Thoughts about biochurn reactor?

[aquamanpc24]

I am going to be making a purchase soon. I have a large 400+ setup with my fowlr and reef plumbed in. I am looking at the internal 170t biochurn. What are your thoughts? It looks like an awesome reactor. I may get the 150 when it becomes available. But anyone get these yet?

 

[sirreal63]

My thoughts, way too much friction from the pellets against each other. Friction causes wear, and the minute pieces of pellet lost from friction goes where? It goes out the effluent and into the tank. The pellets work by having a place for the bacteria to colonize and use the carbon of the pellets as food. With the pellets colliding that hard with each other, it is a less than conducive place for growth. Imagine trying to eat with your neighbor constantly bashing his body into yours.

Some movement is beneficial for removing the mulm, but how much is too much? In my own experience with pellets, I ran than in a fast moving reactor, a slow moving reactor and in a no movement canister filter. The result was the same, as far as keeping no3 in check, the difference was in how fast the pellets lost size. The fast moving reactor had the greatest pellet loss in the shortest time, the canister had very little loss of size. I have a feeling the blender approach will be a great way to sell more pellets.

 

[Laborator]

My thoughts, way too much friction from the pellets against each other. Friction causes wear, and the minute pieces of pellet lost from friction goes where? It goes out the effluent and into the tank. The pellets work by having a place for the bacteria to colonize and use the carbon of the pellets as food. With the pellets colliding that hard with each other, it is a less than conducive place for growth. Imagine trying to eat with your neighbor constantly bashing his body into yours.

Some movement is beneficial for removing the mulm, but how much is too much? In my own experience with pellets, I ran than in a fast moving reactor, a slow moving reactor and in a no movement canister filter. The result was the same, as far as keeping no3 in check, the difference was in how fast the pellets lost size. The fast moving reactor had the greatest pellet loss in the shortest time, the canister had very little loss of size. I have a feeling the blender approach will be a great way to sell more pellets.

interesting, however cant you just dial it down? or are you talking about how the reactor ahem "churns" the pellets?

 

[sirreal63]

I am not sure you can dial it down that much, perhaps you can but with that ball valve it will be a delicate thing to do.

 

[FuzzyZipperbaum]

I agree with the vette and tater tot guy.... Even if you could dial it back some, it would only slow the inevitable imho.... Mother Nature takes her time and it certainly hasnt slowed her down from erosion......

 

[shtymi]

thats part of the point of the bio pellets though, some of it is supposed to be sloughed off to knock off excess bacteria etc. Question is though how much will this reactor slough.. to much, not enough... just right?

These are the goldilocks questions that we ask ourselves and I personally will be answering on monday when mine gets here, Ordered the 170 int for my 300 system with 90 gallon sump.

 

[Laborator]

I started the Biochurn int 120 yesterday and from my observation the pellets are not really grinding with each other since they're all spinning in the same direction, unlike the direct water blast from other designs.

Oh and you can adjust the flow on the pump (15 watts)

 

[wildman926]

In my own experience with pellets, I ran than in a fast moving reactor, a slow moving reactor and in a no movement canister filter.

Any negative issues using the canister filter with the biopellets?

 

[sirreal63]

None, a little mulm but no reduction in nitrate consumption. There was no difference other than the pellets lasted longer.

 

[wildman926]

Thank you Jack.

 

[dread240]

My problem with it.. which I had a good video in another thread... was the fact that the pellets really aren't tumbling at the top.. just rotating in a column with no actual movement between pellets. In a good upflow or recirculating reactor, the pellets tumble against themselves gently... this thing is just making a tornado... that's my thoughts at least and have no first hand experience with one

 

[sirreal63]

To be honest Walter, I saw no difference in a fast moving reactor, a slow moving one and them not moving at all in the canister filter, the pellets just needed to be replaced sooner in the fast moving reactor.