Bio Balls - Good or bad??

[andez07]

Hi there.

Can anyone tell me if it is good or bad to hv bio balls in your IOS tank?? I tot of putting some in besides having filter wool, a bag of bio rings and a pack of Chemi-Pure in my IOS tank.

Pls advise.

Thanx

[soggy]

i used bioballs for a while. have removed them since. don't know why. have filled the ios filter media compartment with coral chips and ceremic rings.

[Tanzy]

i used bioballs for a while. have removed them since. don't know why. have filled the ios filter media compartment with coral chips and ceremic rings.

They serve no difference in function. They wull still trap detritus and increase nitrate levels.

Bioballs are very efficient at nitrifying ammonia and nitrite but lack denitrifying capabilities to convert nitrate to nitrogen gas, that's why it has fallen out of favour with reef tanks over the NNR (natural nitrate reduction) methods like Berlin, DSB or Jaubert (plenum).

[andez07]

Thanx bros for the advise. I shall use it in my tropical tank then...... For my marine setup, I'll get coral chips to add into my IOS.

[Clownfish]

Thanx bros for the advise. I shall use it in my tropical tank then...... For my marine setup, I'll get coral chips to add into my IOS.

i think Tanzy means coral chips will as well....

removed mine recently, n since monitoring for a month, realli see a drop in nitrate levels...

[KyRo]

then wat should we put in the IOS?

[chrislwp]

then wat should we put in the IOS?

GOOD Question!!!

I also want to know what to put in the sump since some ppl are saying Bioball, BioRing, CoralChip will be a NO3 factory...

[bwilly]

then wat should we put in the IOS?

plenty of LRs, dsb, refugium stock with greenies..

[Cleartank]

Does your IOS have a sump? My friend bought a tank with a IOS but its overflow to the back of the tank with all the filtering compartments divided there.... but anyway, he did use the compartment to place his cotton filter -> Skimmer -> return pump with a DSB in the main tank.... and boy it was a ugly tank with 5-6 inches of sand back showing cause he don't have a custom make cabinet.... no offends to anyone with such a setup.... or maybe oredi offended

[Achilles Tang]

Leave the overflow compartment empty.

Use a stockman pipe fitting to raise water level so water won't crash down and make noise.

Overtime, it will be a refugium where a lot of pods will flourish due to lack of predation.

[soggy]

sorry to be hi jacking this thread andez07 but i've been following this thread pretty closely and i figured that my filter media compartment of my ios is 'wrong'. as seen in the picture below, i've got quite a bit of coral chips and ceremic rings alike. which supposedly produce a crap load of NO3. so what should i do to the filter media? i quote AT, 'Leave the overflow compartment empty.

Use a stockman pipe fitting to raise water level so water won't crash down and make noise.

Overtime, it will be a refugium where a lot of pods will flourish due to lack of predation. '

something which puzzles me though, if there isn't filter media, then where's 'filteration' going to take place? pardon my ignorance, but i'd appreciate any kind of advise. thank you.

[Cleartank]

I think AT is assuming that you have a sump w/refugium? yes AT? hence hightlighting the importance of a picture and detail discription.

In the market, there are 2 type of IOS... one overflow into a compartment with holes drill into the base of the tank which is then connected to the sump with pipes.

The second is one that overflows into compartments meant for filtering INSIDE the tank.... For marine, Most of us uses the one with sump.... well many reefers use the second one too?!

In your case with filter compartments build inside the tank, you can use a few other alternatives. For example, use a external canister filter, use a hanging refugium (eg I-ref) and the list goes on.....

[davwong]

HI

The filteration will be your LR and DSB.

[Cleartank]

A picture of what AT meant.

[soggy]

i blame it on my ignorance and my lack of planning. as you can see, i do not have space at the back for an i ref which i have been very tempted to get. i regret not doing a sump. but it's too late for regrets now i guess. it's going to be very tedious removing everything out, drilling holes and what not, so hence, i'll just use my ios. one way to counter the NO3 problem, correct me if i'm wrong is to do more regular water changes aye? anyhow, from the way you guys see it, what do you think should be done to my ios system. many thanks in advance.

[Cleartank]

This is what my friend uses for his built in filtering compartments... 1st cotton filter changed regularly -> Skimmer -> return pump. then like what davwong mention, he uses LR and DSB, ugly but no choice he says......

He plan to hang a DIY overflow box behind his tank, then connect it to a sump, FYI for future upgrading plans.....

Cheers

[bawater]

soggy, the ceramic & coral chips you use are ok for fish only systems when NO3 is acceptable to a certain limit. in fact the ceramic work better than the CC as it provides a bigger surface area. function wise the same as bio-balls and tanzy has pointed out, these media are very efficient at nitrifying ammonia and nitrite and turning them into less toxic nitrate.

when you deal with corals.....then you have to address the nitrate issue or you would be limited in the species you can keep.

The main filtration usually comes from Liverock (and a DSB or other NNR methods if u use one)- which is why a little more rock does benefit the tank environment. They are not just there to stack things on.

if you intend to remove your media, do it slowly (over some time) to allow the bacteria populations to adjust accordingly. with such a small compartment ,adding macro algae won't help much so don't expect miracles from it, but growing some there won't do any harm Or you can just use floss there and any chemical media that you may use in the future.

[terryansimon]

A picture of what AT meant.

then how will the water return to the sump if there is a massive pipe blocking its way? or is it sucked into the sump via the pipe? if so, how is that done?

sorry me damn swakoo and stupid. =\

[Achilles Tang]

then how will the water return to the sump if there is a massive pipe blocking its way? or is it sucked into the sump via the pipe? if so, how is that done?

sorry me damn swakoo and stupid. =\

The pipe is to extend the opening (where water flows from overflow into sump) higher up in the water level instead of right down at the bottom glass pane.

[terryansimon]

sorry AT but I still don't get it. =\

I know the bottom of the overflow chamber has holes to allow the water to flow into the sump. so this "piping" merely elevates the level of the hole? but how does the water enter it at the end of the day?

sorry for being so blur. =\

[Achilles Tang]

A lot of reefers base their designs on the Durso standpipe... which I am using....

Check out this site on Durso standpipes here!

[soggy]

i think i figured. you see the little curved pipe. the water flows through there. it is such so that the water level in that compartment is constant. am i right?

[terryansimon]

A lot of reefers base their designs on the Durso standpipe... which I am using....

Check out this site on Durso standpipes here!

I feel ENLIGHTENED! muahaha. okay enough crap

thanks a lot AT (=

[orgasbt]

anywhere or anyone selling???

Thanks

[mun333]

Checkout the website..

Me thinking of buying..