Bio Balls?

[ScorpiosWife]

I'm actually glad you mentioned that. My hubby was thinking of getting a roll of that filter screen material (blueo n one side, white on the other) and putting a few layers of that in there. Would that work just as well or better than the balls? Or could I layer them with the balls?

========
OOOOOOOO
========
OOOOOOOO
========

You get the point... LOL

[SunnyHouTX]

Funny you should bring it up. I used to put floss/fiver pads on the drip tray on ask my wet/drys. I noticed that the floss would keep the water from going all the way to the edges of the drip tray so the bio balls on the outside were running dry. To fix that, I put some egg crate in top of the bio balls and put 3 - 4 layers of floss on top of that then put the drip tray on top of everything. I think the blue/white pad is better for catching finer particles.

[Totenkampf]

the blue / white bonded filter padding would work but it is floppy so might be a PITA when its time for maintenance, i dont use wet/dry so i'm cannot say for sure. the only reason to layer them with the bioballs would be to keep the flowrate up and prevent channelling, kinda the same way you stuff eheim classics with alternating floss and efimech. again, it might be a mess. the poret foam is rigid and has a pretty high flow rate. i think you could stack it right on top of itself. i am ordering from swiss tropicals tomorrow or you could also find some loose pads locally. i dont know what size you would need, but i bought some 18" x 18" (?) large foam pieces from city pets or you could use the foam pads from rena filstar filters. maybe a wet/dry person will chime in if they have tried this but i cant think of why it wouldnt work well.

[SunnyHouTX]

It's a neat idea Jeff, but sounds like a PITA to execute, especially when dealing with large wet/drys. My biggest holds 17 - 18 gallons of bio balls and it would not be a quick easy job layering bio balls and floss, and then redoing everything come maintenance time.

With the egg crate on top, I just roll up the used floss without any bio balls getting snagged on the floss and put it in a bucket to throw away afterwards. Very easy.

[Totenkampf]

hmm. i do like your idea with the tray sunny. the problem is still bio balls but maybe they work okay in large systems. i know some people use them in large pond filters. i tried them in smaller DIY filters and was able to get higher fish loading with better water parameters once i started on higher surface area media, but i defer to your experience with these things versus my braining on how things 'should' work.

[SunnyHouTX]

I think you're right in saying that they perform better in larger applications, any not in smaller, low flow/volume filters. I've had no problems with bio balls in my wet/drys, considering how much livestock I have in my tanks.

[eklikewhoa]

I would like to chime in that I have always ran a canister filter alongside the wet/dry.

The main purpose for the wet/dry in my applications is to oxygenate the water, anything else is a plus.

[ScorpiosWife]

Thank you all for ALL of your input. Hubby has access to the blue & white material & he can cut it to fit, so I think I'll try it out along with the egg crate. Sunny, when I cleaned all of the bio balls before we set it up I had 2 Homer buckets full and there was room for more, so there should be enough room for more filter media.

EK, I thought about doing that as well. The fish in there are MESSY. The water parameters are great, but the water remains cloudy. I figured more filter media or more filters, I need something to clear the water up.

Toten, I'm gonna try it out and I'll let ya know!

Gonna post a video in a minute so yall can see.

[ScorpiosWife]

Just as soon as I figure out how to upload a video from my Photobucket account. DOH! Not having much luck. May just upload it to YouTube instead.

[eklikewhoa]

add some more filter floss or bonded padding to help clear the water.

I like to use my wet/dry for the mechanical filtration as it's easier to maintain, leave the canisters for the bio.

[SunnyHouTX]

What gph pump are you using as your return?

[ScorpiosWife]

TBH Sunny, I'm not really sure. Whatever came with it. I'll have to grab the flashlight and check it. EK, I'm gonna get some this week.

[ScorpiosWife]

OK, its an Iwaki Magnet Pump. Model MD-40RXT-115NL From the little research I just did, I don't think it's NEAR big enough.

[SunnyHouTX]

That's plenty of return flow actually.

Cool. Yeah, pack the space between the drip tray and bio balls with floss. Not too tight as to stifle flow as the floss gets full of detritus.

Also, a wet/dry takes a little longer than you'd expect to get fully colonized with good bacteria, at least a couple or few weeks so the cloudiness might linger if it's a bacteria bloom till the bio balls mature.

[ScorpiosWife]

Okie dokie. Hubby says he'll bring home the fluffy stuff so I can have my way with the balls. Thanks again. I'm determined to clear this dang water, messy fish or not.

Gonna go watch my community tank for a minute. Had to move a quarter sized angel into it earlier & he's got me worried. The juvie angels I got from Troy this weekend obliterated a juvie albino pleco this morning and the lone newcomer angel I picked up from another boxer was in a corner all by himself. He looked traumatized by what he had seen but didn't appear physically hurt. However, he didn't eat all day, either. Hubby has now named his angel tank Hell's Angels.