How do I clean bio balls?

[Caleb1266]

I have a couple hundred bio balls that were used in a freshwater tank and I want to use them in a 150 gallon FOWLR. How do you recommend cleaning them?

 

[Malifry97]

I wouldn't use them...they clog WAY too easily. I'd get some extra live or base rock, a fuge or some marine pure instead.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

To clean them soak in bleach. If there is calcified crud on them soak in a vinegar bath. However I agree with the above, don’t use them. They are nitrate factories.

 

[AcroNem]

I would also advise to use marine pure or other ceramic/sintered glass media as opposed to bio balls, if only for the increased surface area. You can clean them with a vinegar bath or bleach bath (make sure to follow that with a sodium thiosulfate bath or prime to neutralize bleach) if you do want to use them.

 

[Caleb1266]

I would also advise to use marine pure or other ceramic/sintered glass media as opposed to bio balls, if only for the increased surface area. You can clean them with a vinegar bath or bleach bath (make sure to follow that with a sodium thiosulfate bath or prime to neutralize bleach) if you do want to use them.

Thanks for the advice is there any use for them it seems wasteful that picture only shows about half of the balls.

 

[piranhaman00]

Use sea chem matrix and live rock for biofiltration.

 

[Bethany Yates]

Thanks for the advice is there any use for them it seems wasteful that picture only shows about half of the balls.

Sometimes they are good to float in a sump to reduce light penetration that causes algae growth.