N/P reducing pellets (solid vodka dosing)

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Scej12 said:
Congrats Salty!! Just a note, your salifert test might be the one I'd accept as true... I just invested in a pinpoint nitrate monitor, and found that when API reads 100++ it was only 12 - 22 on the monitor, which is supposed to be $430 of accuracy!!

Long story short.. I'd trust the Salifert based on my recent surprise.

Sheldon
Click to expand...

From Pinpoint:

"I have communicated with Boomer and several other good people at Reef Central and Yes you should multiply by 4.4 to translate to NO3"

From Boomer:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17567876&postcount=11

PinPoint users.

As has been stated there have been some bad issue with the Pinpoint Nitrate meter. I helped Lou resolve some of them. However, take note that this meter does not express Nitrate as NO3 but as NO3-N and we go by NO3 in this hobby NOT NO-N. If any of you guys are taking the meter reading at is face value of say 12 ppm, then

NO3- = NO3 x 4.4

NO3- = 12 ppm x 4.4 = 52.8 ppm NO3-


Edric

Did you do that or is that a corrected

NO3- = 42 x 4.4 = 184.8 ppm NO3-

or was it the meter read

NO3-N = NO3- / 4.4

NO3-N = 184 / 4.4 = 42 ppm on the meter.

per Lou's new instructions


[PINPOINT¨ Nitrate Monitor has 2 independent ranges:
0 - 10 ppm NO3-N (nitrate-nitrogen)
10 -100 ppm NO3-N (nitrate-nitrogen)
Accuracy for either scale after calibration is +/- 1 ppm NO3-N (nitrate-nitrogen)
Resolution for either scale is 1 ppm NO3-N (nitrate-nitrogen)
 
Congrats Salty!! Just a note, your salifert test might be the one I'd accept as true... I just invested in a pinpoint nitrate monitor, and found that when API reads 100++ it was only 12 - 22 on the monitor, which is supposed to be $430 of accuracy!!

Long story short.. I'd trust the Salifert based on my recent surprise.


My experience has shown me:
---PINPOINT NO3 Monitor is worthless. (I bought when it first came out, it may be fixed now) Mine only worked for a few days then became impossible to get same reading twice. <O:p</O:p
--API NO3 tends to read high if not fresh and #2 bottle must be shaken at least the 30 seconds the manual states.<O:p</O:p
--Elos NO3 is very good.<O:p</O:p
--Salifert was my test of choice; however they seem to have had a rocky road in the 2008 - 2009 time frames. Test kits for KH and NO3 were not consistent. (Maybe fixed, I have not followed it)<O:p</O:p
--PO4 D&D or Hanna is way to go.<O:p</O:p
--Adding any bacteria product will seed pellets fast. <O:p</O:p
--Plumbing pellet effluent directly to skimmer is good idea. (Best skimmate ever)
--DSB and sponges make great place for filtration and pods.<O:p</O:p
--Heavy feeding requires doubling pellets, also media bags should be used a day or two a week to remove larger detritus<O:p</O:p
 
I started NP pellets in a 550 TLF reactor with a mj1200 this past tuesday. I started on a low dosage with about 250ml in the reactor, when should I add more to it and how much/how often?
 
Nitrate Meter

Nitrate Meter

Tony Romano said:
My experience has shown me:
---PINPOINT NO3 Monitor is worthless. (I bought when it first came out, it may be fixed now) Mine only worked for a few days then became impossible to get same reading twice. <O:p</O:p
--API NO3 tends to read high if not fresh and #2 bottle must be shaken at least the 30 seconds the manual states.<O:p</O:p
--Elos NO3 is very good.<O:p</O:p
--Salifert was my test of choice; however they seem to have had a rocky road in the 2008 - 2009 time frames. Test kits for KH and NO3 were not consistent. (Maybe fixed, I have not followed it)
Click to expand...


I was beginning to suspect this (re NO3) after my first week of playing with the meter... then I saw the post below..:hmm6:

RegalAngel said:
From Pinpoint:

"I have communicated with Boomer and several other good people at Reef Central and Yes you should multiply by 4.4 to translate to NO3"

From Boomer:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17567876&postcount=11

PinPoint users.

As has been stated there have been some bad issue with the Pinpoint Nitrate meter. I helped Lou resolve some of them. However, take note that this meter does not express Nitrate as NO3 but as NO3-N and we go by NO3 in this hobby NOT NO-N. If any of you guys are taking the meter reading at is face value of say 12 ppm, then

NO3- = NO3 x 4.4

NO3- = 12 ppm x 4.4 = 52.8 ppm NO3-


Edric

Did you do that or is that a corrected

NO3- = 42 x 4.4 = 184.8 ppm NO3-

or was it the meter read

NO3-N = NO3- / 4.4

NO3-N = 184 / 4.4 = 42 ppm on the meter.

per Lou's new instructions


[PINPOINT¨ Nitrate Monitor has 2 independent ranges:
0 - 10 ppm NO3-N (nitrate-nitrogen)
10 -100 ppm NO3-N (nitrate-nitrogen)
Accuracy for either scale after calibration is +/- 1 ppm NO3-N (nitrate-nitrogen)
Resolution for either scale is 1 ppm NO3-N (nitrate-nitrogen)
Click to expand...

