biopellets?

[Zer0.]

I my 180 gallon tank is fairly young at about 3 months old, Im wondering if I could start running some biopellets to help contral nitrate and phosphate. My levels aren't too high, but could be lower. (Nitrate is around 15 unsure of P04 at the moment)

A few questions, really appriciate any advise/insight on....

1)Would I be ok if I started with a small amount? Say 1/3 the recommended amount?

2) I have a small area of some cyano (red slime) in the very center of tank. Would it be a mistake to start running a small amount of biopellets before this is cleaned up?

3) If i do run biopellets I will be using Aquamaxx biopellet reactor but hear their biopellets aren't the best. What are the best biopellets out there?

Edit: Also posted in equipment forum, hope this is ok, wasn't sure which place was more appropriate.

Thanks all and have a great weekend,
-Z

 

[mcgyvr]

1)yes.. sure
2)no..
3)I run NPX bioplastics and they are working great for me..

 

[Bryopsis]

In my own experience, a recirculating reactor eliminates having to find the ratio between pellet amount and waste/nutrient amounts, and be sure to plumb the reactor input from the skimmer output, and the reactor output to the skimmer input.(any bacteria that leaves the reactor has a better chance to go back in, vs pulling water from the tank into the bp reactor)

It's great now, .015 po4 and 5ppm nitrates atm. I have had phoslock running in a reactor, it's quite slow at soaking up phosphates, but I've also increased my sand and amount of live rock trying to create nitrate factories to handle the phosphate. (I started this venture WITH gfo since the majority of people I see have problems with phosphate stalling once nitrates are consumed)

Also, I've found, when people say 'while carbon dosing you almost HAVE TO feed more', I think it should be, 'increase your feeding across a daily schedule no more than 6 hours apart'. I had insane growth for a couple weeks while I was in Texas for work, and the only difference is an auto-pellet feeder I had running at that time. (I thought it was the kalk I was running since I've had to initiate it; that's back to where it was)

As far as your cyano, try to siphon it up, and be sure to leave somewhere in your tank "dirty". I usually leave my back wall to my algae blenny, but the area is also not around corals just in case there's a negative event that causes a bloom, so the majority of anything will happen where there's already some growing. Then you'll be prepared to let the chemistry changes happen from running biopellets, especially if you guess wrong on adjustments. But also do water changes to bring your nitrate/phosphate levels down quite a bit first. Can't say I've ever had a bloom in my tank from biopellets, but I imagine if your levels are high enough it would blow up over a few days when the bacteria starts to kick in.

Also a bacterial supplement and/or with the addition of 5ml of vinegar would do ya good.

So far I've tried ecobak and ecobak plus. The amount of cyano/bacterial mat issues on things in the tank went down quite a bit with the plus pellets. It says it's made from multiple carbon sources, so I wonder if they might be using classical PHA (like dosing vodka) with an acetate source. (vinegar) They also include a little vial to 'jump start' the biopellets, it smells oddly enough like vinegar.
I've not seen any other pellets with multiple carbon sources, so this is one reason I chose the same brand but updated pellet. (haven't tried the pellet+gfo biopellet but I imagine the gfo wouldn't necessarily "last as long as the pellets")

That's what I've learned with almost 2 years of biopellet tinkering, and reading all I can all over the internet...

Sorry for the long-winded response..

 

[Zer0.]

Thank you both for the responses. Bry, I'm not sure I can spring around $300 at the moment for a recirculating pellet reactor, I planned on running the input to the reactor from one of my two return lines, and I could put the output to where it come out right in front of my skimmer pumps intake? would this work well? Not sure how I can hook the two together as you describe.

 

[tmz]

1) yes
2) siphon out what you can but you can start dosing without waiting for it to disappear.


I prefer soluble organics vodka and vinegar for a variety of reasons in terms of simpler organic content and dosing control . No equipment needed either though some use dosing pumps.


I personally,see no reason to plumb the skimmer in/out to the carbon reactor, The bacteria do provide some useful food. I prefer to let the skimmer acess the water column and the broad array of orgnics in it including some compunds that may be refractory or toxic in nature along with the heterotrophic bacteria in the water column.

There is no need for bacterial supplements IMO. the facultative heterotrophic bacteria involved are ubiquitous. Provide the organic carbon and they will come .

5.5 years of dosing vodka and vinegar with no cyano, almost no nuisance algae ,coral vibrancy . PO4 0.02ppm to 0.04ppm ; NO3 less than 1ppm. No gfo since November 2013.

Be careful not to drop the PO4 too fast or too low. Corals can be harmed if it's too low or drops precipitously.

This thread of mine may be of interest:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2134105&highlight=organic+carbon+dosing

 

[Aquarist007]

I agree with Tom( I always do)
I would measure your phosphate level
Bacteria need nitrates, phosphates and carbon to grow. If one is lacking then the growth of bacteria is limited

 

[Zer0.]

My nitrates are around 20, po4 looks like .02, but could be .00 or .04 (this red sea pro test colors are hard to read... I only run carbon and skim so I'd be surprised in po4 was undetectable with no gfo. A lot is probably bound up in my currently browning out GHA collection (time to pull some out)

 

[Bryopsis]

Thank you both for the responses. Bry, I'm not sure I can spring around $300 at the moment for a recirculating pellet reactor, I planned on running the input to the reactor from one of my two return lines, and I could put the output to where it come out right in front of my skimmer pumps intake? would this work well? Not sure how I can hook the two together as you describe.

I didn't have to deal with plumbing too much, my skimmer is hob, so I just plopped the lines in where they went.(SRO LX2000S)

As to starting biopellets without a recirculating reactor, I wouldn't do it. Just wait til you get one. It's so completely easier it's not even funny.. lol

And though I agree with vodka/vinegar, I don't want to have to monitor too closely. And biopellets are the closest to a set it and forget it.

And TMZ, it seems there is a need to plumb it especially into the skimmer input. I've discovered over and over and over, biopellets can produce MUCH more bacterial masses than our tanks can handle.. lol
That's one thing that would make v/v awesome, you don't have to worry about bacterial masses gathering if you adjusted a valve too far.
But it's also a real nice thing about it, looking in the tank, and turning a valve vs dosing..

 

[saltyair]

Look into the all in one bio pellets if your going to make the leap into bio pellets. They work fantastic and you don't have to worry about using gfo. Just be sure to get a good reactor.
I was vinegar dosing then switched to aio pellets - one of the best investments I've made.

 

[Aquarist007]

My nitrates are around 20, po4 looks like .02, but could be .00 or .04 (this red sea pro test colors are hard to read... I only run carbon and skim so I'd be surprised in po4 was undetectable with no gfo. A lot is probably bound up in my currently browning out GHA collection (time to pull some out)

Those levels are okay. You really just need to monitor
Do you have a refugium as macro algae might be all you need at the present