bio balls in my reef nano

[YumSaltWater]

okay so i just read that bio balls will jack up your nitrates in a reef nano.
which is exactly the case im having trouble with my trates as we speak.
now my nano came with the blue sponge filter, the bio balls, and this mesh bag of circular white donut things (no idea what they are).
what should i do?
just lose the bio balls?
replace them with something else?
help me please!

 

[YumSaltWater]

In addition i use live rock.
I have 30 or so pounds in my 24 gallon...

 

[Snelly40]

lose the balls and the rings completely

 

[panmanmatt]

I'd replace the bio balls and the rings with some LR rubble.

If you want to remove them completely, do it a little at a time so as not to upset the balance of your biofilter.

 

[YumSaltWater]

like i said i have a ton of rock 30+ lbs and sand, do you think removing the rings/balls will have a good effect on my nitrate? its driving me crazy

 

[JFK_Jr]

The answer to excessive nitrification is castration... get rid of your balls!

If you decide to keep your balls, you must keep them clean and avoid build-up of detritus on them in order to avoid excessive nitrates.

 

[lcstorc]

Remove them yes but do it slowly over several water changes. You need to give your LR a chance to pick up the extra bio load.

 

[justsunnie]

Do you clean your sponges?

I have a similar setup; sponges, ceramic rings, bioballs + purigen pack. I take the sponges out regularly and rinse them.

I've had my nano up for a year, and no problems with trates so far.