[johnnybass]

If that is so ,and I stick with the bioballs I should take them out and clean them once a mo.?

 

[Trishfish]

I guess I don't understand what you mean. The purpose of bioballs is to create additional surface area for the "good" bacteria to colonize. If you clean them you will destroy the bacteria.

 

[musho3210]

yes and no, bio-balls create nitrates since all the waste is filtered out mechanically in the bio-balls. If left unnoticed they will become a nitrate factory and continually produce nitrates, even if the fish-load is small. The best way to go with this is to clean them like you said but try not to clean all at once. Maybe clean 1/3-1/2 a month by placing it in a bucket of old tank water and slowly stir them around, then put them back where all the other ones and make note of where you put them, the next month clean the ones you didnt clean and go like that. As CRM said in another post, bio-balls dont create nitrate, its being neglectful of the bio-balls that create nitrate.

 

[johnnybass]

bioballs

I did.nt say that it's a reef tank this about 50 lbs. of live rock. Should I still clean the balls about 1/2 @ a time?

 

[musho3210]

yeah, it still creats nitrates and not all fish can stand a high nitrates.

 

[caferacermike]

With some live rock in the tank I'd look at changing your wet dry to accept filter socks. Wash them once a week and you'll have a really good mech filter to go along with the biological rock filtration. Your 50lbs of rock are probably way better at bio conversion then 10g of bioballs.

 

[johnnybass]

The sock

caferacermike Do you meen to get rid of the bioballs for the filter socks?

 

[usmc121581]

Yes remove them and forget about them.

 

[nbassis]

I am not understanding you all. Why would you ever want to wash the bioballs. Are you kidding me. This is a saltwater tank yes. you never touch the bioballs. Just let everything sit. Give your tank a year and everything will be fine. DO not ever rinse your bioballs. Just touching them kills all the good suff on them. Just change the filter you ahev above the balls every month or so.

 

[usmc121581]

I am not understanding you all. Why would you ever want to wash the bioballs. Are you kidding me. This is a saltwater tank yes. you never touch the bioballs. Just let everything sit. Give your tank a year and everything will be fine. DO not ever rinse your bioballs. Just touching them kills all the good suff on them. Just change the filter you ahev above the balls every month or so.

Bi-balls cause high nitrates so you should never use them anyway. I dont know one person personnal that uses bioballs on a saltwater tank.

 

[Robnjo]

wow, I'm lost too, there is something wrong in my tank at the moment (last 3-4 months) but did run well with a good load of fish for almost 10years?
what should you have in a sump if bio-balls/cubes create nitrate?
Rob.

 

[usmc121581]

In my sump I have a skimmer, uv sterilizer. With alot of macro algea, and about 20lbs of live rock rubble thats it. My nitrates never raise above 10ppm.

 

[caferacermike]

And I'll stress it one more time..... It's not the bio balls that create the problem, it is the lack of attention they generally receive. Do you take them all out and rinse them clean about once every 3 months? Do you tear apart the sump and wet vac it sparkly clean? Typically that answer is no. Most people will leave it as is for 5-10-15 or more years. Look at the shape of them, they are built and intended for BIOFILTRATION not MECHANICAL FILTRATION. However they are perfectly shaped to catch and hold onto particulate matter. As that matter decomposes, rots, away it releases excess nutrients to the tank. They should be kept as clean as possible to maximize their effect.

 

[Robnjo]

I think I will be flushing them clean alot more often now that I have done it (yesterday), I was told not to touch the sump but now that infos over 10 years old and my tank has been on slow down-hill slide over the years.
I've learnt more in the last few days on here then the whole time I've been into Salt.
Thanks guys/gals :wink:

 

[caferacermike]

Sounds great but remember to work slowly. It took 10 years for your tank to slide...... Don't fix it in 10 days. Just do a little bit at a time or you could upset the Karmic balance it currently has.