bio balls in the wet/dry

[bobfnp]

Comments please, are these now obsolete in the reef set up? Are they nitrogen producers, I have read this elsewhere... should they be removed... I do have 85# of live rock that can do the biological filtration, but I've always liked trickle filters , they seem to promote gas exchange better than any other method especially if the chamber is injected with air....sumps are also a great place for bags or pads of different media, and great for holding skimmers and heaters and such....my opinion.

 

[DonW]

Bio balls are little nitrate factories. Yes I'd remove them. Your right a sump is a great place to store all the gizmos, but you also get great gas exchange with a decent skimmer.

Don

 

[btuck]

IMO the only time you want to use the bioballs is if you are trying to keep a sterilized fish only tank. The LR should provide all the bacteria needed and as Don already said your skimmer will provide the gas exchange

especially if don ever tells us how to make the rest of the locking flange :lol:
j/k don

 

[Krish]

I third it. My tank was never better after removing them all together

BTW, Welcome to RF if I haven't welcomed you already

 

[Aquatic Guru]

I have a wet/dry system and slowly removing a handful of bio balls after every water change.

 

[bobfnp]

Thank you all the consensus is in!!!! Out go the balls!!!

 

[shallowreef]

I'm sorry but i can't help but look at this thread and laugh. I keep thinking it reads "big balls in the wet/dry" and the post above mine that reads "Out Go The Balls" just makes me laugh.

I know i'm wierd, its what i do.

 

[bobfnp]

You are funny !!! I'd better not comment further as this is a family show.... lol

 

[bobfnp]

Started removing them tonight, 2 liters at a time... probably per week.....

 

[IAP Brian]

Even though I build a lot of wet/dry filters using bio-balls, I must say that in the reef environment they are just nitrate bombs waiting to detonate. Unless you want to be the envy of the world with your majestic fields of hair algae, swaying in the current, I would recommend removing them. The live rock in your tank will take over the function of the bio-balls and will provide additional groups of bacteria to help with nitrate and other pesky organic compounds.

----however, bio-balls can be very useful for starting the inital cycle of a reef system and can be slowly phase out, but unless you have a good size budget for something that is going to end up a collection of dust bunnies in the garage, I would suggest going with a refugium type sump, or even just a simple sock sump right from the get go.

 

[bobfnp]

So... what are some good uses for my sump that used to contain bio balls? It already has a protein skimmer in it, I already have a refugium (HOB) with chaeto and DSB. should I put other filtration such as PO4 remover etc in there, also should the heating element go in there.?