Pull my bioballs?

[ulfius]

I have a 40g tank now with a 6" trigger, 4" trigger and 4" clown with about 30lbs of live rock. I'm about to add a sump/refugium that I'm making out of a 20g tank. I'm also replacing my crushed coral with 60lbs of live sand. I also have a Remora skimmer.

Once I make these changes, will it be ok to take all the bioballs out of my wet/dry?

[landlord]

The removal of substrate and the subsequent readdition of live sand is sure to generate some type of cycle. With this in mind you may as well remove the bioballs since your bacterial load will be out of balance anyways.

If I were to do what you were describing I would step up my water changes a notch and perhaps dial that remora up to skim a little more wet.

I'm guessing that you will be removing the wet/dry????

--Good Luck --landlord

[ulfius]

It's a built-in wet/dry, so I'll just be using it as an overflow. So the live sand and rock will be able to handle the cycle and the bioload afterwards?

I've found that Remora's typically run somewhat wet.

[landlord]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15215898#post15215898 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ulfius
So the live sand and rock will be able to handle the cycle and the bioload afterwards?

Well, they won't really have a choice :) I would say that unless you are way overfeeding they will eventually come to find a balance with the liverock harboring more bacteria to compensate. Depending on how long you had the crused coral in your tank (to some extent) it could have become "live" over time.

Removing it is going to stir up the nasties it was sequestering and the readdition of new livesand will result in again more chemistry taking place in your tank.

You will get a cycle and your fish may not be the happiest but if you remove things slowly and carefully and try your best to be conscientous (sp) of not disturbing it too much things shouldn't be too awful.

:) landlord

[ulfius]

Thanks, the CC has been in there probably 10+ years and I try to flush it out with a powerhead whenever I do a PWC.

Now I just hope my triggers don't stir up sandstorms because they loved digging holes and making piles with the CC. :)

[Paul B]

I think bioballs in that tank should stay. The fish you keep would benefit from the extra filtering you get with the bioballs.

[blennymower]

This thread has a funny title:lol:

[mcoomer]

If you do decide to remove the bio balls do it in small steps. Do 25% a week till their gone. I pulled mine out years ago with no detrimental effects to the tank. Not long ago I pulled all the sand out too. Now I'm running with a big skimmer and lots of live rock.

Mike

[Kenzy]

I would leave the bioballs in. That is a small tank for some large fish. If you are just looking to make some changes, I would start with upgrading to a larger tank.

[luther1200]

I took mine out and my tank looked better in a week or 2. I could never get my NO3 under 20 with them. My NO3 dropped to <5 after I removed them. I would do it in stages like recommended above if you decide to do it.

[ludnix]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15216532#post15216532 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luther1200
I took mine out and my tank looked better in a week or 2. I could never get my NO3 under 20 with them. My NO3 dropped to <5 after I removed them. I would do it in stages like recommended above if you decide to do it.

When you had bioballs did you ever sift them around or try and free any trapped ditritus? I don't have bioballs so I'm not sure if that is a regular practice but it seems like if the bioballs were frequently moved around to release trapped ditritus they would work better.

[savethereef]

i had as 60g uniquarium about 4 years ago. i ran it will bio balls for a about 8 months then i decided to remove all the bio balls from the back and replace it with LR to make a refugium. i did not loosed anything in the tank and in fact my nitrates lowered down to zero with in a month after because of the refugium and all the deleterious between the bio balls.

[luther1200]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15216709#post15216709 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ludnix
When you had bioballs did you ever sift them around or try and free any trapped ditritus? I don't have bioballs so I'm not sure if that is a regular practice but it seems like if the bioballs were frequently moved around to release trapped ditritus they would work better.



I had a prefilter tray. Which I cleaned and replaced the sponge once a week. The bio-balls were not gunked up at all when I took them out.

[ulfius]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15216519#post15216519 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kenzy
I would leave the bioballs in. That is a small tank for some large fish. If you are just looking to make some changes, I would start with upgrading to a larger tank.

