Bio pellet opinions

[jaylensdad06]

I am stocking up to put a biopellet reactor on my aggressive tank...just curious if there r any opinions on which pellets r better then the rest? I am goin to start super slow cuz curious if there is a difference in the pellets between brands.

 

[robthorn]

I would absolutely not use them. Sorry I am sure you are already invested in this method but if you are not adjusting the number of pellets at minimum once a week there is no way to control a dose here. With other carbon sources you can add a drop today and a ml tomorrow. As pellets break down you add less because the volume/surface changes almost daily. You refill and it goes way up. If you add 1 ml vodka today and tomorow and for weeks on end you have added 1 ml a day. Something very measurable. Who knows what happens with pellets. Many are successful with pellets. They just don't make sense to me. Good luck.

 

[DamonG]

I like and have used the dynamics pellets for a long time.. I have used, well tried to use a few brands over the years and always went back to the rd..

From note 5.. rip note 7

 

[Specfishin]

Fwiw. I've been using biogen by aquavitro. I had some nitrates I couldnt keep under 10ppm. I religously did water changes as well weekly. Lightened feedings and had some macros in refug. Now about 6 months later I can' t get a trace of nitrates and I feed heavier. I have some coloration problems which seem to be related to my lighting and/or. Reef fuel feedings. I'm ready to yank the pellets as my chaeto grows beastly. I really think they worked for me but, had I changed my refug bulb months back, i may never had needed to run them. I'm pulling the reactor today since the batch has dwindled and chaeto is doing its job very well. Phosphates are 0 too. I'd say avoid them but if I didnt have room for macros , i'd give em a run. Good luck.

 

[jaylensdad06]

I'm not running much coral...some zoas n shrooms as its a pred tank....my nitrates arent sky high but my phos r thru the roof....even running rowaphos...I hear biopellets in a pred tank would be ideal.

 

[janes_mw]

I'm not running much coral...some zoas n shrooms as its a pred tank....my nitrates arent sky high but my phos r thru the roof....even running rowaphos...I hear biopellets in a pred tank would be ideal.

as you approach an ULNS tank, Zoas and Mushrooms may suffer a little. They tend to like a little bit of nutrients. I run Zeovite which is a "goal" of ULNS system. I have actually backed off a 0/0/0/0 tank and struck a balance on nitrates and phosphates (still low, but not zero). My Zoas are much happier now.

Do you have algae issues at present with the phosphate numbers your measuring?

 

[jaylensdad06]

Yes...I'm being run by gha....and cyano...I got the cyano beat by upping the flow....but cant get the gha under control. I'm doing water changes..burning thru rowaphos. My wife won't let me change the light schedule as its her tank and she loves her puffers. The tank is about 7 months old....I'm close to starting over but don't want to do that...cuz I have no where to put the puffers n ghost eel and trigger.....I know there r alot of diff opinions on biopellets. But I heard if don't right can be a good way to keep nutrients down

 

[DamonG]

Yes...I'm being run by gha....and cyano...I got the cyano beat by upping the flow....but cant get the gha under control. I'm doing water changes..burning thru rowaphos. My wife won't let me change the light schedule as its her tank and she loves her puffers. The tank is about 7 months old....I'm close to starting over but don't want to do that...cuz I have no where to put the puffers n ghost eel and trigger.....I know there r alot of diff opinions on biopellets. But I heard if don't right can be a good way to keep nutrients down

Hmmnnn.. Pellets, in your case may not be the answer.. And I know what your saying.. If your nitrate is low already, but your phosphorus is high, you would be better served utilizing a more aggressive gfo/phosphate attack..

I have always fought phosphates, but a few years ago, I got a little formula that has worked well.. I still use gfo, but the brs high capacity.. I also use phosguard(well, mostly at the beginning of a system), because her what the combo does:

The phosguard is cheap compared to gfo, and it exhausts a lot faster.. But.. For my systems, it works well to knock down the phosphate, and then,I use the gfo to maintain it.. I also utilize macro algea(refugium massively lit) and now an algea scrubber.. The cheato in the fuge honestly will pull like crazy once it gets going.. But it takes a little bit when starting up.. But pellets may be a bit complex for your problem..

From note 5.. rip note 7

 

[robthorn]

If nitrate is truly low enough to be undectable then you dose nitrate so the prefered carbon source can work.

 

[trueperc]

What nitrate do you dose? As I just fired up my reactor and it looks like I have an issue with nitrates zero but if I don't use gfo, I have a phos issue? Is there a certain product or just feed more.

 

[robthorn]

Potassium Nitrate is what I want to say I have at home. If you have growing corals you probably use some anyway. There are other powder forms available on Amazon for under $10.