N/P reducing pellets (solid vodka dosing)
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baselander
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http://www.pentekfiltration.com/Pen...Big Blue Big Clear Product Profile 310053.pdf
I have 1.5 liters in the 10" big clear. I reduced from 1" to 3/4" but will increase to 1". It is teed off a 1hp pool pump and wide open. 3/4" is not enough IMO. I ordered a 20" big clear and like I said will be increasing to 1 inch. I'm guessing I should be able to do at least 3 liters.
Also deltec makes a nice fluidized bed filter that have large input and output.
I have 1.5 liters in the 10" big clear. I reduced from 1" to 3/4" but will increase to 1". It is teed off a 1hp pool pump and wide open. 3/4" is not enough IMO. I ordered a 20" big clear and like I said will be increasing to 1 inch. I'm guessing I should be able to do at least 3 liters.
Also deltec makes a nice fluidized bed filter that have large input and output.
mikebpeters
New member
I just got a Vertex U15 and it has 3/4" fittings - I only have 500ml of pellets in it right now and it appears to be about a quarter full so it would likely fit 1500ml
that is my plan - I have the pellets but am starting slowly
you will need more than a MJ 1200 to drive them though. That is what I am using right now, and it doesn't really even work well for 500ml
that is my plan - I have the pellets but am starting slowly
you will need more than a MJ 1200 to drive them though. That is what I am using right now, and it doesn't really even work well for 500ml
daveonbass
New member
no the MJ1200 do not...
ChuckG
New member
Update on the Dinoflagellates in my tank..
Adjusting the skimmer wet made a small dent in their growth rate but I could tell it was not going to be enough to tackle them on it's own. I was about to pull out all the stops, raise PH, cut the lights, and load a separate reactor with GFO when everyone started posting their flow videos. I saw the first one and a light bulb went off in my a head.. try more flow thru the pellets.
More flow required the addition of a ball valve on the main return pump, so I installed that, cleaned the glass and blew the dinos off the rocks. Flow previously amounted to small amounts of pellets moving up the one side or two of the reactor... with more flow added I now have all the pellets in constant motion. Not as much aggressive flow as I see in some of the videos but they now all move.
The change overnight was like flipping a switch. I would normally hesitate before saying there had been an effect but there was no doubting it... the dinos really never grew back from the cleaning. Now after 3 days their numbers have been significantly reduced to where they are almost gone.
I never adjusted the photo period on the tank or let up on the heavy feeding. Currently there is zero algae or other nuisance algae in the tank and N03 is consistantly Zero and PO4 0.02 per a Hannah meter; ORP.
Now it is entirely possibly the dinio die back was attributed in some part to a limited a trace element as I have not changed water in over 3 weeks. I'll perform a water change this weekend and will know for sure. That said, I highly doubt they can make a comeback with the pellets working properly.
ORP last night was 280 and looks to be continually climbing.. all with just a good skimmer and improved flow through the bio-pellets. :thumbsup:
Adjusting the skimmer wet made a small dent in their growth rate but I could tell it was not going to be enough to tackle them on it's own. I was about to pull out all the stops, raise PH, cut the lights, and load a separate reactor with GFO when everyone started posting their flow videos. I saw the first one and a light bulb went off in my a head.. try more flow thru the pellets.
More flow required the addition of a ball valve on the main return pump, so I installed that, cleaned the glass and blew the dinos off the rocks. Flow previously amounted to small amounts of pellets moving up the one side or two of the reactor... with more flow added I now have all the pellets in constant motion. Not as much aggressive flow as I see in some of the videos but they now all move.
The change overnight was like flipping a switch. I would normally hesitate before saying there had been an effect but there was no doubting it... the dinos really never grew back from the cleaning. Now after 3 days their numbers have been significantly reduced to where they are almost gone.
I never adjusted the photo period on the tank or let up on the heavy feeding. Currently there is zero algae or other nuisance algae in the tank and N03 is consistantly Zero and PO4 0.02 per a Hannah meter; ORP.
Now it is entirely possibly the dinio die back was attributed in some part to a limited a trace element as I have not changed water in over 3 weeks. I'll perform a water change this weekend and will know for sure. That said, I highly doubt they can make a comeback with the pellets working properly.
ORP last night was 280 and looks to be continually climbing.. all with just a good skimmer and improved flow through the bio-pellets. :thumbsup:
euromomtx
New member
55 gph different?
just kidding. I got a Mag 3 and it pushes 350 gph. all my pellets are on the top, hardly any tumbling at that rate. But I get good flow through them and JP the inventor says they don't need to tumble as long as there's good flow through them.
Isn't part of the nitrate reducing action taking place in anaerobic regions anyway (presumably not that much flow through those areas)?
just kidding. I got a Mag 3 and it pushes 350 gph. all my pellets are on the top, hardly any tumbling at that rate. But I get good flow through them and JP the inventor says they don't need to tumble as long as there's good flow through them.
Isn't part of the nitrate reducing action taking place in anaerobic regions anyway (presumably not that much flow through those areas)?
what do you mean "on the top"? do you mean they arent moving or that the flow is to strong and pushing them all the way up?
daveonbass
New member
well almost over night I've noticed that the skimmer has started to wet skim a lot better. It's so much faster than when the pellets were first added. It's now been around three weeks. Still no reduction in NO3, but my NO3 was very high to begin with. I'm hoping that with a bigger feed pump that my pellets will "tumble" more and I'll get better use out of them.
soulsigma
New member
mikebpeters
New member
I just upgraded the flow in my Vertex U15 from an MJ1200 (295gph) to an AC70 (405gph) and added a second 500ml package of pellets (for a total of 1,000ml). The reactor is now about 3/4 full and the pellets are tumbling nicely.
