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Unread 10/30/2017, 08:06 AM   #26
alton
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I have used bio bale first and then moved to bio balls starting in 1991. I have never had a tank crash, and my best test tank for this test was a 200 gallon oceanic that ran from 1999 to 2009. Before I swapped everything to a 300DD the Nitrates were at 2ppm and this tank was well stocked with fish and coral. I never touched or washed the bio balls. I like the trickle filtration system for the added oxygen I feel it gives my aquariums stability, as compared to other types of sumps like on my wife's tank with filter socks. I change out the blue filter pad regularly, which to me is easier than washing filter socks. I guess it is part of getting old and not wanting to change, but if the sytem works don't break it. And yes I still use my Urchin Skimmer Pro that is 14 years young on my 180. If you do several searches here on RC on individuals who complained about high nitrates and every word of advise that came in told them to change out there nitrate factories of bio balls to something else, but in most cases it did not fix the issue, because maintenance is key. Find a system that works for you, and don't change it every time something new comes out


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Unread 10/30/2017, 12:25 PM   #27
reefgeezer
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Quote:
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...Before I swapped everything to a 300DD the Nitrates were at 2ppm and this tank... And yes I still use my Urchin Skimmer Pro that is 14 years young on my 180.
May I ask if you are saying you maintained 2 ppm of nitrate using only bioballs in a trickle filter and the Urchin Skimmer?


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Unread 10/30/2017, 02:52 PM   #28
alton
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60 gallon water changes a month, it was the second easiest tank I ever owned to take care of. The first was a 158 loaded with Xenia, that one I only ran the skimmer one week out of a month.


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Unread 10/30/2017, 03:18 PM   #29
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If you look at most tanks today that are low nutrient, low phosphate, low nitrate, they are running bio pellets, and or dose carbon. Some do not use water changes but have large calcium reactors and giant skimmers. There all kind of ways to keep everything running smoothly. In looking back it took a year to two years for Nitrates to drop. My first year on my 300 I couldn't get Nitrates below 20, then after that they just dropped.
The first picture is around 2007 of the 200 with GSP some Xenia, and a bunch of Frogspawn, the second is the 158 I had in my office. I wish I would of taken pictures of the trickle filter of the 200 before I sold it. It was loaded with all kinds of life that did not require light.


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Unread 10/30/2017, 03:53 PM   #30
ctripi
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Alton. That’s great to here! Routine and routine maintenance are definitely key.
I mean certain reef keeping concepts are definitely out for good (plenum, UG filters, ozone, uv) but some, maybe bioballs, seem to linger. Back in the day it was also a factor of what we were keeping too.


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Unread 10/30/2017, 04:00 PM   #31
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Carbon dosing in form of bio pellets or liquid dosing is just another way of artificially reducing nutrients from an excessive bioload. Excessive bioload may not be the safest long term approach.


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Unread 10/30/2017, 04:07 PM   #32
karimwassef
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Who says ozone and uv are out? I'm an advocate of both under the right conditions.


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Unread 10/30/2017, 04:10 PM   #33
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Excessive bioload is subjective. I have the fastest growth when I feed the most. Reducing organics is terrible for me. I love free floating organics. I just need to control excess inorganics. A scrubber does all that. I actually don't need a bacterial medium. Whatever naturally grows on my rocks and sand and algae is enough for me and I can feed heavily without issue.


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Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape
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Unread 10/30/2017, 11:31 PM   #34
jubei2006
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Problem with bioballs, they are ugly compared to live rock. Why not try to have a small biotope in the sump doing the same thing as bioballs? Best use for those bioballs.....packing peanuts!


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Unread 10/31/2017, 06:02 AM   #35
alton
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jubei2006 View Post
Problem with bioballs, they are ugly compared to live rock. Why not try to have a small biotope in the sump doing the same thing as bioballs? Best use for those bioballs.....packing peanuts!
Who sees it, its under your tank behind a cabinet door(180) Unless you build your cabinet like my old 300DD where I had the trickle filter in back and the fuge / frag compartment in front? FYI I pulled the pellet reactor after my Frogspawn started looking bad, in a month they started thriving again.


