bio balls and live rock

I have a 120 gal tank which I want to set up as sal****er, I've had
freshwater previously in smaller tanks, 30 gal. Now bio balls are supposed
to be used for biological filtration. However live rock is the best choice
for this, so are bio balls really needed? I have read the pages at
http://www.melevsreef.com/ and wow great site. I am going to build my own
sump, 48"L 12"W 24"H, and plan on designing it so that water will always be
6" from top and 4" from top with the pump off, or so I hope. Do I really
need the bio balls if I am using 240 pounds of live rock?

Frank F.

Dump the bio balls and use live rock only. Bio Balls will develop problems
for you down the road.
"Frank" wrote in message
...
I have a 120 gal tank which I want to set up as sal****er, I've had
freshwater previously in smaller tanks, 30 gal. Now bio balls are
supposed
to be used for biological filtration. However live rock is the best
choice
for this, so are bio balls really needed? I have read the pages at
http://www.melevsreef.com/ and wow great site. I am going to build my own
sump, 48"L 12"W 24"H, and plan on designing it so that water will always
be
6" from top and 4" from top with the pump off, or so I hope. Do I really
need the bio balls if I am using 240 pounds of live rock?

Frank F.

"Frank" wrote in message
...
I have a 120 gal tank which I want to set up as sal****er, I've had
freshwater previously in smaller tanks, 30 gal. Now bio balls are
supposed
to be used for biological filtration. However live rock is the best
choice
for this, so are bio balls really needed? I have read the pages at
http://www.melevsreef.com/ and wow great site. I am going to build my own
sump, 48"L 12"W 24"H, and plan on designing it so that water will always
be
6" from top and 4" from top with the pump off, or so I hope. Do I really
need the bio balls if I am using 240 pounds of live rock?

Frank F.


Short answer = No.

CapFusion,...

"You don't need no stinkin Bio-balls" :-)

Frank wrote:

I have a 120 gal tank which I want to set up as sal****er, I've had
freshwater previously in smaller tanks, 30 gal. Now bio balls are supposed
to be used for biological filtration. However live rock is the best choice
for this, so are bio balls really needed? I have read the pages at
http://www.melevsreef.com/ and wow great site. I am going to build my own
sump, 48"L 12"W 24"H, and plan on designing it so that water will always be
6" from top and 4" from top with the pump off, or so I hope. Do I really
need the bio balls if I am using 240 pounds of live rock?

Frank F.






--
Ric Seyler

I don't want to jump on the band wagon but I have to concur Bio Balls
are nothing special. Live Rock is great. Not only do you get all the
benefical bacteria you'll need you'll also get a number of other
beneficial creatures as well. However llive rock is not very
environmentally friendly. Most of what's available to us is ripped out
of the natural reefs.

Have you considered a fluidized bed filter. I can't think of a much
better type of biological filter. It's small and can handle an
incredible bioload, little to no maintenance. It's also considerably
cheaper than filling a sump with live rock, a lot cheaper!

However if your still want to to add live rock into your aquarium ynd
feel good doing it take a look at garf.org There you can order plenty
of garf grunge as well as way of making your own "live rock" called
aragocrete. This is a site that really knows how to go about making a
marine aquarium also environmentally friendly.

There are many choices out there some are cheaper, environmentally
freindly and more effective in the end you need to find what best suits
your needs.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

Have you considered a fluidized bed filter. I can't think of a much
better type of biological filter. It's small and can handle an
incredible bioload, little to no maintenance. It's also considerably
cheaper than filling a sump with live rock, a lot cheaper!

Fluidized bed will handle amonia and nitrite but will produce nitrate. So it
is not very usefoul filter.


Mislav

All biological filtation will produce nitrate whether you use live
rock, a fluidized bed filter, wet dry or any other biological
filtration technique. The Nitrogen cycle in the aquarium begins with
ammonia which is broken down by nitrifying bacteria (nitrosomonas)
producing nitrite. The nitrite is then going to be broken down by
another nitrifying bacteria (nitrobacters) which break down the
nitrite into nitrate.

