N/P reducing pellets (solid vodka dosing)

[rutz81]

Hi i am gonna try these on my system, i read that people recomend that you have the reacotr before the skimmer, how ever i only got place for mine after the skimmer, will this be a problem?

They won't really work like they're supposed to. You may have PH issues, the output of the pellets really should be as close to the inlet of the skimmer as possible.

This is not from experience, since I have always had mine near the input, I'm just going by what other people have posted, some reporting cloudy water(bacteria bloom), others PH problems, etc. First question asked, usually is: Is the outlet of the pellets next to the skimmer?

 

[StarF]

alright i will find a hose and make the filter dump the water near skimmer.

the ones i got, seems to be the new formular, they are smaller, and dont seem to be doing the dancing like the small white balls did, any one here tryed the new ones?

i got a newjet 1200 connected to the reactor.

 

[StarF]

This is how the new ones look, could be my filter is to big, so they lay in a to thin layer.. How important is it that they are constantly moving?

 

[EvMiBo]

This is how the new ones look, could be my filter is to big, so they lay in a to thin layer.. How important is it that they are constantly moving?

When I started mine it took a couple days for them to start dancing. Just give it a little time and make sure if you're using sponges to replace them with mesh-like plastic material everyones been using. Btw, it's extremely important that they are constantly moving around. If they don't nitrates will rise.

 

[takayan]

I used ViaAqua reactor. First week was ok to tumble BioPellets enough, but after the second week, the biopellets sit on the bottom of the reactor and no move!! Then, I decided to modify 3L Vertex reactor as BioPellets reactor.

 

[StarF]

When I started mine it took a couple days for them to start dancing. Just give it a little time and make sure if you're using sponges to replace them with mesh-like plastic material everyones been using. Btw, it's extremely important that they are constantly moving around. If they don't nitrates will rise.

wouldent sponges get clogged by the bakteria? i will need to make a sponge for my filter... was using a zeovit filter medium, with just plastic with small holes in it.

 

[bluereefs]

I made few experiment latelly with bp and get some unusual results. I used bp in 3 various reactors in 3 aquariums for 6-7 months already. In main aquarium I had 100 mg/lit nitrates and that was my main goal, to lower those nitrates with bp, I used vodka before in that aquarium and vodka did not lower the nitrates significaly, latter I used high dosage of vodka together with bp and even that was not droped nitrates significaly or steady. I even used 3 diferent reactors together in that aquarium but that also did not lower nitrates significaly, for months.
Until 10-15 days ago when I made some changes to my diy reactor (removed sponges, instal bal valve to get fluidization, washed bp with aquarium water) and then after day or two my aquarium get cloudy, bacterial string was everywhere in the aquarium and nitrates drop dramaticaly, low to 0,2 mg/lit.
I removed that reactor to the third aquarium who had 50 mg/lit nitrates and next day I have bacterial bloom inside the aquarium who completly cloud that aquarium. After 2-3 days I removed the reactor from that aquarium too and water get cleared, nitrates drop to 5 mg/lit in few days.
I washed the bio pellets and reactor in fresh water very, very well and few days latter I install him again on that aquarium, next day I get bacterial bloom again, not so hard like first time but very cloudy.

BTW that was old bio pellets what I use from the begining, 6-7 months already, and not the new bag. So what is that what sudenly initiate bacterial bloom with bio pellets in 2 aquarium even they was used for months without this efect?

I use bp in my diy reactor made from octopus calcium reactor, pump are aprox 1200-1400 lit/hour , aquaclear 4000 from Hagen, is a strong powerhead, bp are tumbling also.

One thing I notice, when I used bp before without "efects" (no dramatic nitrates lowering for months) bio pellets was more brown colour, looked "dry" inside the reactor (can not find better word to explain how they look) but this time (same pellets) look totally white inside the reactor and they are capable to ignite bacterial bloom and lower nitrates in days significaly.

Is really weird IMO that after few months of using sudenly with my diy reactor I get dramatic and totally diferent results at various aquarium in just few days. First time when I get bacterial bloom/cloudines in my main aquarium I thought that was because I used vodka together with bp and that somehow create bacterial bloom, but I removed them on second aquarium and they create bacterial bloom in that aquarium too, even after very detailed washing in freshwater they create bacterial bloom second day after starting.
In same time in my third aquarium are 1000 ml of bp for months in fluid reactor without smallest sign of bacterial bloom or cloudines, also nitrates start to raise in that aquarium.

