N/P reducing pellets (solid vodka dosing)
- Thread starter tntneon
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I agree with both of you.
Perhaps a bit more on removing PO4 and N03 will be helpful to some readers.
Neither NO3 nor PO4 or are amphipathic and are not attracted to the air/water interface ;thus , not skimmable. The bacteria bind them up as organics and make some of them more skimmable. The smell from the skimmer cup is decaying organic matter.
These inorganics PO4 and NO3 do not have an affinity for adsorbtion by granulated organic carbon ,either. When they are part of an organic compound, gac is very effective at removing some of them . Some note gac is significantly more effective at reducing total organic carbon including dissolved organics than skimming. Though it seems lots of particulate organics flow out of the skimmer when carbon dosing and the aeration gained from skimming is also very important particularly with more bacteria consuming more O2.
Perhaps a bit more on removing PO4 and N03 will be helpful to some readers.
Neither NO3 nor PO4 or are amphipathic and are not attracted to the air/water interface ;thus , not skimmable. The bacteria bind them up as organics and make some of them more skimmable. The smell from the skimmer cup is decaying organic matter.
These inorganics PO4 and NO3 do not have an affinity for adsorbtion by granulated organic carbon ,either. When they are part of an organic compound, gac is very effective at removing some of them . Some note gac is significantly more effective at reducing total organic carbon including dissolved organics than skimming. Though it seems lots of particulate organics flow out of the skimmer when carbon dosing and the aeration gained from skimming is also very important particularly with more bacteria consuming more O2.
staggeringwade
New member
Okay, so i ran my aquarium with out light for the last 2 days to try and kill off the GHA. Well it is working, but I turned the DT lights on to feed the fish and to my surprise I have either a bacterial bloom from the pellets or the GHA dying back has caused the water to cloud up?
I am running a 6"+ sugar fine DSB that kept my no3 at zero, but the sand beds surface is turning splotchy black-kinda like if you dig down into the substrate.
I was planning on allowing the DSB to just kinda dissolve down and not make it a dsb anymore as long as the ecobak pellets are handling the no3 in the future.
So here is another oddity.
My phosphates are at zero with the hanna checker, and my no3 is at zero too.
I'm not so sure I feel excited that the biopellets are working yet.
I thought I needed some no3 in my system to keep the pellets bacteria flourishing?
I plumbed my biopellet reactor output directly into the front of the euro reef skimmer pump using a tee. Is that okay?
How long does the bacterial bloom usually last-if it is from the bio pellets?
Is it wise to run with lights off for another day or two to keep killing of GHA or am I trying to do too much too fast?
I am running a 6"+ sugar fine DSB that kept my no3 at zero, but the sand beds surface is turning splotchy black-kinda like if you dig down into the substrate.
I was planning on allowing the DSB to just kinda dissolve down and not make it a dsb anymore as long as the ecobak pellets are handling the no3 in the future.
So here is another oddity.
My phosphates are at zero with the hanna checker, and my no3 is at zero too.
I'm not so sure I feel excited that the biopellets are working yet.
I thought I needed some no3 in my system to keep the pellets bacteria flourishing?
I plumbed my biopellet reactor output directly into the front of the euro reef skimmer pump using a tee. Is that okay?
How long does the bacterial bloom usually last-if it is from the bio pellets?
Is it wise to run with lights off for another day or two to keep killing of GHA or am I trying to do too much too fast?
staggeringwade
New member
Who else is having their hanna phosphate checker go thru AAA batteries like dirty socks? I get about 2 uses out of a battery a week.
I purchased a pin point ORP probe to kinda guage things while I start using ecobak pellets and the thing goofs up my ph readings on the digital aquatics RKE.
Wade
I purchased a pin point ORP probe to kinda guage things while I start using ecobak pellets and the thing goofs up my ph readings on the digital aquatics RKE.
Wade
any ideas?
jason2459
Well-known member
Yes, I just went through doing just that. Started up again just like it was the first time.
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What I've been doing is tilting my reactor every other day to keep the pellets moving around - and tilting it in opposite directions. SimonSKL, I'm glad that this is working for you. I'm running about 250 ml in a Phosban reactor with ~290gph flow from a MJ1200. I'm wondering if it's really beneficial, or it just appears to be moving more of the pellets. Time will tell I guess!
Does that mean DJ and I both win a prize?
yes , you have won the pelletzer price ...
That's funny tnt. :jester:
Sorry
I missed this earlier.
The benefit of the bacteria grown from carbon dosing as beneficial food vs any pathogenic effects from organic carbon buildup or the bacteria themselves is largely unknown and I suspect variable from tank to tank and coral to coral. If I didn't need carbon dosing to control NO3 in a high bioload system , I personally wouldn't use it.I do run refugia ,gac,gfo,etc in an effort to minimize the amount of organic carbon I use.
Does that mean DJ and I both win a prize?
Well I can't beat the "pelletzer prize", great pun, but I can thankyou both for taking the time and making the effort to share information and offer a wish that we all grow beautiful and healthy aquariums.
I would do some water changes and make sure the skimmer is in good shape. Bacterial blooms can be a serious problem.
The black areas in the sandbed are anoxic zones. There might be a fair amount of hydrogen sulfide in them:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/rhf/index.php
Staggering Wade,
I agree sounds like sulfides left from hydrogen sulfide gas .
Yes the bacteria need some nitrogen and phosphate to flourish and consume the organic carbon from the pellets. You may be inadvertantly supplying organic carbon to the bacteria in the sand bed and without oxygen or nitrate the sand bed will become anoxic and sulfate reducing bacteria will flourish creating toxic hydrogen sulfide as a by product.
In addition to the water changes and heavy skimming noted by bertoni, I'd stop using the pellets for now and run some gac . Enhnaced flow in the tank may help as well.
I agree sounds like sulfides left from hydrogen sulfide gas .
Yes the bacteria need some nitrogen and phosphate to flourish and consume the organic carbon from the pellets. You may be inadvertantly supplying organic carbon to the bacteria in the sand bed and without oxygen or nitrate the sand bed will become anoxic and sulfate reducing bacteria will flourish creating toxic hydrogen sulfide as a by product.
In addition to the water changes and heavy skimming noted by bertoni, I'd stop using the pellets for now and run some gac . Enhnaced flow in the tank may help as well.
staggeringwade
New member
Thanks, for the info.
Wade
Wade
Aquarist007
New member
thank you for taking the time to re back into the thread Tom
I started a thread here to see if there is more input on the benefit of bacteria from carbon dosing
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=17940717#post17940717
yes , you have won the pelletzer price ...
Cripe, I just threw up in my mouth.
You know Tnt, I think I know you well enough now, that you probably didn't even need to spend that much time thinking that one up.
DJ
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I have the phosphorous checker and haven't needed to change the batteries once in 15 uses. I think the one u got is bunk.
DJ
Aquarist007
New member
yeah, those pellets are nasty when you get them in your mouth:lol2:
You might want to turn off the power head before you clean out the reactor next time DJ:lmao:
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