N/P reducing pellets (solid vodka dosing)
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daveonbass
New member
well I feel like an idiot. I always say that in this hobby you get what you pay for. I wanted to get better flow through my reactor, so I upped from a MJ 1200 to a Queit One 3000. I got it cause the name implies that it is going to not make much noise, and because it pushes a lot of water, so I was hoping that I could use it and dial it back a little and get the best flow for my beads.
But it's a cheap pump...and from what I can tell it's just a piece of crap. Nothing but worthless junk.
This is HANDS DOWN the LOUDEST pump I have ever heard...ever...yes, ever. I've heard pump that were out of the water (that are not supposed to be), and pumps running dry, and those have been more silent than this worthless pump. It's SUPER loud. Man I can not stop saying just how loud it is...I'm so friggin disappointed.
To add insult to injury, it's a lousy pump...it only made the pellets more slightly better than the MJ 1200. So for the cost of the pump (about 50) plus shipping...plus the time it tok to take apart my old set up and re-plumb the new pump into it...and use the last bits of proper sized hose for it...all in all I'm furious that I bought this piece of junk.
Now I have no flow, casue the pump is crap, so my pellets and skimmer (run off the same pump) are now out of use...yes, OFF. Because I had to desrtoy the old set up's hose to get it off and use a little of it to act as a sleeveto get the new (bigger) hose to fit on the TLF reactor valve....so now that it's destroyed...I have to wait till I can get back to a hardware store and get more tubing...JUST to put it BACK THE WAY IT WAS...
I'm worse off now...
I hate this pump...with an epic passion...
I'm ashamed to even sell it to anyone, to try to make some money back. It's brand new, but I'm too ashamed to sell it and be associated with such poor quality...
Completely and utterly unsatisfied with this brand...
I should have paid more money for a real pump...not this cheap, pathetic, worthless pump.
But it's a cheap pump...and from what I can tell it's just a piece of crap. Nothing but worthless junk.
This is HANDS DOWN the LOUDEST pump I have ever heard...ever...yes, ever. I've heard pump that were out of the water (that are not supposed to be), and pumps running dry, and those have been more silent than this worthless pump. It's SUPER loud. Man I can not stop saying just how loud it is...I'm so friggin disappointed.
To add insult to injury, it's a lousy pump...it only made the pellets more slightly better than the MJ 1200. So for the cost of the pump (about 50) plus shipping...plus the time it tok to take apart my old set up and re-plumb the new pump into it...and use the last bits of proper sized hose for it...all in all I'm furious that I bought this piece of junk.
Now I have no flow, casue the pump is crap, so my pellets and skimmer (run off the same pump) are now out of use...yes, OFF. Because I had to desrtoy the old set up's hose to get it off and use a little of it to act as a sleeveto get the new (bigger) hose to fit on the TLF reactor valve....so now that it's destroyed...I have to wait till I can get back to a hardware store and get more tubing...JUST to put it BACK THE WAY IT WAS...
I'm worse off now...
I hate this pump...with an epic passion...
I'm ashamed to even sell it to anyone, to try to make some money back. It's brand new, but I'm too ashamed to sell it and be associated with such poor quality...
Completely and utterly unsatisfied with this brand...
I should have paid more money for a real pump...not this cheap, pathetic, worthless pump.
Yogre
Cheesehead Reefer
N/P reducing pellets (solid vodka dosing)
The idea is that bacteria that are sloughed off your Biopellets are then removed from your system by your skimmer. This allows for removal of N and P from your system.
The bacteria are not given a chance to enter the system where they may die and release N/P that they have taken up in their structure.
The idea is that bacteria that are sloughed off your Biopellets are then removed from your system by your skimmer. This allows for removal of N and P from your system.
The bacteria are not given a chance to enter the system where they may die and release N/P that they have taken up in their structure.
rutz81
New member
I don't run them, but, from my understanding, the outlet doesn't need to go directly into the skimmer. The outlet just needs to be as close as possible, not neccasarily "feeding" the skimmer.
ChuckG
New member
Older Quiet one pumps (13 yrs ago) used to add alot of heat as well. Not sure if the more current models do also.
