bio balls produce Nitrates??

[Mugen]

i have recently purchased a wet dry filter and a heard a myth of a wet dry filter's bio balls producing Nitrates is this myth really true?

[zero186]

hmm i thought it was the other way around

[tims]

well,
sorta but not really.....
to make a long story really short.

( BTW if you look in the archive section under the bi weekly disscussions we had a really good one on this)

in a reef tank you main filers will be your Live rock and skimmer.
the bio balls in a wet dry / trickle filter system do not allow for the Denitrofication process to happen. it has to do with the amount of O2 ( air) to the bio balls. also the amount of space on the Bio balls is limited.

some members do use them and some have a routine of removing them and doing a major cleaning of them monthly. since your Live rock is already doing what they are sorta trying to do, there is no need to use them.
in the begining you may not have any problems with your tank or parameters, but as time goes on, things will start to be just not right...