Bio balls or Live Rock?

[myclang]

Hey guys. Everyone has been a TREMENDOUS help on here! I can't believe there's still forums where 'trolling' and 'hate speech' just don't exist such as R2R. very proud to be on here. I'm sitting here looking at my sump. It has a ton of bio balls in them. I've read a lot of interesting articles and debates on BB's vs. LR. The general consensus I'm finding is LR is the best way to go for a reef tank. Now if i remove all my BB's do I need to place cured or can I start with Dry rock in the sump? and If I use live rock do i need to light it?

 

[FishBeard]

Ok, since you already have the bio balls running, assumedly "cycled" and live, I would just start adding liverock slowly, like 1-2 pounds per 10g of water every week or so, and allow the bio balls to seed the new rock as it becomes live. Once you have a good majority of the rock in your tank, and live, you can begin to remove the bio balls, as the live rock will then start seeding the new rock as you add it.

 

[Degener8]

I wouldn't put live rock in my direct sump. I would put it after all filtration so its clean water not getting all cluttered with deterius.
Do replace to bioballs slowly over time if you have it currently seeded with bacteria.

 

[myclang]

I'm such a noob guys. I apologize I should have said I haven't set the tank up yet. Should I start with LR in the sump? Just dry rock and let it l establish itself? Or start with cured LR? NOT SURE if I need cured rock to start the tank cycling or not.

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

I use the dry rock rubble bulk reef supply sells, it needs no light, and will become live eventually

 

[FishBeard]

I'm such a noob guys. I apologize I should have said I haven't set the tank up yet. Should I start with LR in the sump? Just dry rock and let it l establish itself? Or start with cured LR? NOT SURE if I need cured rock to start the tank cycling or not.

So the bio balls are dry? If that's the case, ditch them right from the start as they will provide nothing useful @day 1. Start with dry rock, and seed with a few pieces of live rock and a piece of table shrimp from the butcher to kick start an ammonia cycle in the tank.

 

[myclang]

Alright. that's what I thought. Just ditch the bio balls and use Live Rock to do the filtering. Do you guys use any sort of Charcoal bags in the sump to help remove particulates or just a simple filter pad?

 

[btkrausen]

Many people run carbon 24/7 in their tanks...like myself. I also use mechanical filtration in the form of a filter sock as water enters my sump. Keeps the sump nice and clean.

If you are putting rock in there, I'd make sure there is good water flow through the rock to keep it from building up detritus and nasty stuff.

 

[myclang]

Good water flow like an additional power head in the sump to circulate water or would the natural flow throw the Sump from the overflow and return pump be enough?

 

[btkrausen]

Personally I use additional powerheads, but I'm a clean freak and like my tank/sump to stay shiny clean, haha.

 

[myclang]

No that's not a half bad idea! Never gave that any thought. I was debating on using a canister/ mechanical filter to help make the tank be picture perfect clear but, didnt wanna over do the filtraition either but, a few power heads in the sump would really help!

 

[mallorieGgator]

I would say go with neither BB or LR in your sump. Both tend to accumulate a lot of detritus and cause nitrate and phosphate problems. I would slowly take out the bioballs in your sump. Take out a few handfulls every week until you have none. Every time you take out some, maybe consider dosing the tank with an additive like microbacter or some other good bacteria for your tank to try and avoid a cycle.

 

[myclang]

What do you suggest for filtration? just mechanical or canister filters intead of a sump? skimmer only?

 

[mcarroll]

At the beginning, live rock for bio-filtration and some water flow should be more than enough.

After that, "what is required" (not to be confused with "what's popular" or "what's common") really depends on what you decide to keep in the tank and how you decide to keep it.

Using the "Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank." maxim you will have plenty of time to decide what additional measures (if any) will be required for your animals. Skimmers, carbon, resin filters, filter socks, dosers, reactors, etc are all "nice extras" when at your stage, and you may find that some or all of them are unnecessary. None of them are "requirements".

For one simple example, many people use carbon (charcoal is "unactivated carbon") to restore the clarity of their tank water after their animals have fouled it. I don't need to do this - the water I take out and throw away for a water change is just as clear as the water I'm putting in the tank. With what I keep (very dense coral population, very light fish population) this works.

Heck, with a little care and knowledge, even live rock and a skimmer can be considered optional depending on what you're trying to do!

This is why, whenever possible, I encourage newb's to spend as much time as possible considering which animals they plan to keep (skip worrying about the equipment altogether for now), learn what you can about their requirements, and then design the tank around them and use their requirements to make your system. Using this approach can eliminate a lot of worrying and buying of extra equipment vs trying to design a system to account for every animal you might someday consider putting in. It also gives the animals you plan for a much better shot at a long, healthy captive life.

-Matt