N/P reducing pellets (solid vodka dosing)

[Timoweb]

I used a 4" fish net on the end of my return to catch any floaters that flew out. This worked great but even that was clogged up after 7 days :strooper:

 

[Hdhuntr01]

Hdhuntr01 , thank you for experiment, will like to see results what you get. Still if I understend you corectly you will have different modification, IMO most important part of my diy modification are open top and vortex efect on the bottom of the reactor what create different fluidization.
Anyway will see what you get with your diy.

Here are a couple pictures of the Reef Octopus Calcium Reactor that I modified to run my Warner Marine Bio Pellets in. Set it up last night running 250mL of pellets to start and have them gently tumbling. The return hose is now directed into the exact spot where the skimmer pump is. Had to make a couple changes to the design in this pic. If it turns out that introducing air into the reactor improves the results, I can inject air through the top plate. Removed the flow meter and the contraption at the end of the output hose. Neither worked well.

 

[DJREEF]

Here are a couple pictures of the Reef Octopus Calcium Reactor that I modified to run my Warner Marine Bio Pellets in. Set it up last night running 250mL of pellets to start and have them gently tumbling. The return hose is now directed into the exact spot where the skimmer pump is. Had to make a couple changes to the design in this pic. If it turns out that introducing air into the reactor improves the results, I can inject air through the top plate. Removed the flow meter and the contraption at the end of the output hose. Neither worked well.

Ca reactor for bp reactor. Good idea.

Electronics on the floor next to the fish tank. Bad idea.

DJ

 

[anen]

So do you guys think I shoudl be running GFO? I'm getting a zero phosphate reading on my test kits but that is because of the presence of nuisance algae.

For pellet systems that are "stalled" with low nitrates and still have phosphate problems, I wonder if it would help to bring the nitrates up (with ammonia) to keep the bacteria population healthy and keep removing phosphates.

Mitch

 

[Hdhuntr01]

Electronics on the floor are temporary. Just haven't gotten around to a permanent solution! LOL

 

[jh2pizza]

Today, Geo modified the my reactor. I have it set to feed at around 75GPH. It uses a Mag 3 as a recirc pump. This will allow the pellets to tumble using a high flow rate while keeping the flow through low to increase or decrease the dwell time in the reactor. Will post a pic later tonight.

 

[jh2pizza]

 

[coffeenut]

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Heres my setup.. seems to work well.

 

[anen]

My algae is turning dark green and brown, but I am also starting to see stringy cyanobacteria and dark brown film on my rock.

Also, I have 2 baby clowns, and at night I can notice a bit of pink around their gills. I don't know if this is due to lighting, or if it is even related, but if someone had some insight I would appreciate it.

Any thoughts?

So do you guys think I shoudl be running GFO? I'm getting a zero phosphate reading on my test kits but that is because of the presence of nuisance algae.

 

[TreyK]

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[ChuckG]

Any thoughts?

Look anything like this?

 

[anen]

My rocks look the way your rocks do in some areas, but the sandbed is nowhere near as pronounced. Just looking a bit brownish, and here and there small pitches of pinkish red stringy stuff.

 

[Shelleyk]

Does anyone know where in Pretoria in South Africa I can purchase biopellets??

 

[ziyaadb]

ShelleyK com over to marineaquariumsa.com and you will get them

 

[ChuckG]

My rocks look the way your rocks do in some areas, but the sandbed is nowhere near as pronounced. Just looking a bit brownish, and here and there small pitches of pinkish red stringy stuff.

These are pictures of an advanced dinoflagellate infestation I found via google. They will start off looking somewhat like diatom dusting then grow into the slimy strings as shown in the pictures. They can sometimes look green as well. Alot of times it can present simultaneous with cyano bacteria which is alot of times pinkish/red.

If they get introduced into the tank while running an active pellet reactor they can be very difficult to eradicate as they seem to feed off the carbon in the effluent, and need very little in the way of nitrate or phosphate to flourish.

 

[Toadally]

Is it necessary to continue dosing a bacteria source such as MB7 while using the pellets?

 

[TheFishMan65]

From my understanding it may help start the bacteria growing. Once they have a good colony then it should not be needed.

 

[euromomtx]

I have never used any kind of bacteria additive and my slime grows just fine.
Who knows if the bacteria in the additive is even the kind that grows well on the pellets.

I think you can add it if you want to. But if you don't slime will come just fine

 

[bertoni]

I think it's unlikely that the bacteria in something like MB7 is the same that's going to grow on the pellets, but it might worth continuing to dose MB7 while using pellets. Such dosing might (or might not) swing the bacterial population towards a more useful mix. That's hard to judge, though.

 

[DJREEF]

I used it once. Pellets slimed up in 2 days. Haven't used it since.

DJ