Removing bio balls

[jumeda33]

Hey all,
I am new to this site and would love some advice. I have a 150 gal. reef system. About 175-200 lbs of rock, lots of fish and corals both hard and soft. I want to get rid of the bio balls. I was planning on plumbing the trickle pipes downward into the sump. What is everyones opinion on wheather I should put some rock in the sump or micron socks for extra filtration or nothing. I am open for suggestions. I don't like that the bio balls and that blue sponge is a nitrate factory. My nitrates aren't bad but I eventually would like to get some corals that hate any nitrates at all.
Thanks for any input.
David

 

[cgoodman381]

With my 150 I took all the bioballs out at the same time, but it would probably be smart to do it over a few days.

Im a personal fan of filter socks... I would just have a sock and skimmer and macro algae in your sump. Preferably no rock. imo

 

[Alexander]

I would take the balls out over a few weeks. I am currently going in the making of doing this with my 180 too. My plans are to just extend the pipes and make a 90 elbow at the bottom to drain on the bottom of the wall to reduce noise... Only problem is that takes away my mechanical filtration so I will have to do some extra thinking... But take the balls out over a few weeks.

 

[RyanG]

Alexander what about adding a an algae scrubber? You would probably have to add a UV filter to stop the water from yellowing but if you plumbed it seperate from the sump it wouldnt hurt pod production.

 

[reeffreak]

You probably have enough live rock that you could remove all the bioballs at once.To be on the safe side,it's probably better to remove 1/2 of them a week apart.

As long as you can submerge the rock rubble than I recommend doing so.Otherwise,the rubble will be no different the bbs.

 

[jumeda33]

Ok, so the next crazy question. Once I remove the bio balls and that sponge that filters the water and keeps all the crap that is below that grate that the balls sit on from entering the sump area where the main return pump is, then what is keeping all that crap from now getting into that other area where the main pump is? Right now the sponge that gets really nasty is keeping all the crap from getting to the main pump?
Thanks,
David

 

[yote]

It'll settle to the bottom,then you can clean it out with a rag or sponge.

 

[jumeda33]

Oh, ok thanks. So it will still be where it is now anyway and now I usually vacuum it out when I do water changes.

 

[Alexander]

If you want you could add a sponge in your return pump before the impellor but that would stop pods from entering the dt freely. And plankton in the water can all be coral food and other than that just make sure your skimming well. Of course you will get a million different answers when comes to mechanical filtration.

 

[Alexander]

Alexander what about adding a an algae scrubber?

Ryan, I think I'm just going to try to go without mechanical filtration. Or I might just hang a couple socks where the bio balls were and have that kinda direct the flow to the water down to the surface to hopefully reduce noise and then go through my new awesome fuge!

 

[reeffreak]

Ok, so the next crazy question. Once I remove the bio balls and that sponge that filters the water and keeps all the crap that is below that grate that the balls sit on from entering the sump area where the main return pump is, then what is keeping all that crap from now getting into that other area where the main pump is? Right now the sponge that gets really nasty is keeping all the crap from getting to the main pump?
Thanks,
David

You can still use the sponge to keep debris from getting trapped in the sump and/or rock rubble.Be sure to clean it on a weekly basis.

 

[jumeda33]

Well everyone, I have removed almost all the bio balls and used the elbows to run the pipes straight down. I did end up putting some rock in there just because I wanted to get some of the pieces out of the tank to get more room in the sand. It seemed to have created alot of micro bubbles so I put socks on the pipes to help difuse that and also catch some of the crap. I still have some micro bubbles, not that I didn't before the change over but I would love to get rid of them completely. Any ideas? I have tested for ammonia and nitrate and so far so good. Thanks for everybodys input. I think I used a little bit of everyones ideas.
Thanks again,
David