BioPellet V.S. Vodka dosing

[Tajjo]

Ive been hearing and seeing a lot of and about biopellet's and like type products. Along with how they replace vodka dosing.

How are your experiences with these biopellets and like products, in your opinion vs. vodka?

Pros, cons, whatever you got.

 

[headless]

Ive been hearing and seeing a lot of and about biopellet's and like type products. Along with how they replace vodka dosing.

How are your experiences with these biopellets and like products, in your opinion vs. vodka?

Pros, cons, whatever you got.

vodka, vodka, vodka...there is no discussion on this...I tried everything...only vodka canned my nitrites/nitrates and phosphates. My tank came back to life. I dose a bit each day but I still have the bottle from about 6 months ago...a very cheap and effective way to make sure your tank is happy!

I cannot believe how well it works...

Just make sure you have a skimmer to take out the nitrates...

Forget anything else, honest...don't waste your money on other gizmos and gadgets for phosphates and nitrates...get the vodka chart and go...you'll see the results...they're amazing!

 

[Tajjo]

thanks for the reply! Mind posting up the link to the vodka chart?

 

[headless]

thanks for the reply! Mind posting up the link to the vodka chart?

Crud...I have no idea where it is now...I think I printed it out when I was originally doing it...lemme see if I can find it and perhaps scan it for you...check online (google) as well...it's out there...

 

[Tajjo]

I'll deffinately do a search.

 

[tankdude]

Wow, only one response to your question. I would think you would wait and see what other people say about Bio-pellets.

 

[SunnyX]

chart link http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php

Sonny

 

[mark54321]

vodka works,I did it,but you have to dose everyday,also with vodka dosing a lot of people reports having problems with cyanobacteria. I had this problem too after six mos. of dosing.I did try bio pellets and they are working great for me.No more to remember to dose everyday.My phosphate and nitrate are undetectable ,I am able to feed my fish a lot now,corals look and grow great.It is 7 months now,no algae,no cyano.You have to have good skimmer to export bacteria from system,no matter what you use, vodka or pellets .

 

[Tajjo]

I plan on taking a good amount of info before making a decision for myself.

Thanks Sonny!

Mark54321- did you use bio-pellets or another brand? Also do you use a phosban reactor? Do you controll the effluent rate depending on how the media is tumbeling? Oh how do you controll the effluent rate?

 

[headless]

vodka works,I did it,but you have to dose everyday,also with vodka dosing a lot of people reports having problems with cyanobacteria. I had this problem too after six mos. of dosing.I did try bio pellets and they are working great for me.No more to remember to dose everyday.My phosphate and nitrate are undetectable ,I am able to feed my fish a lot now,corals look and grow great.It is 7 months now,no algae,no cyano.You have to have good skimmer to export bacteria from system,no matter what you use, vodka or pellets .

Mark, correct me if I'm wrong, but the skimmer rids the tank of nitrates/nitrites and proteins...

Vodka increases the bacteria, which readily use the nitrates and phosphates...the bacterial byproducts are then filtered out by your skimmer...

With vodka dosing, you have less cyanobacteria, as it feeds on nitrates...you also eliminate phosphates, which should at least in part help with aiptasia...

Vodka is easy and cheap...if you feed your fish everyday, dosing with vodka is simple, IMHO...

 

[Tajjo]

Out of curiosity will a uv sterilizer slow or impare the process of vodka dosing or any other form of carbon dosing?

Headless: have you had any cyano growth?

 

[headless]

Out of curiosity will a uv sterilizer slow or impare the process of vodka dosing or any other form of carbon dosing?

Headless: have you had any cyano growth?

I've never used a UV sterilizer...don't wanna kill good stuff too!

As far as cyano goes...sure, I've had cyano...most everyone has. It is NOT, and I repeat, NOT, a huge deal. I have spoken with marine biologists at the Baltimore Aquarium and have gotten good information about this. In fact, a lot of tanks there have cyano...they let it go...

If everything is in check in your tank, the cyano won't become an issue. It likes high nitrate levels, and vodka will more than take care of this...just make sure your skimmer is working...

I have all types of algae in my tank...I also have all types of snails and hermits to deal with it...it's part of having a real piece of ocean in my house...the closer I can get to the real thing, the better.

My tank is very healthy right now save for an occasional low magnesium level...I supplement this and use purple up for the coralline...makes a huge difference!

 

[Tajjo]

That's good to know. I also supplement mag, though my calcium reactor.

I've noticed where 2 corals touch in my tank and have some die off is where the cyano starts.

 

[retz75]

I have been dosing vodka for about 6 months in my tank and put my uv sterilizer in about 3 months ago. The water is clearer and i have not seen a change in my parameters.

 

[Tajjo]

Thanks for the reply retz75.

I realy like to hear about more people using biopellets and like products for and accurate decission.

 

[mark54321]

Mark, correct me if I'm wrong, but the skimmer rids the tank of nitrates/nitrites and proteins...

Vodka increases the bacteria, which readily use the nitrates and phosphates...the bacterial byproducts are then filtered out by your skimmer...

With vodka dosing, you have less cyanobacteria, as it feeds on nitrates...you also eliminate phosphates, which should at least in part help with aiptasia...

Vodka is easy and cheap...if you feed your fish everyday, dosing with vodka is simple, IMHO...

As far as I know skimmer exports an excess of bacteria that consume nitrates and phosphates,that is how you get rid of nutrients ( same principle as growing algae in refugium and harvesting it when it grows to export nutrients) .As you might find out cyano exist even in ULNS ,as a lot of people on this forum experienced with vodka dosing.Like I said vodka works and of course is cheap but you have to dose it everyday,pellets work for me ,it is a set and forget thing.

 

[headless]

As far as I know skimmer exports an excess of bacteria that consume nitrates and phosphates,that is how you get rid of nutrients ( same principle as growing algae in refugium and harvesting it when it grows to export nutrients) .As you might find out cyano exist even in ULNS ,as a lot of people on this forum experienced with vodka dosing.Like I said vodka works and of course is cheap but you have to dose it everyday,pellets work for me ,it is a set and forget thing.

I see your point...but there is a maintenance component to the biopellets, no? I always am adding something to my tank each day, so vodka works well for me. It's good to see there are 2 viable options so people can take their pick. As we all know, there is no perfect option for anything...keeping a piece of ocean in our houses is not the easiest thing to do...we do our best...

 

[bruce 1]

What if you are in week 10 of dosing (or any time), and you had to go out of town? (5 days) Would you just stop dosing? Will that hurt the tank? When you come back would you start off where you left off on the dosing?

 

[mark54321]

I see your point...but there is a maintenance component to the biopellets, no? I always am adding something to my tank each day, so vodka works well for me. It's good to see there are 2 viable options so people can take their pick. As we all know, there is no perfect option for anything...keeping a piece of ocean in our houses is not the easiest thing to do...we do our best...

I agree,it really comes to what you prefer and what works for you ,as there is more than one way to keep our tanks beautiful and healthy.

 

[headless]

What if you are in week 10 of dosing (or any time), and you had to go out of town? (5 days) Would you just stop dosing? Will that hurt the tank? When you come back would you start off where you left off on the dosing?

No, it's not an issue. The tank is zeroed out and your maintenance dose is very little...I don't even measure anymore...I've been doing it for some time now so I just pour a bit in each day...it's not as much of a science once your levels are all zeroed out.

Your nitrates and phosphates aren't going to jump up 'that' much in a week without vodka...plus, you should have a skimmer and phosban reactor backing up the vodka anyway...