Bio ball or live rock

[roc5288]

Trying to decide if bio balls vs live rock is the way to go with my 240g fish only.
In speaking with people i was told bio balls will help in case of a ick outbreak??
So if bioballs is the way to go, does anybody out there have dyi plans for a 75g sump. I would really appreciate the help. Also for some that know how i am if in the future i decide to go reef with this tank would i need to adjust the sump from bioballs to live rock?

 

[ryangrieder]

personally i dis like bio balls. they do nothing. and prevent or fight ick? never heard of that. just use crushed live rock. i use to have a wet dry set up and the day i got it new i took all the bio balls it came with and replaced it with lr that i smashed up into bioball size peices. worked great! i even switched it over to a reef afterwords and did not even have to touch my set up.

as for your sump set up, why not just put a few baffels in and a bubble catcher or something. leave so spot with a pile of rock in it so if you decide to switch to reef you and turn it into a fuge. keep it simple, its always the best why. pad, skimmer, live rock section that can be changed into a fuge if wanted to, crushed lr to go through and maybe a holding section for fish if you want to or something creative like that.

whats your personal ideas you have right now and maybe we can help out with it? draw it up or something and post it!

 

[KathyC]

Trying to decide if bio balls vs live rock is the way to go with my 240g fish only.
In speaking with people i was told bio balls will help in case of a ick outbreak??
So if bioballs is the way to go, does anybody out there have dyi plans for a 75g sump. I would really appreciate the help. Also for some that know how i am if in the future i decide to go reef with this tank would i need to adjust the sump from bioballs to live rock?

Where did you get this info? ? :scratch:

Here's lots on info on building sumps and how they work:
http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

 

[roc5288]

This was time ago, don't want to say the name, but i will tell u it was in rockland co.
Didn't sound right to me either as i only had reef setups still do.
that's why i turned to the good people of MR.

 

[marrone]

Using Bio-Balls instead of LR will help with ich in that if you get an out break, and want to treat with copper, you wouldn't have the problem of the Bio-Balls absorbing the copper, as the LR will. Because of this you'll be able to get the copper up to level easier than if you were to use LR.

For a Fish only tank you could go many ways, Bio-Balls, LR, Crushed Coral, Glass spirals and even fabric material will work. All these I mention will have plenty of area to grow a lot of bacteria, and that's what it's all about.

 

[roc5288]

So is it about preference?

 

[marrone]

If it's a fish only tank, and that's what it's going to be, then yes it really is about preference and using the material that will give you the most area to grow bacteria.

Now most people will tell you to either use LR, as that will help with nitrates, but in a fish only tank you usually don't have enough LR to make a difference, unless you have a very large sump where you can put a lot of LR in.

Since this is a fish only tank you want to make sure you have enough bacteria to not only handle the fish but heavy feedings too. Fish can handle the higher nitrates, unlike corals and inverts, so don't apply reef tank principles to a fish only tank.

 

[roc5288]

I have noticed in places that sell saltwater fish they run huge bioball sumps in there fish only setups.

 

[Reef Reaper]

I believe bio balls are nothing but nitrate factories!!

 

[roc5288]

I understand if u make sure u clean them periodically u shouldn't have any problems. Not that i'm going that way.

 

[Reef Reaper]

That just creates more work for you. Live rock is maintenance-free. You make get busy and forget to clean the bio balls. Why take any chances!

 

[marrone]

First, you don't clean the Bio-Balls, you just leave them in place. In order for LR to work you need a large amount, something that when you go to a Fish only tank you usually don't have enough for it to work to remove/control the nitrates. You also need to have a skimmer running.

In the end this is a Fish only tank and not a reef tank, you're not concerned with Nitrates in a Fish only tank as compared to a reef tank. You're more concerned with the overall load and having enough bacteria to combat it.

 

[roc5288]

Marrone.. Are u saying then that i should go with the bioball?
And if i decide to go reef down the line i can switch over to live rock

 

[marrone]

If you're going to do a Fish only tank then there isn't anything wrong with Bio-balls, they'll do what needs to be done, as will all the other things listed in this thread. So if you have them, and plan to have a Fish only tank, then use them.

If you decided to go reef down the line you're going to need to change over your wet/dry filter to a sump. In that case you'll remove the bio-balls and use the sump for a refug, sand bed, LR or just make it empty so you can put equipment in it, like a skimmer and Phosaban/carbon reactor.

Follow the link that Kathy posted, this will tell you how a sump works if you plan on changing over to a reef tank down the line. Also don't get caught up in buying things now for a reef tank just because you may change over in a year from now. If you do change over in a year from now you'll probably be able to get better equipment at that time and for cheap, not to mention new things come out all the time.

 

[roc5288]

Sound like good advice so far. I don't expect any less from u guys thanks