how to use bio balls, can i just set a few at the fish tank, or does the

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Dylan C

New member
water HAVE to be flowing throgh it? i have read that bacteria will grow in these very well, and i can get 20 for 5 bucks on ebay, but i only have a filter that hangs on the side, so i was wondering if they would work if i placed on in the bottom, i have a 10 gallon fish tank, and if i need more than one, and if i can put them in the gravel to hide them, please answer all of those questions, if you can, thanks
thank guys Ghapy and Black Kat, those were really good answers, thanks,
 
Yes, the water has to flow over the bioballs for them to work the way they're supposed to.

The bioballs are just a surface area for growing more bacteria that take the ammonia and nitrite out of the water and change it to nitrate. The water flow brings in more water with ammonia and nitrite TO the bacteria, flushes the wastes away, and provides the bacteria with oxygen [they're aerobic, so they need oxygen to survive!!].

Depending on what kind of bioballs you're looking at, they may float and will tumble around in the current from your filter. This would be just about the same as keeping them IN the filter. And the advantage of them floating is that they help cut down the evaporation from the tank. But even if they sink, as long as there's water moving around them, they'll still work.

Another option besides bioballs would be to get a foam filter [the kind of filter media used in AquaClear filters] and cut it to fit inside your present filter. The foam gives the bacteria more room to grow and the water will flow through it too. So a foam filter works just the same as bioballs, but it also helps trap particles in the water like a filter. Depending on the size of your tank, you might be able to buy a 3-pack of AquaClear foam filters of these for around $5-$6.
 
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