Big T Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 I have a sump that was originally setup for a marine tank. I've converted it to FW and have the sump setup with Filter sock->bio balls->crushed coral->return. I feel the first chamber is being underutilised but not sure what else to do with it if anything. The tank is 4x2x2 and will be used to grow out geophagus and fronts so there will be heavy feedings and high bioload. Let me know what you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Link2Hell Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 wrong application for bio balls they will still attract bacteria but not as well as if they were used wet/dry in a tower above water level for submerged media use one of the forms like Seachem Matrix, Marine shere/block, clay balls or K1 in motion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big T Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 I was looking at marine pure balls/spheres might be better than bio balls for the second chamber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benno Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Ceramic noodles or Seachem matrix all they way mate. Don't even bother with bio balls in a fw set up unless they used as l2h suggested. Listen to old linky he knows his stuff. Been following his post since I was 15 in the old Sydney cichlid page days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducksta Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Agree with whats been said. But reality is the bioballs aren't hurting anything sitting in there and you were asking about a whole chamber ready and waiting for more media. If you fill a chamber with matrix, clay or whatever, there is no harm keeping the bioballs in there anyway. If you wanted to drop the cash to fill 2 chambers with a better media, then definitely lose the bioballs. Bigger concern for me... What Geo's are you planning on raising in with all that coral (and fronts)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big T Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 Planning to put red horse face or rio branco but to be honest I'm not quite sure which exact geophagus species i received as they are juvies. Was advertised as red horse face though. Fronts will be grown up to go into a monster display tank with geos in about 11 months. I understand the different species prefer different water conditions but I'm hoping to meet somewhere in the middle to keep all species happy. I do have some matrix left over from SW days so I will prob throw that in instead of bio balls. As for that first chamber... More matrix??? i have no idea hence i come to ask the fish gods for guidance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Link2Hell Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Sorry Big T but my biggest pet hate is the trade name Horseface for Geo's with G. leucosticta it's not that much of a problem calling them Green Horseface but with calling the Surinamensoids Red Horseface it creates a huge problem with the number of species that we have or should I say have left, it's not that hard to just use a species name for them and the problem runs from wholesalers to LFS to newbies or hobbyists that haven't realised what problems trade names used on multiple species causes regarding Geos and Frontosa in the same water parameters it's your choice and the magic figure would be approx. 7.4 pH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intern1 Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 I would put some marine pure where the rather than bio balls, as chris said they are best in a wet dry system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big T Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Thanks for the sound advice Mr L. Hell, it has been noted and taken on board. Looks like marine pure it is for the second chamber. I'll leave the first chamber as is with the filter sock and the plants i put in there because i was bored and wanted to see if a freshwater refugium style sump would have any effect on the water parameters. In theory it should help with nitrates and amonia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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