Bio Balls vs Live Rock

[watermydoing]

Can someone explain the difference and or benefits of using Live rock in sumps over bioballs?

1) And if switching from bioballs to LR can the switch happen at anytime?

2) Does the amount of LR make a difference?

3) Is it better to take established LR from tank itself if switching or can I buy new and put it in?

thanks

[thegrun]

Bio-balls are great at converting ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates but they have no denitrifing capabilities at all. If you don't clean them regularly they will cause your nitrate levels to rise. Live rock will break down ammonia but it also does some denitrifing (limited).
1. You can make the switch at anytime.
2. More live rock provides more room for your bacteria to colonize. Having more live rock will allow your tank to process more waste and thus support a larger bio-load.
3. The best thing to do is cycle rock in a separate container and then add it to the tank. Adding new uncycled live rock runs the risk of starting a new cycle.

[bnumair]

yes bioballs are known to trap debris and thus causing nitrates.
1. if this is an established tank then you need to remove and replace slowly over time. maybe 10-20% per week
2. LR is the ultimate filteration in your tank and there is more power in numbers. (more place for bacteria to hang out at)
3. Established LR is an excellent choice if its pest free. if not then u can buy new rock and start placing it in slowly. see #1.

[Jackg962]

This is where I get confused, Is all rock in tank now considered LR? tank is 9 months old. I started with half live rock from store. So now all the rock is now live rock? I am considering taking out the bio balls too.

[shaginwagon13]

This is where I get confused, Is all rock in tank now considered LR? tank is 9 months old. I started with half live rock from store. So now all the rock is now live rock? I am considering taking out the bio balls too.

Yes, after 9 months or so of your tank being up and running all your rock is now 'Live'.

[bnumair]

Live Rock only means that it is a house full of bacteria. once a dry rock goes through a cycle and it starts to neutralize the ammonia produced, its live. meaning there is bacteria living on it, soon there will be algae, sponges, feather dusters, coraline algae and sometimes even aptasia on it.

[Palting]

Major difference between live rock and bioballs is that bioballs are the best at converting ammonia to ntirate bar none, but cannot convert the nitrate to nitrogen gas at all, whereas the live rock can.

Having used bioballs quite a bit, and I still do BTW, I want to correct a few misconceptions that have been widely circulated.

Bioballs convert ammonia to nitrate and stop there, and that is what makes them the so-called nitrate factory. Not debris. Properly maintained, bioballs DO NOT accumulate debris. There are several reasons for this. A proper bioball system will have a prefilter, usually a sponge pad, through which all the water has to go through and is filtered before getting to the bioballs. Then the water cascades as a waterfall over the bioballs that are sitting up above the sump water level. The bioballs develop a coating of beneficial bacteria, a slime cover if you will, that perform the biological breakdown of the dissolved ammonia into ntitrit then nitrate. So, debris can not accumulate in the bioballs themselves because the water is mechanically prefiltered, and the waterfall or cascade of water continually washes over the bioballs. In a previous saltwater tank, I had a bioball wet/dry sump running for 5 years. When I broke it down because I had to move, the bioballs were coated in the thin beneficial slime, but there was no debris in them. I only rinsed or replaced thhe filter pad, but I never touched nor washed the bioballs themselves in those 5 years.

I just recently restarted a tank as a FOWLR tank, and I revived the bioball wet/dry sump. I also added about 30 lbs of rock in the open part of the sump. Best of both worlds, IMO. I have the best ammonia to nitrate system (bioballs) in the open air aerobic part, and also a large amount of rock in the large underwater part of the sump. Here's a pic of a part of that sump:
http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab71/Kalawing/Snapbucket/F1378D8B.jpg

[KCombs]

he he ....you didn't say "nitrate factory" ? (I'd wager some of us here recall a semi-heated debate on another forum) ..he he
eitherway, I wouldn't dispute any of the above post


...yeah, the biggest difference between the two media is one is more or less is pointless given the other...(basically why even use bioballs when you have LR?)

...thats not really all that debateable.
...all the rest is sorta conversational hub-bub

[Palting]

...(basically why even use bioballs when you have LR?)

...thats not really all that debateable.
...all the rest is sorta conversational hub-bub

Because bioballs have a cool looking blue color to offset the ugly brown pockmarked rock!! LOL!!! ;)

Another reason is if you have it, use it. I wouldn't go out of my way to get bioballs at the start, but I wouldn't go out of my way to remove them either if I already have them :).