[Packer Lakerfan4]

I have a 90 gallon with sump and bio balls...i've read a lot on with people saying to get rid of them...Why is the guy that helped me set my tank up has an awesome 75 gal. thats been running for a few years and he used bio balls...i was just wondering what is wrong with them?

[patrick1234]

I have not found one thing wrong with them ppl will tell you they will give you HI nitrates and to clean them. but i have never cleand mine
becuse it will kill the bio bactera.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I dont think the point is so much that bio balls are so bad,its that live rock in the sump is so much better.

[glampka]

Balls will become nitrate factories if not cleaned on a regular basis. Detritus, uneaten food & other organic goodies become trapped in them & if not cleaned starts generating all sorts of nitrates. When you clean them you should only clean about a 1/3 of them @ a time to preserve the bacteria. You are better off with the LR.

[stacef]

I do have a question, sorry to take over your thread but it is on topic!

I have bio BALE in my skimmer, If I were to replace that with rock rubble..now what? Am I going to have a mini cycle? Or can I just add it, and not notice any difference?

[pogodzib]

Originally Posted by glampka

Balls will become nitrate factories if not cleaned on a regular basis. Detritus, uneaten food & other organic goodies become trapped in them & if not cleaned starts generating all sorts of nitrates. When you clean them you should only clean about a 1/3 of them @ a time to preserve the bacteria. You are better off with the LR.

I agree completely. The reason why people say to have LR instead of bioballs is A.) Bioballs become nitrate factories if detritus gets built up in them and starts to decay. Keeping them clean will minimize this and B.) Live Rock reduces nitrates by containing anerobic bacteria (bacteria that only lives in areas with no oxygen) deep inside the LR. Bioballs cannot reduce nitrates.