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If you are doing a reef you do not need bio balls. Yes they will contribute to nitrate issues. Only use good live rock and protein skimming and you will be fine.
Do bio balls reduce nitrates?
It’s what makes a sponge filter so good at biological filtration – the process of ammonia and nitrites being converted to nitrates. As water passes over these balls, the nitrifying bacteria filters your water, removing ammonia and nitrites – dramatically improving the water quality.
Should I use bio balls in a reef tank?
Bio Balls can be used in saltwater aquariums but if left uncleaned they easily trap detritus which can lead to high nitrates & phosphates. They provide a large surface area for nitrifying bacteria to colonize however newer technology is available to work more efficiently & require less maintenance.
How long does it take for bacteria to grow on bio balls?
As soon as you drop those Marine Pure Balls into your established tank the beneficial bacteria will start to colonize them. After three or four days you’ll have a healthy population growing on them, but you might want to wait at least a week for good measure.
How often should you clean bio balls?
I definitely recommend cleaning your bio falls every four to six weeks. If you don’t clean your bio falls, then your mechanical filtration (filter mat) will become clogged with waste.
Are bio balls better than ceramic?
Bio balls should only be used for biological filtration only. They simply exist to trap and remove waste. Ceramic rings will ultimately trap more bad stuff, but your bio balls will ultimately do a better job of denitrifying bacteria.
Do bio balls need to be replaced?
Bio balls don’t really need replaced. They simply provide a foundation for the helpful bacteria to cling to. They simply provide a foundation for the helpful bacteria to cling to. In fact replacing them would remove a huge amount of good bacteria that you need.
How long does it take for bio balls to work?
Most new aquariums take 3-6 weeks to fully cycle, meaning that the nitrogen cycle can successfully process ammonia into nitrates.
Can I put Bio balls in my fish tank?
They are typically used in fish tank and fish pond filters to transform potentially harmful ammonia into benign nitrates. Bio balls work best as wet-dry filters, with moving water passing over them. This allows more oxygen into the tubing, feeding the growth of the beneficial bacteria inside the balls.
How many bio balls are needed per gallon?
Excellent filtration media for bacteria colonization; each bioball is approximately 1.5″ x 1.25″ in diameter. 750 bioballs equal 1 cubic foot, and 100 bioballs equal 1 gallon.
Are bio balls worth it?
Bio balls provide a place for all the good nitrifying bacteria you need in your tank to live. This is why they have grooves and spaces, as this allows more bacteria to cling to the ball, making these more effective compared to simple spheres.
Does Bio balls float?
Yes. They float. But when placed into a confined space they did fill the area no problem.
How long do ceramic balls last?
Even the manufacturers don’t agree! Fluval, for example, recommends that ceramic rings be swapped out every 6 months. Marineland, another ceramic filter manufacturer, states that the rings should never be replaced.
What is inside bio balls?
Bio balls are small, pegged plastic balls mainly used as the biological media in aquarium filters. 2. These little plastic bio balls have TONS of surface area for the growth of bacteria for filtration. They are used as the biological media in salt water and fresh water aquariums as well as ponds.
How do you clean bio balls?
If you just want to clean the gunk out of the bio-balls and don’t care about the bacteria that is on them, just put your dirty bio-balls into an old pillow case and run it through your washing machine on the “gentle” cycle with a little laundry detergent for a few minutes.
Can you have too much bio media?
there is no such thing as too much bio media. No matter what, your beneficial bacteria can only grow to the demand. If you have 100lbs of bio media and 1 small fish fed every other day, you will only have a small amount of bacteria despite having 100lbs of media. You absolutely can have not enough media though.
Where do bio balls go in a sump?
They are not intended to trap detritus and particles, and if you are using them in the sump, should be placed in the area of your sump least likely to come into contact with detritus, normally closest to the return. Detritus should be removed through other forms of filtration such as a filter socks or filter sponges.
How does Bio media work?
Biological media houses bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle. It provides a larger surface area for beneficial nitrifying bacteria to colonize, where water can pass through the colonies, bringing nutrients and oxygen required for the nitrogen cycle. They can accommodate a lot of bacteria in a small space.
Where do you put bio balls in a pond?
The Pond Guy BioBalls filter media can be placed in any pond that requires additional filtration. The BioBalls can be placed in skimmer boxes, waterfall filters, or directly in your pond to increase the available surface area for beneficial bacteria.
How do filter balls work?
FilterBalls are engineered to get more water flow from lower pump speeds, allowing your pump to work more efficiently, using less power. Slower water velocity (not higher) is the key to better filtration. With your single speed pump, your flow will increase and clean more water with every kilowatt of power.
What do bio rings do?
Ceramic rings are biological media that provides a very large surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow and live. This bacteria on your ceramic rings is required to complete the Nitrogen Cycle in your tank, which converts harmful ammonia and nitrite in to the less harmful nitrate.
What is bio balls in a fish tank?
Bio-balls are plastic spheres designed to provide enormous amounts of surface area for microbes. We pump water from our fish tanks to the top of the bio-filter and shower the water down through the column of bio-balls, then pump it back out to the tanks.
