Biopellet

[loganlemaster]

Quick question for the veterans. Should the water leaving the bio pellet reactor test lower for nitrates or zero for nitrates? Thanks in advance!

 

[mcgyvr]

No.. It will definitely not..

 

[GimpyFin]

Mcgyvr is right. Biopellets work a little different than media that actually filters the water. They provide a food source for bacteria and as the pellets are consumed by bacteria (Along with nutrients in the water) the film/waste that is shed is then removed by your skimmer. This is also why a solid skimmer is important with biopellets.

 

[mcgyvr]

This is also why a solid skimmer is important with biopellets.

Or any other form of carbon dosing..

 

[loganlemaster]

Thanks! I am running a recirculating reactor and have the nitrates down to about 10-15 on an api test kit. I want to bring them on down to below 5. I guess my next move would be to increase the water flow thru the reactor?

 

[GimpyFin]

You don't want high flow with biopellets. They need just enough flow to stay suspended and slowly churn in the reactor. If you have to much flow on them it's counteractive to the pellets actually being effective. How long have you been running them and what pellets are you using?

 

[loganlemaster]

I have the pellets tumbling slow, but since its a recirculating reactor i can speed up the effluent leaving the reactor.

 

[mcgyvr]

and what were your nitrates when you started, when did you start?
They aren't overnight magic by any means.. It can take months..

 

[loganlemaster]

Nitrates were around 40 on api test kit, now there at 10-15. I seeded them with bacteria from aquavitro called Seed. The pellets are Dr. Tims pearls. Been running a month. I am wanting to get down into the single digits for nitrates. Another question i have is do you lose much beneficial bacteria from the water column during water changes. I do a 20% change every weekend.

 

[loganlemaster]

Heres a video of my reactor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zy4kQqHejE

 

[mcgyvr]

All I can say is that they aren't magic.. It takes time and while they do help.. again its not magic.. It only works so well and can only do so much..
Everyone would be running them and no one would ever have nitrate problems if it was that simple/proven/guaranteed.. Its not..
adjust/adapt/see how it goes/adapt/adjust again..
Someone would be super rich if you could just slap a small/simple device on the side of a tank and be guaranteed on any tank to have high nitrate in and zero nitrate out.. Such a product does not exist and more than likely never will..

I've had systems that have zero nitrates without any work/extra equipment..
I've gone overboard on equipment (biopellets/ats/skimmers/rdsb,etc..) and still had nitrate issues.. (or non-zero numbers) after months of that equipment running..

There is only one proven method to reduce nitrates... water changes..