Is it worth getting a bio pellet reactor ?

Since my last post, my nitrates have remained 0 but phosphates have not moved. I have a little hair algae and a little bubble algae that just won't go away. So today I took the bio pellets out of my 550 reactor (they didn't tumble worth a darn) and put them in a new 150. In the 550 I put about 3/4 pound of gfo and I am now running both reactors via the same pump. Moving the pellets into the 150 was a great move, they now tumble like no tomorrow and there is plenty of flow for the gfo.

I get the KISS method, but I think I have more control and the ability to fine tune my system with these reactors. It's my belief that I probably don't need the pellets but I will test and observe.
 
Best thing I ever did to a phosban 550 was to build it into a recirculating reactor with 2 uniseals and some fittings. Has become the ultimate bio pellet reactor since then and can be very fine tuned
 
If you are afraid of a electrical outage not so common here in So Cal but they do happen. I would the reactor on a single GFI so if the elec. goes out you have to push the button to turn the reactor back on.
 
I ran bio pellets for a while... loved the results, the tank was crystal clear (maybe too clear)and virtually no algae issues. Unfortunately, I didn't do as much reasearch in advance of using them and found out later that ULNS systems prefer slightly lower ALK. I killed several SPS corals as a result - or at least that's what I contribute it to.

I've since switched away from the bio pellets and am simply running GFO and Carbon... however I'm now fighting algae after being off-line 9 months or so. I'm considering going back to the bio pellets now that my understanding of ULNS is a little better. Only other issue i notices with BPs was a little more cyano than normal, which I've read is fairly common but also likely had to do with some of flow issues.

My only advice would be to heavily research ULNS before starting.
 
jkcoon said:
I ran bio pellets for a while... loved the results, the tank was crystal clear (maybe too clear)and virtually no algae issues. Unfortunately, I didn't do as much reasearch in advance of using them and found out later that ULNS systems prefer slightly lower ALK. I killed several SPS corals as a result - or at least that's what I contribute it to.

I've since switched away from the bio pellets and am simply running GFO and Carbon... however I'm now fighting algae after being off-line 9 months or so. I'm considering going back to the bio pellets now that my understanding of ULNS is a little better. Only other issue i notices with BPs was a little more cyano than normal, which I've read is fairly common but also likely had to do with some of flow issues.

My only advice would be to heavily research ULNS before starting.
Click to expand...

I went through a similar experience with to low of nutrients and too much lighting with my led's. Since I modified the phosban reactor I've been able to keep it at .02-.03 phosphate and 7ppm or so on nitrates. Not only can I run my lights brighter without going pale, but the growth and colors overall have been doing better since I went to those (Well at least they were till my ato stuck, but that's a whole different story)
 
moondoggy4 said:
If you are afraid of a electrical outage not so common here in So Cal but they do happen. I would the reactor on a single GFI so if the elec. goes out you have to push the button to turn the reactor back on.
Click to expand...

Ime a GFI does not have to be reset when the power goes out it will come back on just like a regular outlet.
 
I had the power go out on my for 6 hours and when the pellet reactor came back online, there was no adverse reaction to my tank inhabitants.
 
Bio reactors work well. I have been running mine for over 2 years. A few instances, I stopped running it to see how the tank reacted and usually within 2-3 weeks, I notice lots of algae on the glass.

Turning the bio reactor back on usually slows down the algae growth significantly. I rarely have to clean my glass and of course the rocks are algae free.
 
Ultra Low Nutrient System.

GFO and Biopellets do different things.

Biopellets can and should be used to maintain levels. GFO should be used to drop the po4 levels and water changes for nitrates. Once you have low levels they tend to stay there.

Just tossing a reactor on with a tank saturated with po4 and nitrates could be costly as you have no way to control the rate.

Biopellets are nothing more then a slow release starch that provide food for the naturally occurring bacteria in your system. You do not need any other additives or bacteria foods.

Taking it slow is very important anytime you add a carbon source. This is not something you can just toss in haphazardly.
 
You should run it just because it looks cool with the pellets whirling around the reactor . . . it also makes a neat sound . . . when I open up the bottom of my tank it's the first thing people gravitate to. Definitely worth it.
 
Of course telling your friends you put a shot of vodka in your tank every day is a bit of a conversation starter too.
 
Interesting. I'm running a ULNS tank and I didn't know it.. I rarely feed the corals and use just light for food.
I run a GFO and GAC reactor and wondering if I should do the bio pellet reactor instead of the Gfo because the gfo is expensive and a pain to change out each month.
 
What is GAC and KISS?

I do not run Biopellets, Carbon, or GFO. My Phos is .006. I do have a bubble algae, red turf algae and some diatoms....could any of these help me?
 
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