Just getting started - Bio balls or not

[Lofus]

I'm just getting into the hobby and was wondering if I should keep the bio-balls.

Specs are:
72 gal AGA bowfront w. drilled overflow
15 gal sump (w/d filter w. bio balls)
3 MDQX-SC little giant return pump
Red Sea Protien skimmer
Rio 2500 skimmer pump
3 maxi jet 1200 powerheads
3 tube 48" fluorescent fixture - plan to add actinic tube once cycling has started.

Once saltwater has been added and stabilized temperature:

Estimate: 80 to 100 lbs live rock and aragonite gravel

I plan to keep only fish for the first 8-10 months.

Any suggestions on top of the bio-ball issue?

 

[Anonymous]

Lofus, welcome to Reefs.org! I hope you like it here. Please take a moment to check out this URL to help you get the most out of your Reefs.org experience: http://www.reefs.org/library/howto.html
Also please feel free to post or pm any questions you might have.

On to your question!

I would dump the bio balls, and put a refugium or a macro algae farm in there instead. With the amount of LR you are planning, you don't need the balls.

I would also replace the rio with a more stable pump.

If you do a search on rio or bio balls you will find much posted on those topics.

Again welcome to RDO!

RR

 

[danmhippo]

Bioballs NOT.

 

[Riotfishdude]

i would scram the bio balls and that skimmer,i have a well stocked FOWLR tank,tangs,trigger,wrasse, angel etc...,heavy bio load,i had the balls in the wet/dry,was running a constant 40ppm nitrate no matter how many water changes (which get to be expensive when thinking salt mix cost),i have 220 pounds of live rock in my 130g with 40g sump,i tossed the balls (i dont use a deep sand bed either as many do,just 1/2 inch substrate,vacummed every month),installed an Aerofoamer824 skimmer (the best you can buy,pays for itself over and over),and thats all i use,the rock and skimmer,change 10g weekly,nitrates at around 5ppm (we are not talking a reef here with my kind o fish load),would never waste my $ on a wet/dry system.....Riot....

 

[Will C1]

i have a wet/dry on my 120gal fish only tank that i use to fertilize my heavy plant load in the 50gal refugium. so if your going to have a huge plant load you can use it safely mine are untestable at this point. but i also have a 6"dsb in the tank and a 5"dsb in the refuguim.

 

[Osama]

In my 180g reef I managed very well without the bio balls. A good skimmer & a refugium LR & DSB are working well. System has been up for 3+ years.

 

[electric130]

i wouldn't use the bioballs. also, if you haven't purchased the plumbing kit for the AGA, DON'T!!! it's a waste of money. if you have, return it. see what i posted here: http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=27976 also, you'll have to throttle back that LG pump. i had one on my 90 and the AGA overflow couldn't handle it wide open. i enlarged the holes on my overflow, and it helped. without doing this, i wasn't getting any kind of surface skimming, this is shown with the pump off:

also, that rubber piece that goes at the top of the overflow on the inside, i took mine off. it raised the tank's water level more than i wanted. with it in, there'll be less bubbles in the overflow (less salt creep) but it doesn't bother me.

 

[Lofus]

Thanks for all the input. Ok. Bio balls are out. The AGA overflow piping was gratus with the tank and stand so I'll keep it.

I know what you mean about the rubber piece at the overflow though, the level in the tank is damn near at the top.

I'm wet testing the system with freshwater right now and I've noticed a LOT of small bubbles in the discharge from LG. There are none in the pump suction. I placed a pup piece and downturned 90 on the pump suction to ensure against forming a vortex and sucking in air.

I'm not sure about a refugium as I've not read up on them yet so I'm thinking of 2-3" sand bed in the tank. What grain size aragonite is best for that?

 

[Will C1]

the finest possible go take a look at the topic "3" sand bed?" theres a lot of info in there that would help you.

 

[Anonymous]

here's some background discussion:

http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=23599

http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19913

http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=18954

http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15605

you can basically substitute the term 'biowheel' for bioball :wink:

 

[Lofus]

i have 220 pounds of live rock in my 130g with 40g sump,i tossed the balls (i dont use a deep sand bed either as many do,just 1/2 inch substrate,vacummed every month)....

