Bio-balls in my skimmer

[KJ5432]

When I first set up my 30 gallon reef tank I put Bio-balls in the skimmer to help the tank cycle. Should I keep the bio-balls in permanantly? Some say it holds junk in them that ends up raising the nitrates/nitrites level as the water passes back through the skimmer and into the tank.
Is it better to use bio-balls or is it better to run the skimmer without bio-balls???

 

[ChrisRD]

If you have adequate amounts of live rock/sand in the system you don't need the bioballs.

 

[Bojangles]

I've never bothered to ever use bio balls in the time I've had sw but heres my take on this.

Bioballs hold bacteria...bacteria needs nutrients...the skimmer pump is filtering out the nutrients Before it enters the chamber the bioballs are being held = baceria starves ?

 

[Nautilus1]

The nature of bioballs creates nitrates. I dont think your skimmer will run efficiently with bioballs inside. They will intefere with the bubbles

 

[Anonymous]

I'd second this. Bioballs are a bad idea for a reef tank and skimmers are not designed to hold them (indeed, quite carefully designed not to hold anything - the chambers are supposed to promote as much bubble production and circulation as possible).

I vote for a slow removal of the bioballs (maybe in batches of a third each time - spaced about a week apart). Rely instead on live rock and good reef keeping (water changes, testing etc).