Bio Cube and bio balls

Lorretto · 04/13/2007, 05:11 PM

What do you guys think of the Bio Balls? Does it really work?
Pros? Cons?

I heard of people takng the Bio Balls out and filling the chamber with small chuncks of live rock.

What would you guys recommend?

Lorretto

scowiii · 04/13/2007, 05:30 PM

Live rock. That is the consensous that I have asked also. I have Bio Balls in there now. Waiting for my shipment from TBS before I change it out.

Lorretto · 04/13/2007, 06:01 PM

would the LR in the chamber instead off the Bio Balls do a better job filtering the water?

Why would they then make bio balls? What do they do and how do they affect the tank that is not so desirable?

roader247 · 04/13/2007, 06:04 PM

I put a small amount of LR in chamber 2 but I also use it for a refuge and added a light to grow micro algae, my nitrates have stayed at 0.

Good Luck Mark

Lorretto · 04/13/2007, 06:53 PM

what kind of light are you using and how did you connect the light?

but why use LR rather than the bio balls?

roader247 · 04/13/2007, 07:09 PM

Bio balls are very good for colonizing bacteria the kind that changes ammonia and nitrite to nitrate. The bacteria that uses nitrate need to grow without access to oxygen, This is why Bio Balls can really cause a problem with nitrates. As far as lighting chamber 2 I went to hardware store and bought a electrical box plastic painted it black measured and scraped the paint off the back in chamber 2 used Velcro on outside of box and tank I found a small under counter light at lowes and put in the box and plugged it in.
parts I used

Light shining trough bad pic

smketyr · 04/13/2007, 07:11 PM

Loretto, the bio balls are a nitrate factory for a reef. The BioCube is for fresh and saltwater. The back chambers are set up as a wet/dry filter. If you were doing a fish only no live rock then use the bio balss. Without the bio balls you can fill chamber 3 all the way to the top and not have to worry about the fill line. HTH.
I run it with live rock in chamber two with a heater. All my water parameters are stable.

I am too interested in the fuge set up. I have a small ball of cheato behind the live rock in the tank and would love to put it in the back. However, I don't want to do a lot of mods.

Tom

roader247 · 04/13/2007, 07:20 PM

The mod I did to chamber 2 was really easy, I put my heater in camber 1. Go to loews or Home depot and first find a small light some have used a much bigger light then go find a box to mount it in and get a strait edge razor blade and scrape the paint of. If you don't like it it's only paint in the back of the tank, you can always repaint it. Good Luck

Mark

Lorretto · 04/13/2007, 08:24 PM

How did you set up the refuge in the 2nd chamber? did you put sand? LR?
No idea what goes in. Also in the third chamber do you still have the sponge in front of the water pump? I guess it would have to stay so no chunks of rocks get sucked in?

Lorretto · 04/15/2007, 11:48 AM

Roader247, where does the water come up in chamber 2? with a refugium in chamber 2 did you fill chamber 3? water level supposed to come up half way so i'm wondering if you flood the 3 chambers, would the water pump draw too much water in the main tank and cause it to overflow?

roader247 · 04/18/2007, 10:32 AM

Lorrette Sorry for not getting back soon I travel and had a 42 hour weekend not including travel time. Anyway yes I have chamber 3 filled the reason for the water line Is to keep the bio balls so they are not completely submerged. I also opened the overflow a small amount between chamber 1 and 2 Good Luck

Mark

04/13/2007, 05:11 PM	#1
Lorretto Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 180	Bio Cube and bio balls What do you guys think of the Bio Balls? Does it really work? Pros? Cons? I heard of people takng the Bio Balls out and filling the chamber with small chuncks of live rock. What would you guys recommend? Lorretto

04/13/2007, 06:04 PM	#4
roader247 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Athens GA Posts: 657	I put a small amount of LR in chamber 2 but I also use it for a refuge and added a light to grow micro algae, my nitrates have stayed at 0. Good Luck Mark __________________ Old Enough too Know Better But Young Enough Too Do It Anyway Mark Current Tank Info: 1 75 gallon fish only marine tank 1 55 fresh water tank and 1 29 gallon fresh tank

