Wet/Dry bio-balls question...

[thomas712]

I think you know my point of view I wont give up my bio balls yet.
However to be fair we have tiny boxes of water comparied to Sea world, that has millions of gallons at thier disposal, larger system, perhaps more stable. And a host of personel to fix, and or replace problems that we will never see, or better before we see it.
Not saying I didn't like your point of view or don't understand but our tiny boxes of water make for enough of a challenge. Now if only I could have a tube feeding to a real reef
Once again, its just one means to and end and not the only one.
As to the water change, I know only a few who do not do them. Personally I will do them, out with the bad in with the new.
Thomas

 

[crazy8]

I understand water changes when you have serious problems, but the more stable a system the better from what I can see. And stability would mean 0 water changes if possible. That along with being a naturally lazy person is why I wouldn't want to do water changes if I could help it. But with only 55 gallons, I don't think I will be so lucky. Now if I had a 200-300 gallon system, I think it could work.

 

[tony detroit]

There's a guy with a 300 reef in town that sells his frags to the lfs and he swears he does no water changes, just once a year does 20%. This is also detroit and people bs a lot. He has a refugium/dsb/ submerged bioballs, but notta trickle filter. He also has a monster, five or six foot skimmer and swears by RO water. He has clams the size of nerf footballs. I've never been to his house but I have seen pictures of his tank.

 

[mykgillespie]

I'd stick with water changes personally. I just think it makes things easier to balance, but I have read a lot about people that have had success without water changes. With regards to Sea World using bio-balls, all I can say is that I enjoyed my visit there and was very impressed with the whales and dolphins, but I couldn't help but notice that they are mammals and didn't breathe underwater.

 

[jlem]

I would keep the bio balls and run a prefilter. Also every so often 6 months or so, rinse them off with some tank water from your water change and they should not contribute any more nitrates than live rock or sand will. Bioballs won't reduce nitrates but that is what you have live rock and sand for. Bio balls are a great back up incase you ever need to run a quarantine tank and need a biological filter or if you set up another tank and You can have an instant cycle. Bioballs just take a little preventative maintnance.

 

[wester97]

If you have TOO MUCH biological filtration you will be completing the nitrification cycle TOO FAST! Beneficial bacteria wont have time to feed off of the byproducts. Am i right with this?
What all feeds off of the byproducts?