Can I ditch my bio balls?

wantvws

wantvws

AC Members
Jul 15, 2007
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Waynesboro, VA
I've had my 210 up and running for close to a year now, and I'm wanting to ditch my bio balls in my wet/dry. I started my tank with 80lbs of live sand and 40 or 60 lbs of dead sand, and close to 300 lbs of base rock that I seeded with about 30 or 40 lbs of LR. My tank has a really low bio load on it (11 fish) and I'm wondering if I can just chuck the bio balls all together without worrying about the tank crashing. My rock is covered with coraline, and the levels have never been out of whack in the least. I also have about 10lbs of LRR in my wet/dry along with a wad of chaeto.
Anyone think I can just get rid of them all at once?
Thanks!!!
Robbie
 
You probably could, but I tend to not make large major changes in my reef tank all at once, probably out of unfounded paranoia. I'd remove them probably 25% at a time per week, keeping tabs on the water params in between.
 
i agree with sploke, i changed my bio balls too and did it slowly over a period of time i replaced them with crushed live rock for natural filteration.
i know its a pain doing it like that but better than risking a tank crash.
 
What's wrong with the bio balls in there?
 
Cool...that's what I'll do. I'll chuck 'em a bit at a time.
mcsassy-I think they might be contributing to my algae problem, and I think that I now have enough live rock that I don't need them anymore. My understanding is that they eventually become nitrate factories if not cleaned on a regular basis, which I can say mine have not:D. They were only supposed to be temporary to begin with anyway until my rock became "live" enough to handle the bio load of my tank. At this point I think I can safely get rid of them and my live rock can do it's job.
Thanks!!
Robbie
 
yes that is why my wet and dry is now a sump...
 
emptywallet said:
yes that is why my wet and dry is now a sump...
Click to expand...
Yep....I have all the parts for my new sump to replace my wet/dry also. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks!
Robbie
 
Ah jeez...I have bio balls too but how does it become a nitrate factory?
 
From what I understand, it shouldn't be an issue if you clean them regularly. I think you're supposed to slosh them around in the old tank water from your water change, and that's enough. There are a bunch of threads about the pros and cons of bio balls...check them out.
Robbie
 
I have never done a water change in the 8 months my tank has been up and I have never had a nitrate issue. Granted I have an excellent cleaning crew and I use a nitrate sponge. I do lots of top offs with water replacement because my tank temperature is always at or around 85 so I guess that's like doing changes right there on its own haha.
 
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