? how many bio balls/scrubies should i put in my sump ?

[scallywag14]

I have a 180g with a soon to be large bioload and a 50g sump and hoped u could tell me how many bio balls i should use and any other advice for my sump.

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

as many as possible

 

[WeeNe858]

as much as your bank account can afford too

 

[Sik.10a]

Agreed as many and as much as u can afford, I'd use seachem matrix over bio balls though, more expensive but heaps better than bio balls IMO

 

[Sik.10a]

Coral can be another substitute for bio balls and matrix, or go for a combo, but I still say leave bio balls out, there old skool, but still work- it's a surface area thing for good bacteria to grow

 

[rinconmike]

I have a 150 with a wet/dry sump with bioballs. I read matrix is better and i should just swap out. Seachme said 2L is more than enough.

I have not changed anything yet, but I did get a 4L bucket of Pond Matrix off Amazon for around $25.

Is Matrix that much better over bioballs? It sure takes up much less room. Maybe 20% of the room.

 

[jft]

personally I use a combo of 4 gallons oof coralife bioballs and 3 liters of Matrix on my 180 and it works extremely well because the balls are trickled by water and the matrix is in the sump so biofiltration has always been superb. I would not personally rely on one media unless it was a really small tanl then biomech , ehfisubstrat or matrix would be my choice.

 

[bassguy]

Coral can be another substitute for bio balls and matrix, or go for a combo, but I still say leave bio balls out, there old skool, but still work- it's a surface area thing for good bacteria to grow

That’s a matter of opinion. Scrubbies are good but get dirty and I don't like cleaning my bio and risking a mini cycle. I love bio balls, get the small and big ones, the small ones fill in the little spots. Coral will mess with your PH.

 

[brich999]

fill it, bioballs work great for wet dry, and if you have a lot of spare space for submerged, get some matrix or pond matrix and ceramic, remember you can never have too much

 

[rhodes_96]

Forget the bioballs and scrubbies, especially since your going a heavy bio load. Highly efficient, large surface area media is best ! Fill your sump with it as much as you can. Bio media such as seachem's matrix/pond matrix has the ability to colonize denitrifying bacteria when conditons are favourable.