Bio Balls

[sacramonel]

I have had my 75 set up now for over a year and a half, so I believe it to be a mature tank. My filtration consists of 80lbs of live rock, a refugium, 2 hang on back skimmers (Aqua C Remora and Superskimmer) a refugium and bio balls. From some posts that I have read it is said that the bio balls will create too many nitrates. In my experience this has not been the case as all my parameters are at 0. My question is A. If this bio balls create such much nitrate why hasn't that been an issue for me. B. Am I not showing a nitrate issue because my tank is not "old enough"? C. Or is the aggressive skimming, and refugium the reason that the nitrates are low?

 

[andywg]

The bio balls=nitrates legend is steeped in misinformation. Such media can become a nitrate factory if you never clean it out and allow a large amount of detritus to break down on the bio balls.

The nitrates will only ever be created at the same rate that ammonia enters the water. It is probably the case in your situation that you have plenty of other filtration to deal with nitrates and as such much of your filtration is somewhat redundant.

 

[SkiFletch]

What he said, especially about the redundancy