[ralphie16]

Are bioballs important to have for a Fish Only tank that already has 1-2 lbs of live rock in the display? I think there are two ways to look at it. The bioballs efficiency will cause a trend of increased nitrates, which can be dealt with water changes to keep them at acceptable levels for fish (no corals). But on the other hand they can serve a very useful purpose because if you have a high bioload with big messy feeders you need to be able to process the ammonia and other wastes as quickly and efficently as possible, and bioballs are perfect for this.

So which is the way to go?

Personally I run both types in my 5 tanks. One tank has bioballs with live rock in the display and my 4 other tanks use only live rock with no bioballs. I can't really compare the two methods with my setups because they are so different in terms of bioload, size, flow, live rock characteristics, cleaning crews, etc.

[Live Rock Ricky]

i removed my bioballs years ago and right now i have fowlr and dont have any problems... i have a lot more live rock though....

i have a 55g tank.... w/ about 7 fish...

[leebca]

The choices are pretty large, and each has its place PLUS putting the two together (which isn't a problem, either).

Live rock is supposed to take care of the nitrification AND the denitrification. By adding the bio-balls, you are drawing the wastes to the nitrification process, leaving nitrates in the system the live rock will be slow to get to. Enough wastes going to the bio-balls will even reduce the LR nitrification processing. Still, it is all okay in a FOWLR system, since nitrates are not a big concern.

But don't assume LR can't handle the load. It can in the right quantity. So either way or a mix is okay.

You may wish to read this: What is Live Rock, Anyway?