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Unread 10/31/2017, 06:19 AM   #36
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Here is a picture of my 180 yesterday and you can see I love all corals. The SPS in this tank hold their own in this tank as in my 300 before. Sorry you have to look at a dirty tank, the wife added a pool in the back yard this summer and now it takes up precious aquarium cleaning time, even in the fall. My advice to anyone is find something that works for you and don't change it. It doesn't mean you can't tweak it, just don't jump every time something new and wonderful comes out. I saw where BRS pulled there roller mat, which was the greatest new thing a few months ago. Of course one reason why I like watching the BRS videos because they try / test everything. Wonder where I got the idea of two purple tangs in the same tank from?


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Unread 10/31/2017, 07:28 AM   #37
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That is a lot of GSP. Definitely a nitrate lover


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Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape
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Unread 10/31/2017, 09:20 AM   #38
alton
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That is a lot of GSP. Definitely a nitrate lover
I have an LFS that loves me


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Unread 10/31/2017, 10:45 AM   #39
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Here is a picture of my 180 yesterday and you can see I love all corals. The SPS in this tank hold their own in this tank as in my 300 before...
Nice tank. For discussion purposes: Do you think the rock/sand and GSP (and other nitrate sequestering life) in the DT are more or less responsible for maintaining low nitrates than the ~30% monthly water changes and bioballs in your trickle filter? What would you guess would happen if you took the bioballs out of the trickle filter now that the tank is mature?


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Unread 10/31/2017, 11:44 AM   #40
alton
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Go back and read post #26, I do not use bio balls to remove nitrates. Stability and Oxygen, I tried a tank with out bio balls and have had issues.


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Unread 10/31/2017, 12:31 PM   #41
reefgeezer
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Go back and read post #26, I do not use bio balls to remove nitrates. Stability and Oxygen, I tried a tank with out bio balls and have had issues.
OK... reread #26. Help me understand what it says where nitrates are concerned. What mechanism maintained the nitrates @ 2 ppm?


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Unread 10/31/2017, 01:54 PM   #42
alton
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Water changes, longevity, stability. The animals growing in my trickle filter. The softies, the Lps. To me it takes years for a tank to mature. I feel like the longer a tank runs the easier it is to take care of. On my 158 if I ran the skimmer too much the Xenia would not pulse. Every tank is different.


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Unread 10/31/2017, 02:15 PM   #43
reefgeezer
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Water changes, longevity, stability. The animals growing in my trickle filter. The softies, the Lps. To me it takes years for a tank to mature. I feel like the longer a tank runs the easier it is to take care of. On my 158 if I ran the skimmer too much the Xenia would not pulse. Every tank is different.
Cool. No argument there. I'd be willing to bet the skimmer isn't even doing you much good. Can you estimate the change that would occur if you now slowly removed the bioballs?


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Unread 11/01/2017, 08:31 AM   #44
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This tank is running on a fully bacteria driven system. No refugium, no skimmer, no water changes. It's running on bio media in a reactor and carbon fed. Cheap and easy to run.


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Unread 11/16/2017, 10:11 AM   #45
Michael Hoaster
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With large, frequent water changes, you can run any bio media you like. Any nitrate build up should be taken care of in the WC. Most of us are too lazy to do frequent, large water changes, so we seek easier ways to combat nutrient build up. If that's your method, go with it. It's a very good method!

Me, I like plants. They NEED the nutrients our tanks make. I struggle to have ENOUGH nutrients. I have to add them…


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Unread 11/28/2017, 07:15 AM   #46
elegance coral
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Why do you think you need more real estate for biological filtration?
You said you would have some LR in the display. It takes very little LR to accommodate even a large load.
Highly aerobic real estate, like you're talking about, typically just leads to higher NO3 levels.
I don't see the benefit........
Peace
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