I'm looking at doing both. My LFS won't take these on trade right now, so I'm going to put them on Craigslist. Hopefully within the next year I'll upgrade to a 75g tank.

My #1 reason for making these changes is to get my nitrates down, which I just can't seem to do with my current setup.

[ulfius]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15216302#post15216302 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by blennymower
This thread has a funny title:lol:

At least I can just pull them out and not have to suck them.
:eek1: Is that TMI?

[Kenzy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15217383#post15217383 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ulfius

My #1 reason for making these changes is to get my nitrates down, which I just can't seem to do with my current setup.

Nitrates mean very little in a fish only tank(within reason), but because you have a couple of large fish in a small tank amonia and nitrites are a very real problem that bioballs do an exceptional job at converting to nitrates.

Others have mentioned that they removed theirs with no problems, but I doubt they had the bioload that you do and they had different goals. Triggers are messy eaters and produce a lot of waste, this needs to be treated differently than the goals of a reef tank.

Everyone hears "bioballs" and immediately thinks that they need to be pulled out, but in fact they do an excellent job of what they were desinged to do, convert toxic amonia and nitrite to much less toxic nitrate.

If you are really worried about the nitrates take a look at some of the DIY sulfur nitrate reactors, that may be a better option.

[jenglish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15217565#post15217565 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kenzy
Nitrates mean very little in a fish only tank(within reason), but because you have a couple of large fish in a small tank amonia and nitrites are a very real problem that bioballs do an exceptional job at converting to nitrates.



+1

[Eric the half-bee]

Listen, what you do with your bioballs is your bizness...































Do it in privacy...:lol:

[luther1200]

I would personaly get rid of them, and add a DSB to your fuge. With that and the 60# of LS you are adding, I think you will be better off.

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

I agree with snorvich. Leave them in, especially with a pre-filter like that getting the detritus before it reaches the bioballs. They're a great asset for those who do the proper maintenance or preventative maintenance.

[Reefjeeper]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15217396#post15217396 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ulfius
At least I can just pull them out and not have to suck them.
:eek1: Is that TMI?

and all I was going to say was it would take at least dinner and possibly a movie before you should ask such a question.

sheesh!

[FlyinggFish]

You can take the bioballs out. But I would leave them in, they won't "harm" your tank like they usually do in a sump or in the biocube.
The bioballs can only help with the noise of the overflowing water and "pre filtering." If you decide to take the bioballs out and you have a lot of noise from the over flow...might I suggest making/installing a durso stand pipe. It does wonders!

[blennymower]

It hurts when I pull my bioballs :lol:


On a serious note. When I first got into the hobby I bought a sump from the LFS that had bioballs in the drain and the midsection.

I pulled them out because the ones in the drain where collecting massive amounts of gunk with all the bubbles being created by the drain. I have used them in areas far from the drain (in the return) where they stay clean.

[ulfius]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to have to take them out eventually because they are in the area that will become the overflow and it will be full of water - since I'm planning on using a BeanAnimal overflow system. This will bring my water volume up to 55-60g and I'm thinking will be ok for my current bioload. I'll also not take them out all at once and I'll add in some more LR in the sump/fuge area which will have another 10lb of LS.

[g8gxp]

5 dolla, me pull your bioballs.......

sorry, i couldn't resist.

[briangg57]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15216302#post15216302 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by blennymower
This thread has a funny title:lol:
Didn't catch that unil you pointed it out!:lol: :lol:

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

I can totally see it, the sopranos doing a parody of this thread. "TONY, WHY YA GOTTA BREAK MY BIOBALLS?!?!?"

[New Jer-Z]

Glad people like ya'll are out here to give advice. Thanks everyone

[Jorober]

I'd take them out. I have a 180g with about 30 fish in it, one being a 6' Niger trigger, and another being a 12' crosshatch trigger. After removing my bioballs, i saw only an increase in my water quality. Add more live rock, and live sand, and get rid of the bioballs. They do more harm than good.