Thanks RegalAngel! I was just about to email pinpoint to ask whazup!!! I'll keep this info handy and see if it resolves my accuracy uncertainties.
 
Well, I've got a headache. Since last night I've read like 40 pages of this. Could someone help me out here. My tank is high on Nitrates(25)and always has been. I run bare bottom and have never had much algae. I have been trying to achieve better color and BP seem to be a decent option to achieve better water chemistry, and allow me to continue heavy feeding.

I am leaning towards either BRS or the Warner Marine pellets...could anyone please give me their preference or run through the pros and cons. I would be running through a large via aqua poly reactor with needlepoint mesh, and I have 3 different reactor pumps to achieve 100-300 GPH if that makes any difference
 
I follow several thread and can not tell that one is better than another. If you go to my homepage there is a link to good summary on bio pellets. The only thing I have heard is that the different shapes tumble differently, but no results if one tumble is better than another.
 
Julian Sprungs pellets look neat; they're round, or oblong and round. I'm thinking that they'll fluidize better than the ubiquitous "tart-n-tiny candy" looking pellets distributed by Vertex and BRS.
 
OK so I just ordered the BRS pellets. I will be using a via aqua poly reactor, will it be ok to put the needlepoint mesh? Does this restrict flow, should I use a larger pump to guarantee tumble, or is there a better method than mesh?
 
Also, one more question to add to above...will I have any issues with clogging on my GFO/Carbon reactor(Not the reactor I'm using for pellets)
 
pellets floating!!!!!!

pellets floating!!!!!!

I just installed a Reef Octopus Bio Pellet BR-140 reactor and put 1000ml
of NP pellets in... 95% of them are floating to the top of the reactor....
How long before the suckers saturate and sink so I can turn the thing back on?? I hate that! lololol They were tumbling super for about 15 minutes then floating away...done...had to turn off the reactor.

Friend told me to tap on the side of the reactor with wooden spoon....
but I am not in love with wooden spoons due to discipline as kid! LOHOHAOHEHHAHEHEHEHE JUSSSSSSSSSST KIDDING!!! lolololol

Anyways..how long before these suckers sink again!

I used a different batch of pellets in a different reactor 6 months ago and
I do not remember them floating quite as bad as these ones. Are the NP pellets being made smaller now?

Any help/.comments appreciated,

Thanks
Tim
:beer:
 
I never used the original np brand, but pretty well all of them require soaking for at least 24 hrs in order to avoid what happened in your case. They say to soak in RO water, but I usually soak in my aquarium water for a few days, then add to my reactor without issue.

SJ
 
He guys - great thread. Quick question.

I just moved my tank from zeolites and liquid carbon to biopellets.
ALK: 125ppm
Ca: 420ppm
Mg: 1280ppm

No outbreak as the system was already running a version of ULNS.

Corals were suffering STN before changing systems but now that has decreased and they are recovering.

Question: NO3 is at 25 and PO4 is at 0. With PO4 being the limiting factor in the biology of the system is there anything you suggest I can do to get my NO3 down?
 
Depending on your test kit (and unless it's one of those photometers) It could be hard to confirm that your PO4 is actually 0. If this is really the case however (zero PO4), perhaps you can take your gfo/other phosphate strategies off-line and indulge your fish & corals with lots of frozen food. In my experience, it is a lot harder to maintain PO4 at zero than it is NO3 - so it sounds like you might be ahead of the game as you can always bring nitrates down with more pellets as long as there is phosphate available for the process to continue to function.

But I would emphasize that you confirm that your phosphate is indeed zilch! API for example is difficult to decipher... what appeared to be zero in my case was actually 0.35 when I finally got hold of a phosphate meter. So currently, I'm running at 0 nitrates; 0.35 phosphates running the bio-pellets.

Regards,

Sheldon
 
Hi Sheldon - it was a reading with the Hanna ULR indeed (photometer) ... couldnt believe my eyes... double checked with DD just in case, but was zero as well...

I took GFO out straight away...
 
Great stuff - will give you guys and update.

BTW - are you guys still monitoring pH? When I started Zeovit, a lot of people said that they didn't bother anymore measuring it. However, I have a strong hint that there is a negative correlation between pH and carbon source over-dosing....
 
However, I have a strong hint that there is a negative correlation between pH and carbon source over-dosing....

Organic carbon dosing always reduces pH, if that is what you mean. :)
 
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