Remove Bio-balls or not?

atnixon said:
if you are mid cycle, then ammonia should of gone back down to zero and nitrITES about middle, so yes, add some clean up crew mate...

for rubble, about golf ball size in my opinion...

Niko
Click to expand...

wow golf ball size huh?? I'm using huge rocks in mine :D But any ways I have to agree with difference in opinion Everyone has one and not all are right.. my LFS had a very informative saleswoman who stated some intrusting stuff about SW I saw her as a "go to" lady in that LFS but come to find out that when I was purchasing some female guppies for my FW I asked her if I would be overstocking my 29G and her reply "well remember one inch per every gallon of water is a good rule of thumb":eek: ....My eyes almost popped out of my head. I was half tempted to say oh really?? well can I get that arowanda I think it would look good in my 29G... Point is do some research and ask around Ultimately its going to be your decision. And worse case if it does not work you know then from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE whether or not to suggest the same thing when other people ask in the future.
 
I'm still in the process of replacing my bio-balls with rock rubble a little bit at a time. They really are nitrate factories and are unnecessary to have- I'm referring to my FOWLR though. I didn't even bother with them for my reef. Just put the LR directly in during set-up.

If you decide to keep the bio-balls I would rinse some of them in tank water every time you do a water change.
 
I purchased some rubble like advised, but I misjudged the amount necessary to fill the chamber. I now have a combo going. Live rock rubble at the bottom half of the chamber and bio-balls at the top. The rubble is fully submerged and the balls are not so the trickle effect is still there. I added another 3 lbs of rock to the display portion of the aquarium.

I now have 18 lbs in the main tank and 1.5 lbs +/- in the rear chamber. So I have almost 20 lbs in a 14 gallon. I will post a pic when I get a better camera.

Tanks for the advice.
 
from the book tat i read.. and the shop owner suggest. both of them suggest to use bio ball..
of course i use it...
later then... when ammonia = 0 and nitrite = 0... my nitrate become high > 5 PPM...
well.. my nitrate right now is around 2.5 PPM, after i put some grass.... well i don't know the exact english name here... but it's eat nitrate for sure.
the latin name is Caulerpa sertularioides. (from book)

so...... what you guys suggest??? need to change the bio ball??? another option here just using a small rock (well my city just have a marine fish shop around 8 months)

if i changed it.... i think need to slowly right... is it will effect the ammonia and nitrite??
 
yea the word ur looking for would be gras= algae.(or macro algae)
yes the algae works well. i would although recommend removing the bio balls and replacing them with live rock rubble. u can do up to half of the balls at once its up to u just not all of it. plus the live rock will already be live so thats a start.
 
thanks for the replay gerrman .
oh one think.... is live rock rubble need a lightning.. because i put my bio ball in sump.. tat don't have any lightning....
 
I was told to NEVER wash the Bio Balls for the bacteria that builds on them is needed for the tank to survive, but I'm guessing in other words that LR does the same job as bio balls; is that correct?

If so, to better my cycling I will take out my bioballs and add LR rubble. Except, my LFS doesn't have small or "golf ball size" of LR, is there other alternatives into replacing the bioballs?
 
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