filtration question

[nipit8]

ok.. so i talked to a couple of people(haha) and they say to NOT run bio balls in my sump----use live rock/ rubble--switched out s.l.o.w.l.y--QUESTION--does the liverock provide the filtration for my system? I have a 40 with 10 gallon sump--probably 40 pounds of LR in DT---if I add another 10 to sump(slowly) will that be enough filtration?--I have one clown/ 1 frogspawn and a couple of mushrooms--all are doing well with current system-----also what are the diff between BB and LR in the sump?--any help would be appreciated--THX

 

[coolhandgoose]

Bio balls is kind of old school tech now. Most people dont use them it can cause nitrate problems. Sounds like you have enough rocks already, but if you want to add more then awesome since it really is part of the main filtration. Ideally you should be using a skimmer in your sump as well.

 

[little_fish]

the idea behind bioballs was that they would have a lot of surface area for bacteria to colonize and provide better filtration for your tank, but what ends up happening is they catch a ton of detritus which rots and releases a ton of nitrates back into your water column, worsening your water quality.

the rubble doesnt capture as much detritus because it has better flow patters, and lets you have the increased bacteria without the nitrate problems.

But you need to remove the bioballs slowly because your tank's filtration depends on the bacteria living on them. So if you remove them too fast, you can remove a bunch of your filter and cause your tank to go through a mini cycle while the bacteria populations build up again. Just removing a cup full every week or so allows your bacteria to build up else where in the tank without the dramatic bacteria loss causing a mini cycle.

Your live rock provides basically all of the filtration in your tank, you have a good amount of it now, but adding more wont hurt anything.