i have been told to take the bio balls out of my system countless times by countless people and am starting to think maybe there is something to it :lol:

but what alternatives are there - a sump with deep sand bed and caulerpa right but what about mechanical filtration - what happens when the caulerpa goes sexual and what are my other options

what do you guys think of bio balls

i am thinking i will upgrade my skimmer - or just get another but even so i am reluctant to tanke out the 'safe' idea of bioballs!!! i think it might be a psychological crutch!! :oops: but i cant help it i have always used this kind of thing!! :roll:

HHHEEEELLLLPPPP guys

they certainly were the "in" thing there for a while weren't they? I built a number of Rube Goldberg contraptions...rotating sprinklers, drip lines, the whole shebang...now we use the bioballs as practice golf balls (don't laugh, I learned how to chip with those) or as cat toys.
I know others who swear by them...I just think they are unnecessary, same with the ceramic rings. Waste of space. but, that is only my opinion...
g

No matter what you need the bacteria in your tank and there are many ways to get it sand bed, live rock, biowheels etc. The point is to create surface area and a good habitat for the bacteria to grow. If you don't have the room to have one of the other methods I do not see anything wrong with bioballs although I would use the glass stuff. It just depends on your budget and what you prefer.

we don't use them, but a local salmon farm has a ginormous filter ( i'm talking metres tall!) full of the things.........their water is DISGUSTING!!! I know salmon produce a lot of waste but the water looks like chocolate milk :yuck: doesn't smell like it tho' :yuck: :yuck: :yuck: :yuck: :yuck: :yuck: :yuck: :yuck: :yuck: :yuck: :yuck: :yuck: :yuck:

j

That sounds awful, Jean!!

Marinebioguy, what do you mean by "the glass stuff"?

Nancy

No advice on bioballs from me, but on the topic of that caulerpa...

I'd use cheatomorpha instead. It works great, sucks all the badness out of the water (maybe a little too well :? ) and there's not the risk of it going sexual like caulerpa.

That sounds awful, Jean!!

Marinebioguy, what do you mean by "the glass stuff"?

Nancy

Bio-glass, Cell-pore etc. Its ceramic/glass tubes that have a lot more suface area than bioballs.

the caulerpa (cheatamorph or whatever - will look into it not sure if i can get it tho) altenative sounds good but are you guys sayin that it is either bioballs or natural - are there no other options - what do you all have

There are tons of other options. Fluidized sand filters which work good, bio-wheels it all depends on what you are going for.

cthulhu77 Wrote:

now we use the bioballs as practice golf balls (don't laugh, I learned how to chip with those)

:lol: :lol: :lol: As long as you dont swing near the tank :lol: :lol: :lol:

No kidding! Those 3 irons can be devastating...speaking of the devil, I was just out watering the wisteria, and saw one I must have hit too far!

No kidding! Those 3 irons can be devastating...speaking of the devil, I was just out watering the wisteria, and saw one I must have hit too far!

Good place for it!!!!!!!

J