Bio Balls or not

[chucknsheila]

I'am confused? I have a 75-gallon tank with 120 lbs live rock (7 years old) 100 lbs live aragonite; 350 watts compact with ½ 100k and ½ actinic light. My tank has been set up 2 months now. Ammonia = 0-.25, PH = 8.2-8.4, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 10-20. I have 2 Damsels, 1 Yellow Tang, 1 Kole Tang, 1 Coral Beauty, 1 Snow Flake eel, 1 banded shrimp, about 4-5 Turbo Snails, 4-5 Blue Hermits, 4-5 Red Hermits, 2 Emerald Crab and 1 Arrow Crab. I have a 125 Pro Aquatics trickle filter and Won 125 Clean up skimmer. Should I remove the Bio Balls or not, some say yes and some say no. Also, is a Nitrate reading of 10-20 OK? In the future I would like to put in some mainly soft corals – mushrooms ect. What do you advise, keep the Bio Balls? Is the 10-20 Nitrate level OK? Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[Beckmola24]

The nitrate level is high. Generally you want to keep the nitrae level below .2 so if you do a decent water change it should help lower your Nitrates. What test kit are you using for the ammonia??? I know with the test kits that some other people here have used in the past the readings won't ever read exactly zero. (Unfortunately I have a test kit like that too) As for the bio-balls, they can trap a lot of detritus and contribute to nitrates which you don't want. I personally won't be using the ones that came with my sump because they can become nitrate factories. Go to the search button and type in Bio Balls and you should come up with several threads concerning them. I'm not a link wizzard yet... Sorry JMHO Hope this helps!

 

[chucknsheila]

Thanks Becky,
My test kit is from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Inc.
I can’t believe the miss information given at the local pet shops! I’ve taken out the Bio Balls (again!), this is the second time I have removed them. Some told me Nitrate levels of 40-50 where good, some said that 20-30 levels where I’m at is too high, some said keep the Balls, ect… What is an acceptable level for nitrates with inverts and soft coral?
What is your opinion on growing plants in the sump? What type of light do the plants require? Again thanks for the reply.

Chuck

 

[Beckmola24]

Growing plants in the sump will help keep algae growth down in you tank (IE Hair algae etc etc) because macroalgae out competes the stuff in your tank. As for lighting I'm not 100% sure of the exact wattage that is good, but I'm looking at buying an EcoSystems refugium that only comes with an 18 watt light. You want to try to shoot for Nitrates below .2
What kind of water are you using for your tank??? Sometimes tap water will contain nitrates. I think by just taking to bio balls out should help to lower nitrates and keep them down. Did you do a water change? If not then a 5 to 10% water change will bring those nitrates down. HTH

 

[NaH2O]

Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!!

I would also recommend water changing to bring down the nitrates. If you removed all the bioballs at once, keep an eye on your water parameters. How much and how often are you feeding? I've never owned an eel, are they messy eaters? If so, you may want to try and remove any uneaten food or watch overfeeding, just so that doesn't contribute to poor water quality. As Becky indicated, tap water can sometimes be a source of nitrates. How quickly were the fish introduced? It may also be a result of stocking too fast, so your system hasn't had a chance to catch up yet. Regardless, IMO, the bioballs are not ideal for a reef tank, and will be a source of nitrates.

Hope this helps!

 

[sryder]

I would also consider siphoning all of the tank bottom to remove as much detritus as i could at water change. if you have a sand bed than you only want to stir or siphon the top layer.