Best BioPellet

Vodka(alcohol) reduces directly to acetate. So does vinegar but there is an extra chemical reaction
I've read of more problems with cyano etc with vinegar then with vodka. Tom and a lot of other reefers use a combination of both

FWIW, when I switched from vodka to viengar I had actually seen more the other way around, with vodka alone causing more cyano. :)
 
Any type of organic can be consumed by cyanobacteria. Some species may thrive better on some organics than others.

In my case, and those of some others I read, they probably had a species that thrived more on ethanol than acetate. Swapping to acetate seemed to help. The reverse may be true in some cases.
 
Ha, perhaps that would be a way to combat it... Dose acetate one week and then ethanol the next, achieving a low level of each type meanwhile they combat each other?
 
IMO, switching vodka to vinegar or vice versa if you get a cyano problem is a good idea, but I wouldn't just keep switching as I think that will probably end up being about the same as dosing a mixture. :)

FWIW, many people dose a mixture, but I do not think that very many of these people have actually compared the mixture to dosing one type only (although some have). They either heard that is what some people recommend, or they convince themselves that two different organics should theoretically be better. :)
 
Do you guys ever use Chemiclean for cyano?
I had some brown /greenish slime that I think was green cyano when setting up my biopellet reactor.
Someone mentioned chemiclean and it worked as advertised. No ill effects at all with a lot of different SPS. Reviews are very positive.
I read some people use a small amount for regular maintenance routine.
It was recommended to me by the guy that makes the aqualund biopellet reactors.
 
Thought about chemiclean myself, but after switching to ecobak plus (multiple carbon sources) it's pretty much disappeared. Can I attribute this to the pellets? Idk.. I also got a recirculating reactor at the switch of the pellets and have effluent control now. I also went the extra step to rig my setup like this:
skimmer output to bp reactor input, bp reactor output to skimmer input (so it's like a double recirculating setup; if any bacteria escape, at least some will make it back into the reactor)

Overall, don't see much cyano anymore except for a day after a water change..
 
Imo, chemi clean is a great product that works as advertised.
It's great for taking care of a problem when you know you have your nutrient problems under control but have cyano that is just hanging on for dear life.
I wouldn't use it if I had persistent nutrient issues, though.
You have to get to the bottom of what is causing the cyano, deal with the problems and then use the chemi clean to clear things up.
Imo, using it as a regular maintenance tool is not a good idea or not a great method for keeping the tank 'clean'
 
Imo, chemi clean is a great product that works as advertised.
It's great for taking care of a problem when you know you have your nutrient problems under control but have cyano that is just hanging on for dear life.
I wouldn't use it if I had persistent nutrient issues, though.
You have to get to the bottom of what is causing the cyano, deal with the problems and then use the chemi clean to clear things up.
Imo, using it as a regular maintenance tool is not a good idea or not a great method for keeping the tank 'clean'

I agree with you . We need to encourage the growth of useful bacteria in our tanks. Chemiclean is not selective as to the bacteria it kills
 
Vodka(alcohol) reduces directly to acetate. So does vinegar but there is an extra chemical reaction
I've read of more problems with cyano etc with vinegar then with vodka. Tom and a lot of other reefers use a combination of both

I've also noticed less cyano with vinegar over vodka, in fact none :)

As well sponges and feather dusters seemed to really take off with the vinegar:)

My sumps refugium is covered wall to wall yellow sponges.....like every inch lol
And about a thousand dusters lol
 
I agree with you . We need to encourage the growth of useful bacteria in our tanks. Chemiclean is not selective as to the bacteria it kills
I don't really know how it works but it does work.
Somehow it doesn't kill your live rock bacteria and in my case the biopellet reactor continued to do it's job.
If you read the reviews over at MD you'll have to look pretty hard to find a negative comment.
 
I don't really know how it works but it does work.
Somehow it doesn't kill your live rock bacteria and in my case the biopellet reactor continued to do it's job.
If you read the reviews over at MD you'll have to look pretty hard to find a negative comment.

I used that in the past along with ethromyacin. I've put a lot into natural filtration through propagation of bacteria so wouldn't touch it anymore
 
I've been using the all in one pellet for a few months and have come to the conclusion that they work very well at reducing nutrients. Perhaps too well.
After a few months of use, my nutrients dropped to zero. So low, I have more than doubled my feeding just to keep the soft corals in my tank happy. They are very effective at reducing nutrients, and it seems that you need to be careful not to strip the water of all the useful stuff as well.
Add sparingly.

Daniel. :wildone:
 
I've been using the all in one pellet for a few months and have come to the conclusion that they work very well at reducing nutrients. Perhaps too well.
After a few months of use, my nutrients dropped to zero. So low, I have more than doubled my feeding just to keep the soft corals in my tank happy. They are very effective at reducing nutrients, and it seems that you need to be careful not to strip the water of all the useful stuff as well.
Add sparingly.

Daniel. :wildone:

The caveat of carbon dosing is you can provide a more richer environment for corals and you can add more fish.
I try to keep phosphates at .02 and nitrates at 2 or 3. This way everyone is happy
 
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