Sump

[Dustin1]

I have bio balls in my sump and i have heard that they are bad and produce a lot of nitrate and i also have heard they are good? What one is true and should i keep them or should they go?

 

[aquarookie]

I don't see much difference between having bio balls and having live rock... Both have large surface area to provide habitat for beneficial bacteria... So I am as confused as you are :lol:

 

[Dustin1]

i am glad i am not the only one

 

[mmkeeper]

Bio balls do keep nitrates higher than without. If you have enough Live Rock there is no need for bioballs. If you test you water and you are using bioballs and have a nitrate reading of 0 don't mess with it, if you are having a nitrate issue thats the place to start.

 

[mmkeeper]

The reason bioballs are know as nitrate factories is that it takes an oxygen free environment (an arobic) area to break nitrates down. Bioballs break nitrites to nitrate in an oxygen rich environment.

 

[Krish]

Bio-balls themselves aren't the problem, but the environment they are in which is a wet/dry environment (ie highly oxygenated environment with not anaerobic zones).The bad thing about that is where there are no anaerobic zones present which is required for denitrification to take place (the process by which nitrates are converted into nitrogen gas) the only thing left to happen is for you to end up with an accumilation of nitrates over time if you don't know how to properly care for a tank being run with a wet/dry. Live rock on the other hand has anaerobic zones for the necessary bacteria to grow and populate and do their job which is why people tend to go with just the live rock and forget about the wet/dry, put simply.

 

[mmkeeper]

What Krish said!!!!!

 

[aquarookie]

Krish, you always know how to explain things in a way that makes sense. Thanks!

 

[azgard1]

Thanks Krish, that was a nicely put, short and to the point explanation.

 

[Dustin1]

than k you krish i think i get it now

 

[Dustin1]

ok and how much do i need of water movement in a 75 gallon fish tank

 

[ronj]

depends on what you are keeping in there and if you have a sand bed... if that were my tank, i would have at least 3500gph in it..i go barebottom in my tanks, so it is easier to direct all that flow without having to worry about blowing sand everywhere

 

[Dustin1]

o i have sand