Bio-balls truth or myth

[meco65]

It just seems strange to me that the wet-dry filter system was used for many years successfully, and still is for many reefers. I would like to here from the ones using these systems and how they maintain them, cleaning schedule and such.

I also would like to here from the ones that have had the wet-dry systems and had nitrate problems. What was the cleaning schedule that you had for the filter, and were the bio-ball dirty when they were taken out.

Please be honest about this so we can see once and for all.

[scrmbld33]

my friend is in the process of this now, about four weeks along taking them out, so far his nitrates are way down and he finally got rid of his brown algae bloom, so far im a firm believer in it. i think wetdry's and bioballs work best with fish only tanks( no LR)

[JRaquatics]

I have been in this hobby for some time now. My first two tanks had wet/dry with bioballs. I always battled hair algea because of high nitrates. My tanks from then on have contained no bioball, just a sump and fuge. Nitrates can't even be seen on my test kit now. I agree with the poster above, wet/drys work well with fish only but not so well with reef tanks. I think bioballs is what made the hobby so challenging for reefers 10 yrs ago.

[Sk8r]

It's old tech. Old tech works, but it doesn't work as well. I've done both, and I'll tell you wild horses couldn't drag me back to bioballs.
Sure, you can keep softies with bioballs. But if you want stony, you're just about 100% held to no filter, live rock only.

[mg426]

I could never get my nitrates below 10 PPM with Bio Balls. After removing them I have been at 0 for a couple years.

[vito is hooked]

Im in the prosses of removing my bio balls now. Only 3 days into it My tank is 125 about 175lbs live rock, little brown alge, lots of macro. I replace my phos pad rinse my sponges once a month water change and vaccume mostly every 2 weeks. Couple of leathers. (never cleaned bio balls. Did,nt know i had too) Nitrate as of this morning 20ppm

[vito is hooked]

I hope the lite purple alge is macro.

[baldomero]

ive had a fowlr tank for about 3 years with a wet and dry ive never had a problem with nitrates the bio balls never got dirty either i just get a little sediment on the floor of the wet dry.

[meco65]

(scrmbld33), (JRaquatics), (Sk8r) I was wondering what was your cleaning schedule on the bio-ball once a week, every two weeks, once a month, or what, and was the system dirty when you changed it out, any buildup, gunk...

[meco65]

(baldomero) So in your system the bio-balls work well. What is your cleaning schedule on the on the wet-dry filter.

[Abso]

How should bioballs removed. I mean remove all once or slowly?

[scrmbld33]

they should be removed slowly, a few a week till they are gone

[baldomero]

i change the filter pad once a week and syphon out some of the debry that accumulates on the bottom thats it bio balls never get dirty well mine dont i always take a look to see,on the other hand i sometimes have an ammonia problem and ph problem but nothing serious,so im not worried about it

[Thizzelle686]

I have a BC29 with the bioballs in the thied chamber and i plan on getting rid of those bioballs and putting in the Sapphire Aquatics recirculating skimmer in. My nitrates were never really high, but i want the skimmer.

[meco65]

mg426
What was your cleaning schedule, and was the wet-dry dirty when you took it down.
Thizzelle686
Yes I can see that a skimmer would help.

[hugodboss]

I removed my bio balls 2 weeks ago and I did half waited a week and took out the rest..no problems at all.. when i had the bioballs i had nitrate problems after removing them they were gone. i was told never to clean the bio balls because you risk a cycle.i added a sock and i clean it once a week...the question i have is should i have live rock in my sump..i have 55g 50lbs live rock.

[meco65]

Yes you can add LR to the sump for better bio-filtering, and treat it like the LR in your tank blow the rock off every now and than.

[Abso]

So today i will add cheato to my sump.
Should i remove all bioballs (the ones underwater and the ones above water lvl) or keep some of them?
Which causes nitrates? one above water or under water or both? Planning to keep bioballs either on the filter media above water or vice versa.

[dsn112]

I had them in a canister for a few months. I was diligent at cleaning I'd, but it didnt matter.

I went away for 8 days over thanksgiving and when I came back algae outbreak and my nitrates were high. Removed whole filter and bioballs, water has never been better.