taking out bioballs

[jeff fenn]

I have got a question

Why do people take out the bioballs after a while of having a reef tank. I don't really understand what this does and if it is necissary.

Thanks

Jeff

[viper12775]

from what i understand they tend to release nitrate or nitrite im not sure which or why

[Reefland]

Well, the reason to not use bio-balls is because they can build up waste that causes nitrate increases. The only way to prevent the build up of waste in them is to frequently clean them and this kills the aerobic bacteria that does live on them. Bio-ball type of filtration is fine for the first steps in the nitrogen cycle (ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate) but it stops there.

The environment bio-balls are kept in does not facilitate the anoxic condition that anaerobic (nitrate processing) bacteria require to live. People often experience high nitrate levels when using this type of filtration and after slowly removing them and adding a deep live sand bed, their problem is solved.

Regards,
Scott Z.

[jeff fenn]

What is the best kind of live sand to get in your tank. I have probably two inches of live sand or sand that I hav put in there out of a bag. I should probably put alot more in there what do you guys recomend for a 55g tank that is going to have plenty of fish and reef. Then does the live sand take care of the amonia and other harmful elements, not just the nitrates.

Thanks Jeff

[Bughead]

Yes, live sand of at least 4" takes care of all your biological filtration. The subject of the kind of sand is extensive and open to lots of discussion. Perhaps somebody will post some links to articals about DSBs (deep sand beds).

I started out with a 100 gal built-in wet/dry system, complete with 500 bioballs. It was wonderful for the first 6 months, then my nitrates steadily rose and peaked at 80ppm. My system was a FOWLR and I didn't have corals or many inverts to worry about, but just the idea of my fish having to tolerate such high nitrates made me uneasy. (Even though fish seem to tolerate high 'trates just fine, we don't know the long term effects, which in my opinion may be a shortened life span).

Anyway, I started slowly removing the bioballs at the same time increasing the sand bed. I was able to get the nitrates down somewhat but they remained between 40-50ppm.

Both my tanks now have a 4-6" DSB. My 55 gal (pre) reef stays between 0-3ppm and the 180 FOWLR stays 10ppm. No other filtration except a filter sheet to catch the big stuff. Neither tank has a skimmer right now, and I'm not sure if I will bother with a skimmer.

So, as up-hill and labor intense as it is, slowly remove the bioballs and add a couple inches of sand. You can inoculate it with a cupfull of live sand from someone elses tank or order a live sand starter. One of the best places, I think, is www.ipsf.com

[Reefland]

Bughead hits the key parts there. Increasing the sand bed depth to 4"+ will take care of denitrification for the most part; along with your LR you will have a nice biological natural filter. Do you have a protein skimmer with your system?

Anymore, DLSB, LR and Protein Skimming will basically handle all your filtration needs.

Scott Z.

[Mangrove]

As a guestimate about how long should you use bioballs and what to do with the wet/dry after you take them out? Swap it out for a refugium? Put something else in its place? I am just starting a 55 that gonnna have lR and critters (hermits, snails, a clown or 2) so my 2yr old can have something to sit on my lap and look at.

[Bughead]

If you don't have your tank set up yet, nix the bioballs to begin with. If it's already up and running start removing them any time after you increase the sand bed depth. Be sure to have a deep enough sand bed, 4"-6" and plenty of live rock, or some live rock and "dead" rock that will become cultured live in 3-6 months.

I removed my bioballs slowly, a bunch every week until after 2 months they were finally gone. However, I think that if you have your sand bed in for a month or so you can go ahead and remove all the bioballs at once with very little disturbance to the biological chemistry of the water. Then go ahead and use the sump as a redugium.