04/13/2007, 07:09 PM	#6
roader247 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Athens GA Posts: 657	Bio balls are very good for colonizing bacteria the kind that changes ammonia and nitrite to nitrate. The bacteria that uses nitrate need to grow without access to oxygen, This is why Bio Balls can really cause a problem with nitrates. As far as lighting chamber 2 I went to hardware store and bought a electrical box plastic painted it black measured and scraped the paint off the back in chamber 2 used Velcro on outside of box and tank I found a small under counter light at lowes and put in the box and plugged it in. parts I used Light shining trough bad pic __________________ Old Enough too Know Better But Young Enough Too Do It Anyway Mark Current Tank Info: 1 75 gallon fish only marine tank 1 55 fresh water tank and 1 29 gallon fresh tank

04/13/2007, 07:11 PM	#7
smketyr Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Powers Lake, WI Posts: 506	Loretto, the bio balls are a nitrate factory for a reef. The BioCube is for fresh and saltwater. The back chambers are set up as a wet/dry filter. If you were doing a fish only no live rock then use the bio balss. Without the bio balls you can fill chamber 3 all the way to the top and not have to worry about the fill line. HTH. I run it with live rock in chamber two with a heater. All my water parameters are stable. I am too interested in the fuge set up. I have a small ball of cheato behind the live rock in the tank and would love to put it in the back. However, I don't want to do a lot of mods. Tom __________________ Hippopotmonstrosesquippedaliophobia- The fear of big words. Current Tank Info: Bio Cube 29, 55g reef

04/13/2007, 07:20 PM	#8
roader247 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Athens GA Posts: 657	The mod I did to chamber 2 was really easy, I put my heater in camber 1. Go to loews or Home depot and first find a small light some have used a much bigger light then go find a box to mount it in and get a strait edge razor blade and scrape the paint of. If you don't like it it's only paint in the back of the tank, you can always repaint it. Good Luck Mark __________________ Old Enough too Know Better But Young Enough Too Do It Anyway Mark Current Tank Info: 1 75 gallon fish only marine tank 1 55 fresh water tank and 1 29 gallon fresh tank

04/13/2007, 05:30 PM	#2
scowiii Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Nebraska Posts: 427	Live rock. That is the consensous that I have asked also. I have Bio Balls in there now. Waiting for my shipment from TBS before I change it out.

04/13/2007, 06:01 PM	#3
Lorretto Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 180	would the LR in the chamber instead off the Bio Balls do a better job filtering the water? Why would they then make bio balls? What do they do and how do they affect the tank that is not so desirable?

04/13/2007, 06:53 PM	#5
Lorretto Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 180	what kind of light are you using and how did you connect the light? but why use LR rather than the bio balls?

04/13/2007, 08:24 PM	#9
Lorretto Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 180	How did you set up the refuge in the 2nd chamber? did you put sand? LR? No idea what goes in. Also in the third chamber do you still have the sponge in front of the water pump? I guess it would have to stay so no chunks of rocks get sucked in?

04/15/2007, 11:48 AM	#10
Lorretto Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 180	Roader247, where does the water come up in chamber 2? with a refugium in chamber 2 did you fill chamber 3? water level supposed to come up half way so i'm wondering if you flood the 3 chambers, would the water pump draw too much water in the main tank and cause it to overflow?

04/18/2007, 10:32 AM	#11
roader247 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Athens GA Posts: 657	Lorrette Sorry for not getting back soon I travel and had a 42 hour weekend not including travel time. Anyway yes I have chamber 3 filled the reason for the water line Is to keep the bio balls so they are not completely submerged. I also opened the overflow a small amount between chamber 1 and 2 Good Luck Mark __________________ Old Enough too Know Better But Young Enough Too Do It Anyway Mark Current Tank Info: 1 75 gallon fish only marine tank 1 55 fresh water tank and 1 29 gallon fresh tank