Now to sit back and patiently await the 'magic'
Now to sit back and patiently await the 'magic'
SimonSKL
New member
Is the bottom mesh that keeps the pellets off the bottom of reactor also rose to the top with the pellets?
stumpyid
Premium Member
What pump are you using with this reactor? Any chance you could post a picture?
Are you using a full 4L of pellets?
Thanks Scott
PowermanKW
New member
OK, so I just read the whole thread and I'm not sure what to think. Here is where I'm at.
Bought a 1 yr old tank, replaced most equipment, moved to SPS. I've had the tank for 1.5 years and I'm a rookie. I have never had algae or cyano problems. Nitrates have always been low. DSB in a fuge, lots of LR, 3" sand bed in the display. Good skimmer, try hard to keep water clean. Started using GFO and GAC a few months ago. Feed 2 cubes of emerald entre, and 1 of mysis a day.
So.... sarted using WM Snow and Ultimate Aminos. Also started using Oyster Feast and Rottie Feast. All of that gave me a outbrake of cyano recently and right now I'm not dosing anything trying to get rid of it. I am in the process of getting a DIY auto water change going so I will do daily WC of 30% monthly.
I have never had nitrate problems...always below 1 on a Seachem. I got a Merck PO4 kit.... started at .04..... but now I'm at .01-.008. Hard to tell on the low end. I have never had niusance algae. Some GHA in the overflow. I have Cheato in the fuge but it barely grows. Started with Caulerpa but it just melted away. Now my cheato takes about 3 months to double a grapefruit size ball. It seems healthy though...not dying/withering. 29w of CF flood light at 6500K. Keep good flow in my tank and through my rocks. I power head the rocks from time to time but never get any ditritus out. I have lots of sponges and I don't use any mechanical filters.
Soooo... with all that... I have been reading about carbon dosing.... but have no desire to do that. I think I have low N/P, but read about all these ULN systems. I want a beautiful SPS tank. So far my stuff is growing, but not sure about how good my color could be... I'm a rookie.
So I'm thinking that I could use the BP but might only need .5 l for my 110g system. I would like to get away from using GFO, that would be a plus, but I know many still use it and I understand why.
I'm just confused where I fit. Seems all you guys trying this either have bad N/P problems.... or are Vodka dosing as it is. I'm niether. So not sure what benefit I would gain.
My tank with the recent cyano outbreak.
Bought a 1 yr old tank, replaced most equipment, moved to SPS. I've had the tank for 1.5 years and I'm a rookie. I have never had algae or cyano problems. Nitrates have always been low. DSB in a fuge, lots of LR, 3" sand bed in the display. Good skimmer, try hard to keep water clean. Started using GFO and GAC a few months ago. Feed 2 cubes of emerald entre, and 1 of mysis a day.
So.... sarted using WM Snow and Ultimate Aminos. Also started using Oyster Feast and Rottie Feast. All of that gave me a outbrake of cyano recently and right now I'm not dosing anything trying to get rid of it. I am in the process of getting a DIY auto water change going so I will do daily WC of 30% monthly.
I have never had nitrate problems...always below 1 on a Seachem. I got a Merck PO4 kit.... started at .04..... but now I'm at .01-.008. Hard to tell on the low end. I have never had niusance algae. Some GHA in the overflow. I have Cheato in the fuge but it barely grows. Started with Caulerpa but it just melted away. Now my cheato takes about 3 months to double a grapefruit size ball. It seems healthy though...not dying/withering. 29w of CF flood light at 6500K. Keep good flow in my tank and through my rocks. I power head the rocks from time to time but never get any ditritus out. I have lots of sponges and I don't use any mechanical filters.
Soooo... with all that... I have been reading about carbon dosing.... but have no desire to do that. I think I have low N/P, but read about all these ULN systems. I want a beautiful SPS tank. So far my stuff is growing, but not sure about how good my color could be... I'm a rookie.
So I'm thinking that I could use the BP but might only need .5 l for my 110g system. I would like to get away from using GFO, that would be a plus, but I know many still use it and I understand why.
I'm just confused where I fit. Seems all you guys trying this either have bad N/P problems.... or are Vodka dosing as it is. I'm niether. So not sure what benefit I would gain.
My tank with the recent cyano outbreak.
Last edited:
ChuckG
New member
My opinion is the n/p bio-pellets are not just for remving nutrient sinks but also for maintaing ongoing low nutrient levels while allowing high feeding /stock levels. So all tanks can benefit.
Don't forget that there is a second benefit to these in that the baceria cultured in the reactor will feed the corals with the nitriogen, phosphate, and carbon as they are sloughed off into the display.
It is a win / win scenario imo and short experience thus far..
Fieroguy19
New member
As Chuck said, I think they help to maintain lower nutrients with less work then dosing vodka. I think it would be very hard to achieve ULN status with the pellets alone.
PowermanKW
New member
Well I'm good now, but I do want to feed more. I was not unhappy with the snow/aminos oysters/rotties just probably fed too much. I would have a tiny cyano the day after but that was it.... then boom, it stayed and got worse. I think I'm over it now. So if I can feed more then that is good.
That's really my point... I think I am at a good place with the basics, but I want to feed more for growth and color.
That's really my point... I think I am at a good place with the basics, but I want to feed more for growth and color.
I have 750 ml of pellets tumbling in the smaller 2 little fishies reactor on a 125 gallon system for a couple of months. Started with nitrates at around 10ppm and they are holding steady. I was previously vodka dosing and brought that down a little bit still dosing 10ml/day. What gives, i.e. when are my levels going to come down? Should I add more pellets to the system.
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