From Bio balls to Live rock???

The tanks seems to be doing okay. My Mushrooms do not seem to open as much as they did when I first brought them home, but I do not think that its because of Nitrates. They are currently at zero because of a recent water change (I am not sure what they were before the water change. I have had my tanks for around three years now and do not test as much as I used to). The only thing that concerns me is the unstoppable growth of hair algae (Temp 78, Lights on 10 hours/day, and I try not to overfeed).

 

With the tank being 3 yrs old and the algae problem there are a few things I'd lok at as to the cause Phospahtes and are you using good R/O or D/I water and did you set it up with deep sand like 3 to 4 inches deep ? Bio load and size of the tank and light bulbs age and types that being brand name and K rating M/H VHO or P/C's or T 5 or other ?

 

I use RO water from my LFS for water changes and top offs. When I first started the tank, there was about three inches of sand. Now, however, there seems to only be inch in most visible areas (I assume the rest is under the rocks). 55 gal tank. 2 clowns (mated). 14" sebae. Mushroom rock. Button polyps. About 1 dozen Snails and 1 dozen Hermit Crabs. I had a 5" Naso, but she got too close to the clown eggs, and through strange happenings, got pulled into the sebae. She died two days later. My lights are 4-48" (208 watt) T5 Nova extremes. Thanks for your concern. I have seen many different algae, but the hair is the only one I can't get rid off. It is such a pain; that, and aptasia (sp?). The algae is all over the pipes and outlets of the hang-ons and the powerheads and there is a fair amount on the rocks.

 

wow thiws thread was revived from being over 3 years old ! LOL!

 

I know. I was just researching what my LFS told me and came across this forum on a google search, and decided to join.

 

I am fresh.
I have purchased them, and placed them in the intake chamber of my ten gallon which spills into the refugium. Why did I listen to my friend on faith alone and buy them? Should I just put live rock in the Fuge with sand and Macro Algae, and toss the Bio Balls, or am i missing something, please someone, what function/purpose do BioBalls serve?

 

Im bar far an expert but what Big Wally says makes sense to me, and I read and article where it said . If the LR is not submerged fully it can accumulate debris in the same manner as bio balls. I dunno? Maybe im just talkin...

 

I find it funny how all these people who switched from bioballs to liverock still have problems. IMO they should have found the problem instead of trying to put a bandaid on it hoping it would go away.

 

What I don't understand is why people think that live rock will not accumulate as much detritus as bioballs will.

 

Well put I have for yrs just read the Nitrate Factory B/S and smile , I had never heard of a bio tower becoming a NO3 factory until someone wanted to push his DSB to totally control NO3's and the funny part is the DSB or NNR system still does not do the job as advertised.

I myself would rather have the higher Oxygen levels and deal with the nitrates on their level. Nitrates are just a sign the system is working. I have never seen any higher NO3's in a wet dry system from any others . Its the end of the chain and if you do not get to the NO3 portion of the program you have a larger problem somewhere up the De nitrification bacterial stream. Besides NO3 are the single most easiest problem we have to deal with .