the first place is because I now have a fuge in the new sump so I was asking if I even needed the bio balls. If I do need them I have no problem mantaining them, I do that with the rest of the system so that is not a problem.
I have read and done this myself. looks like it works.--- To clean the bio balls, simply turn off your return pump and let the tank drain into sump. If you have it set up right it shouldcover most of the bio balls, then put a P/H in the sump with a air hose, aimit back up into your B/B and let them rinse the dirt/stuff off of them.
Then turn system back on. tank will be cloudy/nasty for a while but if you have new sock/floss then you will catch most of it. I change my floss the next day.
http:///forum/post/2986255
thank you posiden, people don't read sometimes, they just talk.
I was looking to remove the bio balls because the way I set up my sump, the bioballs are submerged and collect all the crap coming from both of my drains. also they are under a stand that would be a PITA to take out all the time since it helped keep my drain pipes in place, the reason I asked in the first place is because I now have a fuge in the new sump so I was asking if I even needed the bio balls. If I do need them I have no problem mantaining them, I do that with the rest of the system so that is not a problem.
I have read and done this myself. looks like it works.--- To clean the bio balls, simply turn off your return pump and let the tank drain into sump. If you have it set up right it shouldcover most of the bio balls, then put a P/H in the sump with a air hose, aimit back up into your B/B and let them rinse the dirt/stuff off of them.
Then turn system back on. tank will be cloudy/nasty for a while but if you have new sock/floss then you will catch most of it. I change my floss the next day.
nordy
Active Member
Originally Posted by Salt Life
http:///forum/post/2986255
thank you posiden, people don't read sometimes, they just talk.
I was looking to remove the bio balls because the way I set up my sump, the bioballs are submerged and collect all the crap coming from both of my drains. also they are under a stand that would be a PITA to take out all the time since it helped keep my drain pipes in place, the reason I asked in the first place is because I now have a fuge in the new sump so I was asking if I even needed the bio balls. If I do need them I have no problem mantaining them, I do that with the rest of the system so that is not a problem.
Reading your post I see that you state that your bioballs are submerged and my understanding of how they work is that it's best to have them exposed to the air and as water drips down over them, the bacteria will then be best able to do their thing so removing them, if they are submerged, is not going to affect your tank much.
http:///forum/post/2986255
thank you posiden, people don't read sometimes, they just talk.
I was looking to remove the bio balls because the way I set up my sump, the bioballs are submerged and collect all the crap coming from both of my drains. also they are under a stand that would be a PITA to take out all the time since it helped keep my drain pipes in place, the reason I asked in the first place is because I now have a fuge in the new sump so I was asking if I even needed the bio balls. If I do need them I have no problem mantaining them, I do that with the rest of the system so that is not a problem.
Reading your post I see that you state that your bioballs are submerged and my understanding of how they work is that it's best to have them exposed to the air and as water drips down over them, the bacteria will then be best able to do their thing so removing them, if they are submerged, is not going to affect your tank much.
salt life
Active Member
Originally Posted by Nordy
http:///forum/post/2986493
Reading your post I see that you state that your bioballs are submerged and my understanding of how they work is that it's best to have them exposed to the air and as water drips down over them, the bacteria will then be best able to do their thing so removing them, if they are submerged, is not going to affect your tank much.
that is why I want to remove them, all they are doing is sitting under water collecting crap, and they were in my other sump for 2 years the proper way, so taking them out all at once will affect my tank.
http:///forum/post/2986493
Reading your post I see that you state that your bioballs are submerged and my understanding of how they work is that it's best to have them exposed to the air and as water drips down over them, the bacteria will then be best able to do their thing so removing them, if they are submerged, is not going to affect your tank much.
that is why I want to remove them, all they are doing is sitting under water collecting crap, and they were in my other sump for 2 years the proper way, so taking them out all at once will affect my tank.
naclh2o nut
Member
It would depend on, do yu have enough filteration to support your bio load with out them, How many are there.
IIMO take out 1/4 to 1/3 and watch ammo, trites. If nothing moves then do it again in a week, watch and then finish.
IIMO take out 1/4 to 1/3 and watch ammo, trites. If nothing moves then do it again in a week, watch and then finish.