I want to remove bio balls but HOW?

[briang]

I have a 75 gal mixed reef with a 20 gal wet-dry. I have been laxed on checking water parameters but I did yesterday and my nitrates were 30 ppm. I have heard that wet-drys can raise nitrates. How?. and how do I change over to sump with live rock? Do I have to add a partition to the sump? Anyone know where I can find a diogram?

 

[Damsel13]

Do you have live rock in your display? How much?

 

[Ed Hahn]

If I removed my bio balls or Bio Bale from tank. I would do it slowly. I would also do it with water changes. You are going to stir a lot of unsettled waste up into your water column again.
I would make up water to same salinity and temperature as tank. I would remove part of Bio Balls. I would say maybe 20-25 % of bio balls. Do a 25% water change. Then repeat the process a week later. Until your Bio Balls are gone. You did not say what other filtration you were using.

 

[briang]

Do you have live rock in your display? How much?

I have 80 lbs live rock and a 3 inch sand bed

 

[briang]

If I removed my bio balls or Bio Bale from tank. I would do it slowly. I would also do it with water changes. You are going to stir a lot of unsettled waste up into your water column again.
I would make up water to same salinity and temperature as tank. I would remove part of Bio Balls. I would say maybe 20-25 % of bio balls. Do a 25% water change. Then repeat the process a week later. Until your Bio Balls are gone. You did not say what other filtration you were using.

I run a Marineland HOT Magnum carbon filter, Also a Prism pro delux skimmer. YES!! I am gonna get a better skimmer. Figured I'd tell everyone before I get another tounge lashing, lol.

 

[hdben]

Do you have enough room for a refugium? I ran a wet-dry for a year without problems in my reef but eventually got rid of the bioballs. Are you using a filter sock to help with the filtering? That is another one that I added that made a big difference. I change it out every 3 days or so, if not then it becomes a nitrate factory as well. Good luck and follow the advice about removing the balls with a water change.

How long do you run the carbon before rinsing or changing? Just curious.

 

[briang]

Do you have enough room for a refugium? I ran a wet-dry for a year without problems in my reef but eventually got rid of the bioballs. Are you using a filter sock to help with the filtering? That is another one that I added that made a big difference. I change it out every 3 days or so, if not then it becomes a nitrate factory as well. Good luck and follow the advice about removing the balls with a water change.

How long do you run the carbon before rinsing or changing? Just curious.

The only room I have is the space in cabanet under tank. Basically the wet-dry sump is all the space I have. I change carbon ever 3 to 4 weeks I use a very expensive carbon. Can't find the name at the moment because I put it in a different container, I buy it from JAWZ in florida . They said it's the best. It's a high density pellet. Looks like shiney black rabbit pellets.