When i clean my bio balls should i just swish them around in salwater?

[gixxer1000]

Yes im using bio balls and i think they are a great biological filter if you use them correcly. I have the live rock and live sand as well. Plus my tank is still in the cycle period. SHould i just swish them around in the saltwater or really clean them with like a toothbrush. Same thing with the overflow pad just swish it around would be my guess to preserve the bacteria. I just wanna make sure.

 

[blk822]

Ive never had to clean mine. If you scrub them than you may kill the bacteria, and that wouldn't be smart if your still cycling your tank. And the sponge in the over flow is just to catch large particals befor they get into your sump and plug it up.

 

[gixxer1000]

Why would it be a problem is i kill the bacteria off them wouldnt it just grow back. Also what i really ment to ask is do i swish them around in just RO water or saltwater. Im not looking to kill all the bacteria off them just clean them up a bit before they become a *POSSIBLE* nitrate problem.

 

[cprdnick]

Just swish them around in saltwater. Do not scrub them at all.
You're only doing a quarter of them every water change right?

 

[gixxer1000]

Acutally i have not did any of them yet. Im looking to get ride of them soon not cause of a nitrate problem cause i will be building a refugium. So just do a quarter of them so i guess i have to dig in there pretty deep so i make sure i evetually get them all when i do water changes.

 

[gixxer1000]

My biggest fear is that i have a nice 4,000 dollar hard invested reef and boom. :scared: oh my gosh nitrate spike all my money down the drain.

 

[cprdnick]

You could just remove them completely right now and just use it as a sump and mechanical filter. That's basically all the bio balls are is a mechanical filter with some nitrifiying bacteria on it. Your LS and LR should handle most of you bio filtering.

 

[cprdnick]

Good catch Carole. It's amazing what kind of stuff I forget to mention at 4 in the morning.
Clint