What are you using as a substrate? I have some sponge filters in the sump, should I keep them?

 

[Riotfishdude]

i use crappy ol crushed coral,if i was doing it again (detritus trap) i wouldnt use it,though i vacuum it monthly and really have no problem as i mentioned,you can use the sponge for mech. filtration,i do use a sheet of filter floss (i have miles of it from my LFS owner days) in the tray of my sump (was W/D before),i toss it every 3 days,though i really dont think i need to use it with the Aerofoamer,i do because like i said,i have literally miles of it....... :lol: .....Riot....

 

[Tanger]

Ditto on the rubber piece at the top of the overflow for the AGA. I just removed mine and saw a big difference in water level. I had the tank for 1 year or so before I figured out the damn trick.

 

[LFS42]

OK, to rock the boat now.
I left the bio-balls in my WD
2-3" sand bed in front of the rocks
minimal sand under and behind the rocks
72 gal
100lbs of LR
simple skimmer (but still better than the RS berlin)
and I still have yet to read more than 5 on the nitrate test

true, I run a low stocked reef, but only change water every 2-3 weeks.

 

[Will C1]

i have the same results as lfs42 bioballs are not bad if you have the other stuff to reduce nitrates.

 

[Lofus]

Thanks for all the input guys. Any suggestions on skimmers? Is Aerofoamer the best?

LFS42 - Is that a canopy for an AGA 72 gal bowfront?

 

[LFS42]

LFS42 - Is that a canopy for an AGA 72 gal bowfront?

yep, I had it made by a custom stand maker off the internet.
Unfortunatly his site is down now, so I don't think he makes them anymore.
(best investment I ever made for my tank)

 

[Unarce]

If I could just jump in here, Lofus. The main reason why mechanical filtration (wet/dry, cannister, biowheel, etc.) does not bode well for reef tanks is that they are too good at the nitrification process. Problem is, the process stops there. When you have quality live rock, you've already acquired a perfect balance between nitrification (surface of the rock) and denitrification (inside the rock. Using bioballs can offset the balance.

I also agree with Riotfishdude that most people have DSB's to furthur complete an ecosystem, and than later kick themselves cause they can't figure out why they have nuisance algae all over the place. As unsightly as it is, your tank is really only trying to achieve that same complete ecosystem you were hoping to. You just had a different result in mind.

LFS42 has a very light bioload and a well-stirred sand bed that's far below the average level of what most would consider a DSB. Stirring the sand along with doses of calcium and alkalinity would account for the nice coralline algae growth and keep phosphate levels at a minimum. The frequent water changes would correct an imbalance in its cycle.

I'm sorry that I can't suggest a protein skimmer since I stopped using them years ago. I use only algae turf/bivalve filtration with no sand bed in my SPS/CLAM tank.

 

[LFS42]

reefnutz, correct I'm at 2" sandbed.
that's as deep as I would like to get.
I forgot to mention that the bioballs are only in there becuase i'm to lazy to take them out 8O

 

[Will C1]

i have a 19" x 12" x 9" wet dry filled with bio-balls and besides the normal first case of algea i havent had much else. i have a 125 gal AGA 72"x22"x18" with a 6"dsb and a 12"x16" refugium and a small skimmer. my bio load is big (i think) 1 lemmon peel angel 4", 8 green chromis 1", 1 1 1/2" yellow SOB damsel, 2 1 1/4" cinamon clowns, and 1 14-16" snowflake moray, i have around 90lbs of live rock and the lower refugium has a 5" dsb full of real live sand, and a ton of caluerpa. i dont have a recent pic yet my camera is in the mail from the warranty place. but i should have it some time monday, i will snap a pic then. my coraline has been growing like weed. also my reef had a wet/dry but i removed the filtration (a dls roll) a year ago because it looked very dirty and i havent bothered to replace it yet. i had a cyno out break once i removed it. but it was minimal and went away quickly.