[charlieborg]

Can I take the bio balls out of my wet/dry filter and replace them with live rock and live sand? :idea:

 

[akula]

many people have extra rock in thier sump

 

[charlieborg]

Do live rock need light? Do they have to be submursed in water all the way, or will the trickle of water from my wet/dry be ok?

 

[akula]

well heres the deal in a nut shell. live rock is used becuase it has pores in it. that gives a large surface area for bacteria to grow on. the usual item in a wet dry is a bio ball, which is just a plastic shape that again provides a large amount of surface area for bacteria to grow on. the bacteria do not need light, they feed themselves on the compounds that they work on and break down. generally any rock you put in the sump is "low quality" rock becuase it will be in the dark. sponges can still grow in a dark sump, pods will live in there, starfish and other goodies like worms. so replacing the bioballs with rock is no problem. the trickle plate is a different matter. you will probably find that most people have moved away from trickle plates and just use the sump itself as just a tank to put stuff in. generally if you leave the trickle plate in its ok. obviously as you aquire your rock, any rock that has something on it (coral or other stuff) put that in the main tank and any that is left over "base rock" (baron of usefull stuff) through it in the sump for the extra biological filter aspect.

 

[Loverotties]

I'd skip the LS tho!

 

[Ms. K]

I agree that you don't want to use live sand, but I also replaced the bioballs in my sump with live rock rubble.

 

[thekid55]

i put lava rock in mine works very well. got the idea from petland duluth. but i am soon going to turn a 40 gal to a refuge/sump. when you put rock in the wet/dry look at it every now and then you will see the coolest things. i found a starfish in mine.

 

[Kullas]

what would be the differance in taking the bio-balls out and replacing with live rock and just leaving the bio-balls in. both are used for bio filtration?

 

[thekid55]

what would be the differance in taking the bio-balls out and replacing with live rock and just leaving the bio-balls in. both are used for bio filtration?

yes both are bio filtration but the bio balls do not break down nitrate as well as live rock and the bio balls also build up bad bacteria with the good. live rock will also spawn pods in the sump. that will not get eaten by the fish which will allow more to grow and you -could switch out the rock for a treat for the fish. also micro algea will do good with the rock in th sump. its a better more natrual enviroment.

 

[Kullas]

in doing that would i fill up the sump a little more or just keep the trickle?

 

[thekid55]

keep the trickle and fill where the bio balls used up to. try to use rocks with alot of holes. and pores, like lava rock but will need to soak it outside of the tank for a week if you use anything else than live rock.

 

[partobe]

I just joined reef tank a few days ago up until then I could find no way to lower my nitrates other than large water changes and even then couldnt get it any lower than 40ppm. Right now I have bio balls in my wet dry but after chatting with the many good folk here at THRT Ive decided to slowly take out the bio balls and replace them with live rock. Ive decided to leave the trickel part on but I will higher the level of the water in my sump and make sure what rock I put in is fully covered. I really think its the right way to go. Let me know what you decide
Patrick

 

[thekid55]

pics