Replacing W/D Bio Balls W/ LR

Heard/read all about the side effects of bio ball in W/Ds. I would like to replace them (gradually) with cured LR. I do not yet have an issue with high nitrates? What do you think? Also, W/D is under the display tank, what kind of light will I need and for how many hours/day?

 

You could gradually swap out the bio balls with the live rock so that some of the organisms come over from the bio balls to the live rock. Try to keep the pieces small so that is more surface area than a few larger pieces. As far as lighting, many people like to keep the lighting on a reverse cycle of the main tank as it will help keep the PH stable.

 

Hmm... Interesting! Just my 0.02$, LR is great, however there are filter media with way better active surface/volume ratios: polished glass beads. Your issue with nitrate buildup could be resolved using considerably cheap DIY fuge and/or DIY coil denitrator. Moreover, microbiological nitrate reduction is totally anaerobic process, that requires as slow as possible water flow.

Cheers!

 

Plan to convert W/D into a refuigium as my next step.

I will end up with around a 8-10 gallon one, what flow rate is adequate, i.e. can I route the entire return water flow thru it as long as I slow things down with a few baffles or do I need to bypass the majority into the return sump?


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how r u going to stop up the bottom of the w/d so the return side doesnt overflow

 

To be honest with you, if you place live rock in your sump/refugium, you do not need to have lighting! Lighting will not be of much help to you unless you plan on housing macroalgae(caulerpa) to enable photosynthesis to take place.