opinion on bio balls

I think you'll find the overwhelming consensus is that bio-balls will contribute to higher nitrates for exactly the reason you mention, they will trap particles of detritus which will break down into nitrates. Many people remove the bio-balls and convert part of the sump into a refugium to grow macro-algae to help take up nitrates.

HTH!

 

I used to use them in my sump, right before the return pump, but I jammed them in between the baffles so that they were under the water line and above the bottom of the U-like chamber of the baffle. It worked great as a copepod factory! I used a fine filter sock for water running into the sump, so the bio balls weren't collecting any of the fish poop.

Hope this helps(if it makes sense).

 

Nope, more hassle than they are worth. If you clean them regularly in tank water you're OK. But if you don't they are nitrate factories.

 

Sean,
I think you already know what I think! But, I should add that they were originally "designed" to work in a wet/dry trickle system. If you wanted to use them, I would set them up as a wet dry instead of fully submerged /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif

 

I think they can work good in the right conditions.

In an overflow they are a food & detrius trap. However if you use them as intended with filtered water running over them they can be a great place for bacteria to do their thing.

I use them as adam does, submerges in my fuge for pod factories.

 

They are nitrate factories because what has been said they are great for converting ammonia to nitrates, but have too much oxygen to complete the process thus not having enough anaerobic bacteria. If you have a lot of big pieces of rock, 15lbs each, then you might beable to have them right after the bioballs.

 

Tanks without LR they work great. But reefs and fowlr they are not needed. Your LR is all you need.

 

I'm pretty sure, feel free to correct me, but these wet/dry with the bioballs were designed for freshwater set-ups rather than marine. But keep answering as I have one that came with a RR 90 gal I stole at an auction....

 

I always thought the same thing Fishyness, Set ups for freshwater.