Few quistions about cleaning bio balls

just so were on the same page here is my setup

 

where are the bioballs?

 

look for the blue at the top of picture 2

 

Well, the point of having bioballs in a trickle is that it is a perfect environment for beneficial bacteria to grow. Its the same effect except there is also space for other beneficial things to grow. I wouldn't take LR out of the display tank, I would buy new stuff to replace the bioballs. The other thing is you don't have to clean the LR like bioballs. If you have it under a strong or even medium trickle it will never dry out enough to kill the bacteria.

 

The chamber is 8x8 the flow is constant like its raining on them

 

As far as LiveRock I have 150lbs aout 120 in the tank 30 in the sump

 

Then u def have no need for the bioballs. I have about 200lbs(175ish in the display) and another 30 or so in the fuge/seahorse tank below.

 

If you replace the bioballs with new LR you will effectively be replacing your bioballs with better bioballs that you don't need to clean. If part of the LR is submerged in water it is even better.

 

well thats why I removed them but with regular testing I concluded they lower my nitrates. So Thats why I put them back kind of like an experiment.

 

Whatever works best in your system. There's no one right way to keep a reef.