It look like bp need some ignition, still unknowen to me what is that, who will made them bacterial machine in short period of time.

I am curious, does the reefer who used bio pellets and dont have results (no nitrates drop) have more brown/yellow or white bio pellets inside the reactor?

 

[DJREEF]

It's beginning to sound like you can "over tumble" these things. I suspect that it's possible in some cases that the reactor flow-through can be a bit too aggressive, and literally wash the bacteria off the media at too high a rate, and possibly wash the media off itself into the bulk water (contrary to what the manufacturer claims). I think ideally, there is a sweet spot that you must achieve given the levels of systemic nitrate - esp in situations where high nitrate is concerned.

DJ

 

[bluereefs]

No IMO, my remarks regarding strong pump is to remove posibility of too weak tumbling and that bacterial bloom come from that. Tumlbing in this diy reactor who create bacterial bloom are not to much diferent then tumbling in original fluid reactor who works for months without bacterial explosion.

Some says that aquarium with high nitrates can cause bacterial bloom and cloudines but I used various reactors in aquarium with high nitrates without that efect for months, I even dose 11 ml of vodka each day together with bp without cloudines.

 

[bluereefs]

Here are the pictures who can maybe explain better what I talking about.
Here is the bacterial bloom created second day after I moved my diy reactor to this aquarium who had 50 mg/lit nitrates

here is the skimmer picture

That diy reactor made similar bacterial bloom in previous aquarium few days after modification. Until modification he work for months without bacterial explosion, I think I do something what made him bacterial machine but dont know exactly what,lol.

 

[DJREEF]

Dude, that looks like a fricken mess.

DJ

 

[bertoni]

Wow, that's quite a bacterial bloom, or at least that's what I think it is. I'd watch for signs of oxygen depletion, and consider some large (15%) water changes.

 

[jlinzmaier]

Regardless of what the flow is inside the reactor, if your getting that significant of a bacterial bloom from changing nothing but adding the BP reactor (AND NOT DOSING ANY OTHER CARBON SOURCES) then that would clearly indicate that the carbon is leaching from the biopellets and inducing bacterial growth throughout the water column.

This may not create such a dramatic effect in other tanks that have lower nitrates as other tanks with lower nitrates would create a situation in which nitrate would become the limiting nutrient as opposed to the carbon source and that might prevent such a dramatic bacterial bloom.

You should really skim wet and monitor your livestock for signs of oxygen depletion becuase these bacterial blooms can significantly drop pH and lower oxygen levels. It would also help to do some ozone injection during these significant bacterial blooms so the ozone can help replenish the depleted o2 levels as the o3 molecules break apart.

Jeremy

 

[bluereefs]

Yup, it was cleared after few days, no losses on the livestock (one acro frag but she was in bad condition before this bloom). I removed the diy bp reactor day or two after this bacterial bloom, washed the reactor and bp in fresh water, put him back on this aquarium and get bacterial bloom again, not so dramatic like in picture above but water is cloudy.
What puzles me is that I used bp for months without this efect in various aquarium in various reactors, I still use bp in fluid reactor who have similar flow on another aquarium without cloudines and bacterial bloom.
So what is that what sudenly transform this reactor in bacterial machine who can cloud aquariums with bacteria in 24 hours? And was not there aprox 7 last months when I use that same bio pellets.
Maybe diferent design of my diy reactor, open top... ? I will try to take the mowie tomorow to show the diference betwen original fluid reactor tumbling and this one.

Even I do not recomend this dramatic bacterial bloom to anyone, that was only what reduces nitrates for 80-90 % in few days so it can be of use for someone who need fast and dramatic nitrates drop. And posiblly with few tweaking and better understending can be made more preciselly and safe.
I made and still work on that mostly due to experimental reason.

 

[mm.reefs]

No IMO, my remarks regarding strong pump is to remove posibility of too weak tumbling and that bacterial bloom come from that. Tumlbing in this diy reactor who create bacterial bloom are not to much diferent then tumbling in original fluid reactor who works for months without bacterial explosion.