The only ways that I know of that remove nitrite from the aquarium is

1. Water changes
2. Plants, Plant break down the nitrate into oxygen and nitrogen
which is then released back into the air
3. Denitrification resins.

I still recommend a fluildized bed filter even if it can't remove
nitrate (but neither can live rock) because it's a very effective and
cheap type of filtration. The best biological filtration method in my
eyes.

A couple corrections/ clarifications of the nitrogen cycle from my days as a
biochemistry major in college.
Plants convert nitrates into amino acids which are then strung together as
proteins. Therefore they are tied up in the water column . Some anaerobic
bacteria can convert nitrates into nitrogen gas which is released back into
the atmosphere. There are some plants such as soybeans, clover which have
bacteria in their roots which can convert ( fix) nitrogen in the air into
nitrates for amino acid synthesis.

Kevin


"Paul Izzo" wrote in message
oups.com...
All biological filtation will produce nitrate whether you use live
rock, a fluidized bed filter, wet dry or any other biological
filtration technique. The Nitrogen cycle in the aquarium begins with
ammonia which is broken down by nitrifying bacteria (nitrosomonas)
producing nitrite. The nitrite is then going to be broken down by
another nitrifying bacteria (nitrobacters) which break down the
nitrite into nitrate.

The only ways that I know of that remove nitrite from the aquarium is

1. Water changes
2. Plants, Plant break down the nitrate into oxygen and nitrogen
which is then released back into the air
3. Denitrification resins.

I still recommend a fluildized bed filter even if it can't remove
nitrate (but neither can live rock) because it's a very effective and
cheap type of filtration. The best biological filtration method in my
eyes.

"Paul Izzo" wrote in message
oups.com...
All biological filtation will produce nitrate whether you use live
rock, a fluidized bed filter, wet dry or any other biological
filtration technique. The Nitrogen cycle in the aquarium begins with
ammonia which is broken down by nitrifying bacteria (nitrosomonas)
producing nitrite. The nitrite is then going to be broken down by
another nitrifying bacteria (nitrobacters) which break down the
nitrite into nitrate.

The only ways that I know of that remove nitrite from the aquarium is

1. Water changes
2. Plants, Plant break down the nitrate into oxygen and nitrogen
which is then released back into the air
3. Denitrification resins.

I still recommend a fluildized bed filter even if it can't remove
nitrate (but neither can live rock) because it's a very effective and
cheap type of filtration. The best biological filtration method in my
eyes.

Well if this is true why there is no fluidized bed filter in most demanding
aquariums such as SPS aquariums? Try to search through reefkeeping.com and
find at least one featured aquarium with fluidized bed filter.
The theory is that inside live rock there are anaerobic zones in which
denitrifying bacteria live and convert nitrate.
If one has good live rock and good water flow there will be enough
nitrifying bacterial action plus added denitrifying action only on live
rock. Of course, nitrate will still be an issue but on a much smaller scale
than when using FB.
It is good practise to change water regulary and use good protein skimmer.
Skimmer will take out of water dissolved organic particles in aquarium and
thus help in overall purity.
BTW, anaerobic bacteria also reduce nitrate, not only plants.

Mislav

"Paul Izzo" wrote in message
oups.com...
All biological filtation will produce nitrate whether you use live
rock, a fluidized bed filter, wet dry or any other biological
filtration technique. The Nitrogen cycle in the aquarium begins with
ammonia which is broken down by nitrifying bacteria (nitrosomonas)
producing nitrite. The nitrite is then going to be broken down by
another nitrifying bacteria (nitrobacters) which break down the
nitrite into nitrate.

The only ways that I know of that remove nitrite from the aquarium is

1. Water changes
2. Plants, Plant break down the nitrate into oxygen and nitrogen
which is then released back into the air
3. Denitrification resins.

I still recommend a fluildized bed filter even if it can't remove
nitrate (but neither can live rock) because it's a very effective and
cheap type of filtration. The best biological filtration method in my
eyes.


The best place for anaerobic is in DSB where a larger area when compare to
LR or any other place. Under three inchce min. and size area of like 50USG
will be good efficient remove of nitrate.

CapFusion,...