Bye bye bio balls!

I use a turkey baster. Took a while at 1st but weekly maintenance goes much quicker.

About a month ago I removed the bioballs and added some cheato and an ATS and nitrates are solid at 0, phosphates dropping weekly, at .02 now.

I have 1 mechanical filter protecting a powerhead intake, the powerhead is to be replaced in 2 weeks.

IME, get rid of them, dropped my nitrates immediately. This was even after weekly cleaning of both the intake filter sponge and the polish filter.

 

Did you put in rock pieces or a large piece in place of the bioballs... or just drip method , then cheato? How much cheato? Did you remove all bioballs at once? How big is ur tank?

 

What if I left my bioballs and under the bioballs put live rock - wouldnt this complete the cycle? Would I need a light on the live rock?

 

Take the bioballs out and don't even put live rock back in there. All either of them will become is a place for detritus to get trapped and rot causing a nitrate issue. Leave the sump for equipment only and don't put any rock/balls in it at all. You will soon see that it makes maintenance a lot easier.

 

IMO if you have enough LR in DT you may remove bio balls but i would and did remove over a 2 week period my trates dropped from 80 to 20 in my situation I now have rubble rock in my sump trates stay around 10-20 with bi weekly water changes you can see my sump in my you tube video YouTube - Aim2pleez's 125 Gal saltwater tank