# Floating Bioballs



## bywilli (Oct 26, 2006)

Is it ok to float bioballs? I want to float bio balls on the surface of my sump and have a powerhead that keeps them in constant motion. Will the biomedia be effective still? Also since I have about 400pds of lace rock in a 220 will I really need biological filteration in my sump?


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

I guess it would depend on rotation of the balls..if they all stayed, one side down, you lose half your available surface.
I have a picture in my head..bioballs on skewers being rotated like rotisarie chickens  
Good question on the rock..prov356, what do you think???


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> Will the biomedia be effective still?


If you can keep them rolling around, yes, they'd be very effective. Pretty unorthodox, but I like how you 
think outside the box. Maybe you're onto something new.



> Also since I have about 400pds of lace rock in a 220 will I really need biological filteration in my sump?


Reef keepers do this, but they also use large skimmers to remove organics and typically keep the fish 
load down, focusing on corals. I think I'd give it a qualified yes. Certain conditions would have to be 
met.

--Strong circulation in and around those rocks.

--Moderate fish load, at best.

--Aggressive water change schedule while vacuuming out any organics lying in the tank or sump.

--Frequent cleaning of any prefilter pad(s)

Even though it sounds risky, I think it's because we're so used to thinking that we need media in 
filters in order to filter. If you took some of those rocks and lined the bottom of the sump with them, 
then we feel ok with the setup, but what's the difference? Potentially flow. That's why I think it's 
important to have that in and around your rocks wherever they reside, sump or tank. Just kind of 
talking out loud.

I know fmueller has a tank that relies somewhat on biofiltration coming from more than just the filters 
and it works great.

So, in my gut, I know it can work. I've just not attempted this yet. If you have a good understanding of 
what's involved and monitor things closely, I think you can pull it off. If you go for it, please journal it 
here so we can all learn from your experience.


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## bywilli (Oct 26, 2006)

So would a skimmer in this system be of any use? I have a spare one sitting around from my days of doing the reef thing. I know that freshwater doesnt have the organics and proteins in it as a reef tank will, but will this help process any waste that might be missed.

Also with the idea of floating the balls, my plans are to put powerfull powerheads in the sump and to put a big homemade airwand to create a 360 degree current going north south and east/ west.

As far as the current going over the rocks in the tank...right now its pretty suffucient. I have 6 returns from my sump at different levels of the tank so their is always a high pressure of water hitting the rocks. The tank I am using was a reef tank in the past and is plumbed as such. My sump is pretty much a 60g with a 2 trash can w/ bioballs in them over the top with water flowin over them. By putting the bioballs in the tank I could then potentially make the sump more usable and less cramped in there.

Currently the water is filtered mechanically before it returns to the tank. I have a homemade filter boxes around a outdoor pond pump. It filters great but all waste is left in the sump, which I have to completely clean every 2 weeks doing water changes. I would like to devise a way to filter mechanically before it enters the sump with micron filters on a constant rotatation, which will make clean up up a matter of throwing the filters in the washing machine.

I would love to keep a journal of this process but I am really bad at writing things out. What i will do is keep you guys informed if I have any crashes or mysterious deaths.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> I know that freshwater doesnt have the organics and proteins in it as a reef tank will, but will this help process any waste that might be missed.


Sure they do, maybe more. I think the problem with the skimmers in fresh water relates to bubble size. 
The organics are carried up on the surface of bubbles and deposited when they break. Larger, fewer 
bubbles means less efficient. No harm in hooking it up though to see how it works. I would.

Sounds like you've got a pretty good system and a good handle on it. Yes, keep us posted.


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