Using Bio Balls to Cycle Tank Faster

[Nate92]

Hi All,

I'm trying to decrease the time it takes to cycle my tank. I added API quick start to my tank, but my ammonia levels (presumably due to the live sand and cured live rock already in my tank) have remained steady at about .75PPM over the last four days. A representative from API recommended adding bio balls to my sump to provide additional surface area on which good bacteria can grow/populate. Any thoughts on this recommendation? Thank you!

-Nate

 

[Flippers4pups]

Hi All,

I'm trying to decrease the time it takes to cycle my tank. I added API quick start to my tank, but my ammonia levels (presumably due to the live sand and cured live rock already in my tank) have remained steady at about .75PPM over the last four days. A representative from API recommended adding bio balls to my sump to provide additional surface area on which good bacteria can grow/populate. Any thoughts on this recommendation? Thank you!

-Nate

What size tank? How much rock?

Cycling can take some time. It's debated topic about quick cycling a tank, but most agree that it can take weeks to fully cycle a system.

Adding bio balls will not cause a tank to cycle any faster.

Are you ghost feeding this tank?

 

[Nate92]

What size tank? How much rock?

Cycling can take some time. It's debated topic about quick cycling a tank, but most agree that it can take weeks to fully cycle a system.

Adding bio balls will not cause a tank to cycle any faster.

Are you ghost feeding this tank?

Hi, Don. My tank is 80G with a 30G sump. I would estimate I have 40 pounds of live rock (primarily in the display, with a few pieces in the sump). I'm not ghost feeding, as I thought the ammonia levels were already high enough as is. Do you think ghost feeding would help to more quickly grow the bacteria? I think the rep's logic was that bio balls or sponges would increase the available surface area on which the bacteria can grow. Thanks again for your help!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Here's a couple reads on cycling:

https://reefbuilders.com/2018/03/17/beginners-guide-to-cycling-a-saltwater-aquarium/

https://users.cs.duke.edu/~narten/faq/cycling.html

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Bio Balls are a nitrate factory. Also a good cycle takes time. The longer your rock has to grow bacteria before introduction of live stock the better.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Hi, Don. My tank is 80G with a 30G sump. I would estimate I have 40 pounds of live rock (primarily in the display, with a few pieces in the sump). I'm not ghost feeding, as I thought the ammonia levels were already high enough as is. Do you think ghost feeding would help to more quickly grow the bacteria? I think the rep's logic was that bio balls or sponges would increase the available surface area on which the bacteria can grow. Thanks again for your help!

Your welcome. Be patient and more importantly, let it cycle all the way before adding live stock.

 

[Reef_Jack]

Bio Balls can provide more surface area to grow more bacteria. But just as @Skynyrd Fish said, it will catch debris and keep releasing nitrate in future. I personally will not use them. Rock in your display tank is better to be used as the home for the bacteria. Did you use live rock or dry rock?

 

[Nate92]

Bio Balls can provide more surface area to grow more bacteria. But just as @Skynyrd Fish said, it will catch debris and keep releasing nitrate in future. I personally will not use them. Rock in your display tank is better to be used as the home for the bacteria. Did you use live rock or dry rock?

Thanks for your response. I cured live rock for my tank using a muriatic acid bath. Thoughts on adding the bio balls temporarily?

 

[Nate92]

Bio Balls are a nitrate factory. Also a good cycle takes time. The longer your rock has to grow bacteria before introduction of live stock the better.

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[Nate92]

Here's a couple reads on cycling:

https://reefbuilders.com/2018/03/17/beginners-guide-to-cycling-a-saltwater-aquarium/

https://users.cs.duke.edu/~narten/faq/cycling.html

Thanks for the links!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Here's another good read if you haven't seen it.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

 

[Reef_Jack]

How much live rock do you have per gallon? If you have enough live rock and you want to speed up the cycling, I would prefer to add some nitrifying bacteria rather than add bio balls. You case seems to be that there is not enough bacteria, adding bio balls won't solve the problem. You need to wait for the bacteria to grow to a certain number naturally or just adding some manually.

 

[Nate92]

Here's another good read if you haven't seen it.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

Thanks, Don. I have seen that one. Any thoughts on sponges like this (https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-Biomax-Bio-Rings-ounces/dp/B000HHSG5M) in lieu of bioballs? Or will that create the same problems of high nitrate levels down the road...

 

[Retro Reefer]

Bio Balls are a nitrate factory. Also a good cycle takes time. The longer your rock has to grow bacteria before introduction of live stock the better.

Bio Balls can provide more surface area to grow more bacteria. But just as @Skynyrd Fish said, it will catch debris and keep releasing nitrate in future. I personally will not use them. Rock in your display tank is better to be used as the home for the bacteria. Did you use live rock or dry rock?

Bio balls are no more of a nitrate factory than anything else in your sump that is neglected.. I have used them in every tank I have ever set up over the last 30 years and never had a nitrate problem. I have a LFS that’s been in business for 20+ years and all his sumps are full of them. They are easy to clean because of their open structure compared to ceramic materials and will not leech heavy metals into your system. Mine are typically full of pods and pineapple sponges which they provide the perfect environment for.. will they speed up your cycle? No they will not.

 

[Nate92]

How much live rock do you have per gallon? If you have enough live rock and you want to speed up the cycling, I would prefer to add some nitrifying bacteria rather than add bio balls. You case seems to be that there is not enough bacteria, adding bio balls won't solve the problem. You need to wait for the bacteria to grow to a certain number naturally or just adding some manually.

Thanks, Jack. I added a good deal of API quick start. So, I was hoping to use bio balls or some type of sponge to help the bacteria populate more quickly.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Thanks, Don. I have seen that one. Any thoughts on sponges like this (https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-Biomax-Bio-Rings-ounces/dp/B000HHSG5M) in lieu of bioballs? Or will that create the same problems of high nitrate levels down the road...

Hard to say about what your N03 will be down the road. Each system is different. Sound like you have enough biological filtration with the rock you have for now.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Here's a good read on the "old school" way of reefing. It's still what most reefers use today, except modified with refugiums and reactors......etc. my reef pretty much runs Berlin method.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Method

 

[Nate92]

Interesting article here (https://fishlab.com/bio-balls/). Looks like ceramic rings like Siporax can carry both nitrifying bacteria AND denitrifying bacteria. So, perhaps they can help to decrease my ammonia levels and control for potential future increases in nitrates!

 

[Nate92]

Bio balls are no more of a nitrate factory than anything else in your sump that is neglected.. I have used them in every tank I have ever set up over the last 30 years and never had a nitrate problem. I have a LFS that’s been in business for 20+ years and all his sumps are full of them. They are easy to clean because of their open structure compared to ceramic materials and will not leech heavy metals into your system. Mine are typically full of pods and pineapple sponges which they provide the perfect environment for.. will they speed up your cycle? No they will not.

Interesting perspective! Thanks!

 

[Retro Reefer]

Interesting perspective! Thanks!

I think the bad rap comes from their original usage which was in a chamber elevated above sump, the water from tank typically poured into them without a prefilter which made them get dirty quickly and because they where not submerged the amount of water they received was hit or miss, without sufficient and consistent water coverage aerobic bacteria will not thrive.. These days I use them submerged only and will occasionally swish them around in a bucket with tank water to dislodge detritus if necessary. My original reef tank which was up for 13 years had the bioball dry tower but I had pre filters in place and did Occasionally clean the balls... you can see the old school “dry tower” filled with blue balls in this picture of my first reef tank.