Bio Balls, Good or Bad?

[Luis C]

There is much controversy out there about Bio Balls and I have heard them called Nitrate factories. I recently removed mine and am using Live Rock for my biological filter. Are bio balls good when initially starting up a tank and trying to get the ammonia and nitrite levels down? At what point should one remove them?

[Archie]

yes bio balls are nitrate factories, the berlin method which uses premium quality live rock(houses nitrifing and denitrifing) as the biological filter.

you will see that new tanks using cured live rock from initial setup rarely ever go through a bilogical break in as compared to a tank using conventional type filtration(ex.bio balls)

just remember in a reef tank we want to try to avoid any long term mechanical filtration(bio balls, sponges, cotton, etc.etc)
and bio balls should not be used when initially setting up a tank that implements the use of cured live rock.

[Deep Blue]

I just got a Redsea max 130D tank and it has ceramic bio-media in it , should I replace it with live rock or leave it ? I have it set up with live sand and rock to start a reef tank , 39gal.

[brianjoy81]

I have a red sea max as well. I took all that crap out. I put pura pads in the intake. Then I put another set in where the water comes up after it goes through protien skimmer in the chamber next to the heater. That way it goes through two sets of pura pads.

[Gerwin]

+1 for Archie and Brian's respons

[brianjoy81]

What?? I actually gave good advice??? Gerwin you have taught me well. I am progressing with my Jedi training lol