Bio-balls VS Refugium??

Ya, and when it comes to dsb I have tried to find any data on how much area is required. Or how effective is x amount of dsb effective at reducing x amount of ntrates... but no answer.
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ok so maybe this is what ill do, ill put an ok size rock in the middle, and put the calerpa and chaeto under it to hold it steady?! and then make sure it has plenty of holes for the pods to hide in, also cant you put like a sand sifting star in there to kick it up and clean it all out?? i know they work best in deep sand beds b/c there happier but im not sure if they would get stressed out due to the fact that there in a 1ft by 1ft square lol

 

Keep it simple is usually the best way to go. You do not need two macros. Not to mention one will out compete the other and you will end up with one anyway. It does not need to be anchored. It will sink. Ampi pods burrow in the sand. The other pods don't care, they live in the cheato. You can make it as complicated as you like, it does not mean it will be any more effective.

sand sifters are fine, but they have huge appetites.... it will starve in a fuge. If you keep one in the display and want to throw it in the fuge from time to time to root around that is not a problem.

 

alright simple it is i was just saying that to keep the other guy happy! but i do have one in my display so i could do that just to kick up the sand a little down in my sump, for a day or so just to get things moving, again, thanks a ton for you help and patience im very new to the hobby and any help i get comes straight from 3reef members! you all have been a VERY good help to me!

 

Does anyone out there have much experience with the Berlin method?? heres a video of my sump with this method in place will it do the justice?
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The Berlin method refers to simply a system containing adequate live rock and a skimmer, with addition of calcium and buffer when appropriate. There are different things such as the use of a DSB that can be added. Most already use the Berlin method with slight modifications.

 

ok but my main question are they very effective? is it better then a refugium? i know its much simpler if you look at the video of my sump model they explain it but im just wondering if they are still being used and actually work well! Thanks!

 

Oh ok I thought you were referring to a brand rather than a type of filtration. While I do not have the sump shown in the link I can say that the Berlin Method is IMO the best way to run a reef tank.

Hopefully others will chime in that have a similar set-up or the same one.

 

sorry, didn't get a chance to read your entire thread so my response is based on your original post and a few of the initial responses. There are misconseptions about bio-balls. The main one being "bio-balls are nitrate factories", it all depends on how you use them and your maintenance. From your sump pic, it looks like the bio-balls as submerged, if this is the case they are not being used correctly, also if they are not cleaned on a regular basis (not all at once), they could become nitrate factories, which is probably what your'e experiencing. But if you keep them clean, this shouldn't be a major problem. I don't currently use bio-balls but I've used them for years on prior tanks with no issues, but it was a lot of work keeping them clean. On my current tank, I run a fuge/DSB. This is a great alternative but you still have to do some work to keep it somewhat clean or you run the risk of similar problems long-term. If you decide to go with the fuge, I would recommend removing 1/4 at a time, vacuuming up any junk that's there as you remove them. If you go with LS, I would drain the water from it and even rinse it with some of your tank water from a water change prior to using it, if you're looking to go with a DSB, try to get ~6" of sand if your sump would support it. Good luck.

 

Well i clean about 1/4 of them at each water change, which is every sunday i clean all my filters, bio-balls and do a water change and any other maintenance i need to do at that time, ive been seriously considering trying a different method id like to do a fuge but then i stumbled across the berlin system which looks even easier and if you have any suggestions on which one is better then the other ill give it a try, my sump is a proflex 2, and it can do any of these 3 it can do bioballs (which is what i have currently) a refugium, and the berlin systems