Best i could do to get the reactor outflow taken up by the skimmer was to direct it perpandicular to the skimmers pump inlet. Becasue the skimmers pump flows more than the reactor it seems to uptake th emajority of the reactor outflow and also free flowing water from the sump. This seems to work well.
Best i could do to get the reactor outflow taken up by the skimmer was to direct it perpandicular to the skimmers pump inlet. Becasue the skimmers pump flows more than the reactor it seems to uptake th emajority of the reactor outflow and also free flowing water from the sump. This seems to work well.
SimonSKL
New member
I have the same problem with flow rates unmatched. This is how I solved the problem. I used a 1" PVC Tee and slightly enlarged the inside diameter of one end to 1 3/8" to fit over the inlet of the skimmer. I then used a reducer at the top so I can insert the 1/2" hose from the pellet reactor. This way, most if not all of the output from the pellet reactor will be pulled into the reactor. If the flow from the pellet reactor is off, the skimmer will still pull the water in from the sump.
daveonbass
New member
No you do not HAVE to feed directly from the reactor to the skimmer, many just put the reactors "out" pipe near their skimmers "in" area. That seems to work well too...and I make have to try that...I'm just trying to get good flow in BOTH through one pump...but as you can tell, I'm not having a lot of luck.
On a side note...I started experimenting witht eh QO3000 pump that I hate.
With the other "faceplate" on, (the one that has the threads) and the other hose atachment screwed into the "faceplate", it seems to work a little quieter. The biggest problem is hat this pump sucks for my application cause it can not be "restricted." It's not as loud if it's running fully open...but restrict it with a narrow tube, and a ball valve (fully open but we all know it's tight in there) and then the 90 degree elbow, and that sucker does NOT want to be quiet any more. Add to that , the trip through the reactor which includes another 90, tube down to the bottom, the BOTTOM, then 500ml of NP pellets, then another 90, then a small tube, then another ball valve, anthen a bigger tube, then ANOTHER ball valve (bigger) then the skimmer...whew, it's a loud cry baby right now.
so I'm going to let it keep running at the new "less loud than before" setting. (but still loud) And I'll wait and see two things...
1. Does it get any quieter?
2. Does it move the pellets any better?
Right now only half the pellets are moving. It used to be about 1/4, now it's more like 1/2. If you can imagine the reactor is a cylinder, and looking strait down, if you were to divide it into 4 equal pies...two of the opposite pies are the sections that are tumbleing. This may change with some time. So I'm gonna let it sit and see if it gets any better.
If not then I'm getting an eheim pump...cause I KNOW those are quiet...Sadly i wish the Velosity pumps were not so HOT...cause those make the Eheim sound loud...they are dead silent.
But here's a linky on how the pellets look now, you can also see how the pump is set up, with the nozzle on it (I assume tha tit's sucking in less water, and thus is not feeling as restricted on the out either, thus less noise from the restictions), and I got closer so that you can see the debris in the chamber of the reactor and get an idea of the flow that it currently has.
<object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gOMPipr_Dg4&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gOMPipr_Dg4&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object>
let me know if there is something I should do to fix any of this set up...(besides getting a bigger tank and sump, i WISH)
On a side note...I started experimenting witht eh QO3000 pump that I hate.
With the other "faceplate" on, (the one that has the threads) and the other hose atachment screwed into the "faceplate", it seems to work a little quieter. The biggest problem is hat this pump sucks for my application cause it can not be "restricted." It's not as loud if it's running fully open...but restrict it with a narrow tube, and a ball valve (fully open but we all know it's tight in there) and then the 90 degree elbow, and that sucker does NOT want to be quiet any more. Add to that , the trip through the reactor which includes another 90, tube down to the bottom, the BOTTOM, then 500ml of NP pellets, then another 90, then a small tube, then another ball valve, anthen a bigger tube, then ANOTHER ball valve (bigger) then the skimmer...whew, it's a loud cry baby right now.
so I'm going to let it keep running at the new "less loud than before" setting. (but still loud) And I'll wait and see two things...
