Bio-Spheres...Bio-Balls

[Torpedo]

At my LFS they are advertising these bio-shperes...little plastic balls. They are selling for $1 each. Of course I get conflicting answers from the people that work there. Any opinions/suggestions as to what these things are and when you need to use them. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[lizwinz]

i think you can put them almost anywhere that has a current...they do provide alot of surface area for bacteria to grow

ive heard of people floating them in top of the tank and putting them in canister filters

$1 each is pretty steep tho...at big als you can get approx 300 for 26.99

factoring in shipping costs thats about 11 cents per ball

--liz

 

[Torpedo]

I kind of figured it was to increase surface area for bacteria growth, but when do you know if you need them...I have a 37g tank with and Eclipse3 filter (has a bio-wheel on it). The tank has 2 parrots (1 is 5" the other 3"), 2 half dollar size angels, a 5" irrodescent shark which will be finding a new home fairly soon, and a small red gourami.

 

[mann]

At $1 per ball you don't need them. If you've got empty space in your filter, though, I'd get some online (bigalsonline.com or similar).

 

[Raydee]

Man $1 per ball, it would cost me $100 to fill my wet/dry up! I have seen lots of bioballs on ebay for much less coin.

 

[lil_mikey69]

Maybe they were already in established tanks? Ive seen similar things were the LFS will sell already seeded bio balls in order to help out with cyclying. Although I saw them for 5o cents apiece, not $1.

 

[Torpedo]

BUT...when do you use these things. I see them floating around the tanks at the LFS...is it a sales technique for them or are they necessary.

 

[Phroge]

Yes... it is both a sales gimmick and a needed device in the tanks of the LFS.

They put them in the tank so that customers can see what they are, and how they can be used. More often, they are used 'behind the scenes' stuffed into sumps or filters with enough space to put them. They are needed in the tanks at the LFS due to the varying amounts of fish that each tank has at any one time. One day a tank has 25 neons, a customer comes in and buys a school of 12, the next day a new shipment comes in and the tank has a population of 40. The bio balls help by maintaining the population of the bio mass so that the tank doesn't cycle every time the population in the tank changes.

At least that's the theory.

-Phroge