sump review

[afreshoutlook]

Greetings,
I am into my 8th week of a new set-up in a 72gal. bowfront. Currently I have approx. 70-75 lbs.L/R some previoulsly cured, 3 peppermint shrimp, 1 brittle sea star, 1 red sea star, various crabs & snails, 2 percula clowns added in week 5, 1 moorish idol in week 6 and a potters angel week 7. Also colt coral, Kenya tree coral, mushroom rock, various frags zenias etc., all seem to be thriving.
Now for the sump, it's a 20 gal. with bio balls, also a sea clone hang-on in the sump with a Rio 2500 pump, which will be upgraded very soon, a few crabs which came along with the box of L/R in the pump side. All seems to be working well here also,

My question is: I have heard that I should not be using the bio balls any longer. If this is the case, what do I peplace the bio balls with?
As you can see from my descripition of hat is in the tank, I can only see adding a few more fish & possibly a few more soft corals to finish off the tank.
What's next????

Thanks for any assistance
Dwight

[Abbyreefer]

Be careful with your Morish Idol as they can eat all of your corals.. As for the bio balls I would not use them as they are a nitrate factory. Maybe put in some more live rock as that is your best filtration for your tank.

[afreshoutlook]

The MI seems to be ino himself more than the corals, he likes to look into the back of the glass & gives it a tap, like someone is invading his territory have been following the feeding habit which he came from & seems to be doing well.
More rock you say??
Dwight

[Johnny Reefer]

Originally Posted by afreshoutlook

More rock you say??

I'd say about another 45 lbs.
That gives you 1.3 lbs/gal., overall.

Cheers,

[reeferaddict]

I use bioballs and my nitrates are zero.. keeping an eye on it, but so far so good... I'd say a little more rock too, and in my systems I rely on heavy skimming to keep everything tip top...

Whaddya got for lights?

[afreshoutlook]

Sooooooooooooooo, if I am hearing or seeing right I should blow out the bio balls in the sump & just have the rock in thre?? or add the extra rock into the tank??
Nitrate levels all seem fine at this time,

Lights are a corallife 48'"strip with the 96 & 10000 k atinic

Dwight

[Johnny Reefer]

Originally Posted by afreshoutlook

I should blow out the bio balls in the sump & just have the rock in thre?? or add the extra rock into the tank??Dwight

I'd add more rock to the sump and the tank to achieve about 1.3 lbs/gallon. Your gross volume is 72 + 20 = 92 gallons. I use a general rule of 1 to 1.5 lbs LR/gal. Compromise is 1.25 Lbs + just a little bit more. Hence my 1.3 lbs suggestion. You'd be hard pressed to get 45 lbs into the 20g sump so I'd put some in the main tank also.

As for the Bio Balls...I've never used 'em and don't know much about 'em, but I "hear", recently, that they are nitrate factories. So, ya, I'd ditch those in favor of creating room for LR. LR is an excellent nitrifying filter, the more (to a point) the better.

JMHO.

Cheers,

[Tarolisol]

Id ditch the bio balls as well, but when you do do not take them all out ot once take them out slowly a little at a time over a week or two, otherwise your tank will probly crash, the live rock is basicly your filter theres no need for the bio balls.

[Ruth]

I have never used bio balls but have used the ceramic rings in fluval filters before and fought with nitrates all the time. On my current systems there won't be a bio ball to be seen.
Your tank has only been set up for 8 weeks so don't know that you will have much of an issue taking them all out at once but just to be safe I would take out 1/3 a week for 3 weeks and replace with LR rubble.
Depending on what type of live rock you have - want to go with - will determine how much more to add.
As an example I have about 250 lbs of Fiji and 250 lbs. of tonga in my 230g with a 77g. sump/fuge. There might be a bit more in there as I have added some misc. over time.
Don't know if that helps - just what works for me.

[reeferaddict]

The difference between bioballs and live rock is this... BOTH promote growth of nitrifying bacteria on their outer surfaces, while live rock also houses DEnitrifying bacteria deep inside it's porous structure under anaerobic conditions... in my case, the bioballs are in the area of the sump where the water overflows to and through the bioballs, then through prefilter sponges on it's way to the skimmer intake where I would estimate 75% gets skimmed and the remainder passes through a refugium area in the sump with a 5" gravel bed that would host the DEnitrifying bacteria. The skimmer effluent is directed through this area along with the refugium effluent, and back up into the system. I carefully planned the route of my water to have it run this way. It offers me redundancy in case my skimmer shuts down or gets clogged, and like I say... ZERO nitrates. As an extra measure, I run a Phosban reactor in the last water compartment just before the water is returned to the tank...

I must say it IS cramped... and it IS complicated... but that's just MY way... do whatever works best for you and your system.