1. Does it get any quieter?
2. Does it move the pellets any better?
Right now only half the pellets are moving. It used to be about 1/4, now it's more like 1/2. If you can imagine the reactor is a cylinder, and looking strait down, if you were to divide it into 4 equal pies...two of the opposite pies are the sections that are tumbleing. This may change with some time. So I'm gonna let it sit and see if it gets any better.
If not then I'm getting an eheim pump...cause I KNOW those are quiet...Sadly i wish the Velosity pumps were not so HOT...cause those make the Eheim sound loud...they are dead silent.
But here's a linky on how the pellets look now, you can also see how the pump is set up, with the nozzle on it (I assume tha tit's sucking in less water, and thus is not feeling as restricted on the out either, thus less noise from the restictions), and I got closer so that you can see the debris in the chamber of the reactor and get an idea of the flow that it currently has.
<object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gOMPipr_Dg4&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gOMPipr_Dg4&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object>
let me know if there is something I should do to fix any of this set up...(besides getting a bigger tank and sump, i WISH)
SimonSKL
New member
Sorry to hear the noise problem with your QO3000. I have been using the exact same pump to push water to my ATS and pellet reactor and the pump has been very quiet. I do run it full flow with 3/4" ID hose and step down to 1/2" hose to the BP reactor with no restriction.
Is your pellet reactor TLF150? If it is, I think the inlet inside diameter is just too small to give you good flow. But looking at the video, I think your flow is okay for that volume of BP as long as they are moving.
daveonbass
New member
it's the TLF 550, which from what I can tell has the same size fittings as the 150. The way my stuff is set up now I don't know how to easily run my reactor and skimmer off the one pump, except for "inline."
Yogre
Cheesehead Reefer
I have the same problem with flow rates unmatched. This is how I solved the problem. I used a 1" PVC Tee and slightly enlarged the inside diameter of one end to 1 3/8" to fit over the inlet of the skimmer. I then used a reducer at the top so I can insert the 1/2" hose from the pellet reactor. This way, most if not all of the output from the pellet reactor will be pulled into the reactor. If the flow from the pellet reactor is off, the skimmer will still pull the water in from the sump.
That's a really nice idea, thanks for that! Right now I've got my reactor plumbed into my refugium. I have a couple of non-photosynthetic gorgonians and sponges that I'm hoping may benefit from the reactor's output (probably a vain hope but what the hey). If that doesn't work out I'll put together a setup like yours.
stevedola
Master of my domain
started using the pellets thursday on my 60g cube mixed reef. seeing the results on the 90g I had to set it up on the 60. I have 300ml in a brs dual chamber reactor run by a rio 600. The flow is enough for now but may need to up grade the pump down the line. Ive noticed a clearer water and excellent polyp extension on the sps. this tank doesnt have algea, dinos, or cyano however my sps seem to have tips that burn here and there so I was thinking it may have higher trates. NPs will take care of it and hopefully increase growth+color.
Daniel Reef
New member
The patent is for the unique biodegradable polymer used by NP. If another manufacturer comes up with a different biodegradable polymer than that patented by NP, then they can market it for the same purpose. The other pellets sold either by WM or Shapelock are different.
Daniel Reef
New member
Daniel Reef
New member
Warner Marine says that "the polymer used [EcoBAK] is not Polycaprolactone (PCL) that has been in use in other products like Instant Ocean’s Natural Nitrate Reducer but another form of biodegradable polymer that shares the same characteristics and completely different than the polymer used in NP Biopellets."
Yogre
Cheesehead Reefer
Shapelock is polycaprolactone, isn't it? I think I remember Randy saying it was. The NP pellets may be the same thing. In any event I don't think the patent would affect Shapelock as it's not marketed as an aquarium NO3 reducer, but rather a moldable modeling plastic.
Disclaimer: I'm not a patent attorney, and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!
I'm currently running 1 liter of the NP Biopellets in a Geo 22" reactor, but they've only been in for 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to being able to share my results.
Disclaimer: I'm not a patent attorney, and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!
I'm currently running 1 liter of the NP Biopellets in a Geo 22" reactor, but they've only been in for 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to being able to share my results.
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