How To Clean Bio Balls in a Freshwater Aquarium?
Keeping freshwater fish can be a fascinating hobby, but it is important to have the right filtration in place before you purchase your first fish. Since an aquarium is a closed environment, you will need a way to remove fish waste, uneaten food and other potential contaminants from the water. One of the most innovative ways to provide the biological filtration freshwater tanks needs is to use a filter that incorporates Bio Balls into its design. These specially designed Bio Balls have a large surface, and beneficial bacteria that break down food and fish waste colonize on the balls' surfaces.
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Instructions
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Determine whether you need to clean the Bio Balls. In most cases, hobbyists will not want to clean their Bio Balls, since doing so could kill the beneficial bacteria that provide the biological filtration. If you are moving your Bio Balls from a saltwater tank to a freshwater one, you may need to remove the excess salt. Otherwise, they should be left alone.
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Remove the filter from your tank and carefully dump the Bio Balls into a large bowl. Add enough cool water to the bowl so that the Bio Balls are covered. Never use hot water, since this could kill off the beneficial bacteria living on the surfaces of the Bio Balls.
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Shake the bowl lightly to dislodge any dirt or debris, then immediately place the Bio Balls back into the filter. Place the filter back into the tank.
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Monitor the ammonia and nitrate levels in the tank for at least a week after the Bio Balls have been cleaned. If any of the beneficial bacteria were harmed during the cleaning, you may see a spike in these contaminants. If you do see ammonia and nitrate levels rise, there are products you can buy to lower them, but the best long-term solution is allowing those beneficial bacteria to recolonize and provide the biological filtration your tank needs to stay healthy.
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References
- Photo Credit aquarium fish 9 image by cherie from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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jeffjozwiak
May 22, 2010
i just purchased a 29gal. fish tank..it was a salt water tank but i cleaned it out, put new pebbles in (washed before putting in tank)..i put fresh water in tank and let it get to room temp. a few hours later before i put my 6 goldfish in the tank...they were fed normal amount..i was home for an hour, they seemed fine,when i returned a few hours later all 6 fish were dead...i dont know why..is it the bio balls that were left over from the salt water tank? any reasons why? what should i do next?
