bioballs?

[jcegt87]

ok so im using a wet dry with bioballs does that also add to nitrites ???? they are still at .25 havent overfeed only one lose and that was today the beauty couldnt handle it i saw the hermits having a buffet when i got home
how do i go about cleaning the bioballs, slowly section by section or all at once

i read that i can change the bioballs to something else but forgot what

 

[reeffreak]

You can change the bio-balls out for live rock rubble.They really won't be much different unless you fully surmerge the rock rubble.BB's don't add to nitrite,it adds to nitrate though.Some test kits give false readings at very small amounts.Its possible the .25 is really zero.Maybe get the LFS to double check to be sure.If/when you decide to clean the BB's,never do the whole thing at once....same applies when you change them out.Clean 1/3 a week and when/if you decide to replace the bb,then replace 1/3 a week.

 

[Doc]

I am a fan of doing things as naturally as possible. I believe that bioballs are not good for reef tanks. If it were me, I would change them out and go with only live rock

-Doc

 

[ccCapt]

I used bioball in my wet/dry for over 15 years in my reef tank and never had a nitrate problem.

 

[yote]

Bioballs are like anything else.They have to be maintained.
I use them in my wet/dry just to quiet the water fall since the tank is in the bedroom.But I clean them once a week to keep them from building up any bacteria.

 

[hotimportknight]

I thought the idea of bio balls was to build up bacteria and work just like live rock. Or am I understanding it wrong?

 

[bjohanson1234]

bio balls do build up bacteria however, they tend to be in more oxygenated water and grow aerobic bacteria which turns ammonia to nitrites to nitrates. Deep inside LR the oxygen is depleted by those bacteria and anerobic bacteria grow that convert nitrates to elemental nitrogen which then disipates out of the water.

Brian

 

[reeffreak]

Live rock is porous while BB are not allowing denitrification meaning the breakdown of nitrate,nitrogen to nitrogen gas.Live rock provides both nitrification and denitrication.Bio-balls only provide nitrification.Back in the old days a wet/dry(trickle) was great for a fish only tank with dead coral decorations.Today,hardly anybody goes that route anymore.If you have plenty of live rock than bio-balls are not needed.