Some says that aquarium with high nitrates can cause bacterial bloom and cloudines but I used various reactors in aquarium with high nitrates without that efect for months, I even dose 11 ml of vodka each day together with bp without cloudines.

How phosphates compared between the tank without bacterial bloom and the other tanks? Can that be the difference???


<O</OVery High NO3 + Very High PO4 + Efficient BP = Bacterial Blooms???
<O</O

 

[bluereefs]

Regardless of what the flow is inside the reactor, if your getting that significant of a bacterial bloom from changing nothing but adding the BP reactor (AND NOT DOSING ANY OTHER CARBON SOURCES) then that would clearly indicate that the carbon is leaching from the biopellets and inducing bacterial growth throughout the water column.

This may not create such a dramatic effect in other tanks that have lower nitrates as other tanks with lower nitrates would create a situation in which nitrate would become the limiting nutrient as opposed to the carbon source and that might prevent such a dramatic bacterial bloom.

You should really skim wet and monitor your livestock for signs of oxygen depletion becuase these bacterial blooms can significantly drop pH and lower oxygen levels. It would also help to do some ozone injection during these significant bacterial blooms so the ozone can help replenish the depleted o2 levels as the o3 molecules break apart.

Jeremy

I use this reactor and same bio pellets for months without this bacterial bloom, together with him I use original fluid reactor with 500 ml and once I use 3 reactors on same aquarium, this one, one smaller fluid reactor with 500 ml of bp and one fluid reactor with 1000 ml of bp, no bacterial bloom and cloudines, no dramatic nitrates drop either.

Then I decide to modified this diy reactor with 1000 ml of bp, it was suspicious to me that so much bp and so much vodka can not lower the nitrates. So I remove the sponge, put valve to get fluidization and wash the bp, second day I get cloudines and bacterial bloom, few days latter my nitrates drop to 0,2 mg/lit, they was 100 mg/lit.

I will understend that creating fluidization in this diy reactor create bacterial bloom if I have only this reactor on my aquarium, but in same time I used 2 diferent fluid reactor with bp tumbling and was not get bacterial bloom, bacterial bloom is only related with this diy reactor, that was what puzling me.

There was no ph drop, no oxygen depletion, I tested ph and fish swim and eat normaly, no fish loses. Aquariums did not stink either.

I do this just for experiment, if I will see any sign of animals shock I will stop the experiment.

 

[bluereefs]

How phosphates compared between the tank without bacterial bloom and the other tanks? Can that be the difference???


<O</OVery High NO3 + Very High PO4 + Efficient BP = Bacterial Blooms???
<O</O

That is weird part too, I dont have/had phosphates, always 0 on salifert test kit, before and after ther bp, only nitrates was problem, in one aquarium was 100 mg/lit in second 50 mg/lit, phosphates was 0 (of course 0 on salifert test). Also no algae at all (on my main 150 g aquarium), no cyano, bryopsis....

 

[jh2pizza]

I guess the big question is this. Has anyone approached the manufacture about posting in this forum to answer some of our questions? I cannot imagine them turning down the opportunity to do so.

 

[bluereefs]

Here is the picture from 3 months ago, left inside the sump are diy reactor what I modified and after the modification he become bacterial machine, I used 3 reactors once without getting bacterial bloom

 

[jlinzmaier]

<O</OVery High NO3 + Very High PO4 + Efficient BP = Bacterial Blooms???
<O</O

Not necessarily. The "efficient BP" would need to be releasing a carbon source into the water column to get bacterial growth within the water column. Per the manufacuters direction, these pellets do not leach C into the water column and if that is true then they cannot be the cause of the bacterial bloom within the water column - they would only induce bacterial growth on the pellets. That is only if the manufacturers claim that they do not leach C into the water is true.


Bluereefs.

Is you new diy reactor creating significantly more aggressive flow or abraiding the pellets in any way which could be causing them to release any material into the water column???

If you've used these pellets for many months and only saw this significant bacterial bloom after switching to your DIY reactor then there is some aspect of your reactor that is changing how these pellets are functioning. What were the exact modifications to the reactor??

That is weird part too, I dont have/had phosphates, always 0 on salifert test kit, before and after ther bp

0 po4 on a salifert test kit is likely FAR from 0 in reality. Of the reviews I've read, the salifert po4 test is one of the poorest quality tests for po4 - in both accuracy and precision.

Jeremy