Aquarium plastic bio ball held between fingers
Now, you may have been warned that bio balls are no good for your aquarium because they can become a nitrite factory.
Dead leaves, poop, uneaten fish food and other waste can become trapped in the bio balls` patterned structure.
When this happens, the waste can break down and lead to a spike in nitrate levels.[1]
And, this is true-
If you are using them incorrectly!
Bio balls should be used for biological filtration only.
You see, bio balls are designed to house bacteria, not to trap and remove waste from the water column.
That is the job of mechanical filtration, such as sponge pads, foam blocks or filter floss.
A mechanical filter should be in place before the bio balls in your filter system to catch any waste before it reaches your bio balls.
With the pre-filter in place, bio balls become an ammonia and nitrite-fighting super team – just don`t forget to clean your mechanical filter every now and then!
