Biopellets

[happysak]

Do you use them? Post information on your set up. Flow, amount, brand etc.

I started my reactor a week ago. Two little fishes reactor with 200ml of NP biopellets. Flow 300gph thru reactor. So far no bacteria bloom. Return set to skimmer chamber. My nitrates are going down very fast and water are became very clear.

 

[T-Boner]

Would love to more about them too!!

 

[Pudge957]

I've been running the biopellets from BRS in the BRS Reactor. It's only been about 4-5 weeks and haven't noticed any big changes just yet. Also never had any type of algae bloom the first few days. I have noticed I am not having to clean the class as often as I am use to.

 

[kent ashbrener]

I'll have mine set up and going tomorrow.

im hoping for better results I've been useing phos-guard and still have algae problems

 

[happysak]

NO3 are down to 30 from above 100. I added another 200ml today. So far, so good

 

[kent ashbrener]

got mine started today useing the Vertex Pro-Bio Pellets 500ml for a 75 gal with another 25 gal in the sump.
I didn't think my reactor was big enough so I made a diy today its 4" square and 14" tall my old was a phosban reactor.
The only thing I wasn't sure of, do I leave the skimmer going all the time?
in the past it always turned off with the lights

 

[happysak]

The only thing I wasn't sure of, do I leave the skimmer going all the time?
in the past it always turned off with the lights

Leave skimmer on 24/7.

 

[dugg]

The skimmer does most of it's cleaning when the lights are off.

 

[happysak]

The skimmer does most of it's cleaning when the lights are off.

According to ...(insert reference)... I would like to read about it.

 

[dugg]

I'm not going looking for the info to read, but most corals excrete thier waste at night. Measure your skimmer cup at night and day and see when you get the most.

 

[dugg]

In the day time most of what you skim is dissolved fish waste, at night you get both the fish and coral waste. My skimmer gets maybe an inch of waste in the day time and then about another 3 to 4 inches at night.

 

[mattnokc]

does this work better than vodka?

does this work better than vodka?

does this work better than vodka?

just wondering....:hmm1:

 

[kent ashbrener]

I've had my bio pellets going 4 days now and my new algea growth is 0, before I was growing hair and the normal fine green on the glass.
I was asking about the skimmer because on the instructions it says to place the output fron the reactor neer the skimmer intake.

 

[pwhitby]

Kent,

Yes run the skimmer all the time. It is actually very beneficial to run a skimmer at night as there is no inherenmt photosynthesis happening to oxygenate the water.

At night the tank pH drops due to the CO2 release by all the living creatures and algaes in the tank. The aeration provided by the skimmer helps combat this.

The reason for the outflow to be near the skimmer intake is to ensure the bacterial biofilms shed by the pellets are taken up and skimmed out of the water. The biofilms will be constanmtly shed, so a constant skimming is required.

Regards,

Paul.

 

[kent ashbrener]

thanx Paul, I have quite a bit of aeration anyway, but I also leave the skimmer on

 

[happysak]

does this work better than vodka?

just wondering....:hmm1:

Same concept(pellets are a source of organic carbon) with less maitnance

 

[happysak]

Like zeovit, neo-zeo, vsv

 

[happysak]

I was asking about the skimmer because on the instructions it says to place the output fron the reactor neer the skimmer intake.

Kent, it says to do this by two reasons, to remove bacterial mulm and increase o2(which gets depleted in reactor by bacteria). One of my goals is to use bacterial mulm as additional food source for my corals(crinoid seems to love it and my corals are staying open), so I placed my return in return pump chamber( but I do have very oversize skimmer and refugium with lights on 24/7). As of now I don't see any negative side effects to my decision.

 

[mattnokc]

cool!

cool!

I have been adding vodka for 2 months now with limited results I might need to give this a try !

 

[happysak]

update

update

Three weeks with biopellets. Nitrate are down to 10 from >100. I had to change pump to Mag5, pellets was clumping and chaneling. Added flow helped to break them up to nice tumble.