To bio-ball or not to bio-ball

[chawk610]

Hi all... my wet dry has bio balls in it... I have read where pepole like / dislike them. Are they really needed with live rock, live sand being used?

 

[jk41589]

wow! why would anyone not like bio balls? if only i can have access to a bunch of those... i'll buy a lot.

that is weird since bioballs are one of the best homes for BBs. they require less maintenance.

 

[T]

i think ceramic rings are best bio media....
but they are most efficient fully submerged. so not that great for a wetdry.

 

[Reefscape]

Live rock rubble is far better as it requires zero maintenance, unlike ceramics or bio-balls....

 

[chawk610]

Hmmmm... rubble huh... will look into it.

 

[RyanP]

i was always told you have to clean weekly so that it doesnt become a nitrate factory. I just cleaned my fx5 on my fw this weekend and couldnt image cleaning it weekly.

 

[mr.reef24]

bio-ball's are great to really lower and almost completely destroy your nitrate's although you'll on a rare occasion clean them which is simple and take's no longer then 15 min.

mr.reef24

 

[chawk610]

ok.. I have not cleaned mine since I set up 6 weeks ago...You reckon I ought to clean?

 

[siebertn]

i have my bioballs in the last compartment of my sump so the water that comes in there are basically clean so i never clean mine.

 

[chawk610]

You keep them in with your pump? Mine are in the first chamber... where the water comes in.