Quote:
Originally Posted by thegrun
The problem with Bioballs (or frag plugs) is that while they do a very good job at converting ammonia to nitrates, they do not have a deeply porous structure like rock does. The deep cavities in rock create anaerobic zones that host the bacteria that breaks down nitrates; bioballs have no such capacity. Bioballs also catch a lot of detritus so they need to be cleaned frequently.
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So is all rock good? I understand the imporatnce of the pores, but don't these get clogged too? Much like a sponge does? Can't Hydrogen sulfide build up in the rocks too? Much like a sandbed can? As far a sthe bioballs catching detritus goes, where? In between the protrusions? I used to have an old Fluval canister filter on my Discus tank a long time ago. Each compartment was filled with bioballs. I would dump all these out into a bucket of tank water to preserve the bacteria every 3 months or sobut it was amazing how clean the water was afterwards. The water flowed right through them. I guess I just think they get a bad rap. Nitrate factory, I don't think so.There's more to it than that.