To Wet/dry or not to wet/dry, that is the question

[msmith619]

I have wet/dry because it came with my 75 gallon reef-ready tank. After reading a lot on these posts if I were to choose, I would have bought a refugium but cost was an issue. Never-the-less, I have zero amonia, nitrites and nitrates in my tank. It is designed to have the bio-balls all out of the water, I keep it half full of water and so half are submerged. On the return side, I put some rock rubble and a layer of sand- no lights or plants though. It is working for me.....so far.
It appears this might not work long term as they may eventually build up nitrates. I see some posts about removing and rinsing with fresh water periodically to clean them but that looks detrimental by killing the good bacteria with fresh water. I do a 15% water change every week. Would the bio-balls work long-term, i.e. no nitrate build-up if once a month (or every 3rd month?) I removed them and scrubbed them in the bucket of old water before dumping it?
By the way, I have a large amount of Caulerpa growing in my tank both for looks and for the benefit of macro algie and to feed the tangs and angels. I suspect that probably is my best bet for keeping nitrates down.
I also would appreciate more info as I am keeping corals and if bio-balls are bad, I will upgrade to a better system when the cash flow allows.
Mike

[Texreefer]

as long as you maintain that system I do not see why it would not work long term.. If that macro in the main tank is growing alot then thats probably why your are not reading nitrates in your tank, the macro consumes it as it is being produced, thus the lush growth of macro in the tank. just keep it pruned as a way of removing nitrates otherwise it can easily take over a display

[reddrum]

If your doing 15% every week that should keep you in pretty good shape. There are not many people I know with "larger tanks" that do 15% EVERY week. That is probably doing more for you than your macro.

[sharkboy]

if you are able to continue doing routine maintenance with bio balls it should be fine...i think that you can run into problems with them if you don't keep up

[wesheltonj]

I have been using bioball for 3 years and they were used with my tank for a year before I bought it. I have not found them to be the NO3 factory that everyone claims. At one time my NO3 was at 20, most of the time its now about .25 to .5 using Salifert test kit. I as told its the bio-balls, too much live rock, too little live rock, live rock leaching NO3, use live rock rubble, etc. How did I go from 20 to next to nothing. I went from a 25% water change every month to a 10% water change every week. Other benefits, supplements I have them just in case, but have used Mg only once. However, I do mid-week supplement Iodide