Got a TLF Reactor 150 with Bio pellets for an early V-day Present, should i use it?

[phasezero]

So my fiance let me pick some stuff out at the LFS, only things i could find that i didn't already have were a media reactor and a Hydor Smartwave controller. I'm contemplating whether i should use the bio pellets or not. My 55g SPS tank parameters are usually 0-5 Nitrates and i don't usually bother with phosphate tests because the color table for my API is just terrible for this particular test. The shades don't even match. Even though i use the local tap water up here in WA, I have no algae problems whatsoever and my growth has been pretty steady. Maybe i'll start to see a algae patch grow on a frag disk that i can get rid of by placing it on my rocks over night. The colors of my SPS are great, but i can use some improvement in polyp extension on certain corals and many seem to have brown polyps.

Should i even bother using the bio pellets to achieve an even lower nutrient system? I just picked it out on a whim cause we were in a hurry and i figured i could probably use it for something down the road. Another option is i could switch to carbon or GFO.

 

[MammothReefer]

I wouldn't. I was running biopellets they seemed to work well, but I found I can get away without them with my current bio load. Why add complexity where it isn't needed. I have a reactor sitting with dry pellets for 6 months now if I ever see a spike in nurtients or things get out of hand I won't hesitate to put them back on, but until then.. not worth the hassle imop. If you want better PE I would look at your flow. If you want a useful present I'd opt for a hanna phosphate tester if you are having trouble with the API kits.