Vertex Pro Bio Pellets

[thebanker]

In an attempt to improve my skimmer's production, I tried to use a couple airstones in the reaction chamber. That failed miserably because they weren't producing enough bubbles to make a difference.

So I dug out an old hydor areo pump I had in my box of fish junk. I wedged it in the chamber as best I could, even though it's just below the water line. Voila! Tons of bubbles, and my skimmer seems to be producing much more than it was before. Hopefully I'll be able to remove enough bacteria in the water to really get my biopellet operation working in full-swing. We'll see!

 

[rguyler]

I just took the plunge and added the Vertex pellets to my system (300g total) in a TLF550 reactor maybe a third full to start. I have the reactor plumbed directly off of the main pump and it's moving a lot of water, more than a MJ1200 I think but I still don't have a lot of tumbling going on. Maybe larger tubing would help me get a little more volume into it to tumble better. My skimmer should handle the load with little effort and the output of the reactor dumping out right where the skimmer pump intakes.

Nitrates tested just before adding the pellets were 20ppm. No phosphate test kit so no numbers but the lush GHA probably means I have an issue there as well. Can't wait to see that GHA go away! I'll post updates as they happen.

 

[jc16]

just wondering if anyone got the new batch of these pellets yet or it could be just this bab? but seems like they are alot lighter in color hopefully nothing wrong with them im going to be putting them into my tank tmr will let you guys know, i guess ill be the guinea pig lol

 

[rguyler]

I have no idea whether or not my bags were the "new" batch or not but the pellets I bought are caramel colored.

 

[jc16]

yea the first ones i bought were deep caramel color now the new ones seem more like coffee with lots of milk and a little transparent lol

 

[thebanker]

Mine looked dark when I started, now they are a light milky color. I think that you need a reactor with a 5/8" downtube to really run the pellets. I'm using a TLF 150 and I have to tilt the reactor 10 or 20 degrees to get 250ml of pellets to fluidize with 295gph. The 150 has a 3/8" downtube, and it's just too narrow. I hope my "tilt-and-daily-jiggle method" works long term.

 

[wickedfish]

Bought some 2 weeks ago and they are a dirtyish cream color. I guess the might of changed something from the old ones. I tried the pellets 14 oz in volume for 16 days nothing happened so I dumped em.

Anyone else just gave up on these pellets?

 

[JoeShuck]

Bought some 2 weeks ago and they are a dirtyish cream color. I guess the might of changed something from the old ones. I tried the pellets 14 oz in volume for 16 days nothing happened so I dumped em.

Anyone else just gave up on these pellets?

That was a waste of money. You either have too much nutrient in your system for the filtration to handle or you didn't put enough in there. Also, how are you gauging that nothing happened? Were you looking for something to change? Most who use this product are battling hair algae or nitrates/phosphates/both/all and see the result when any or all of these start to decrease. You have to do some research first on how to appropriately use these pellets and then actually do it right.

 

[thebanker]

Plenty of guys have given up on these. I'm not throwing in the towel just yet. I've heard they can take 30-45 days to properly colonize, and I'm just about there. I haven't seen any real solid results yet, all observations in my tank are based on my perceptions, and some are very subjective. The only sure thing I notices is an increase in GHA and cyanobacteria with a decrease in film algae.

Coral growth continues to be robust, and coloration seems to be good. The biggest thing I've noticed is with my smallest frag, a pearlberry acropora that's been nearly dormant for 6 months has sprouted a bright blue new growth. Keeping fingers crossed that it continues.

 

[rguyler]

I just ordered one of the Vertex UF-20 reactors so hopefully I will be able to push more water through it than the TLF550 reactor and keep those babies tumbling. I'll go DIY before I spend $300-400 for a simple fluidizing reactor.

 

[wickedfish]

Joe,


My reasoning was this no change, by the multiple tests on phosphates and nitrates I performed every 2-3 days in that time frame.

Yes I would say it was a waste of $ for me in my case. But don't be to quick to judge people on actual knowledge of a product. Even some of the marine chemists on here are skeptical of what actual results will be.

A few people I know personally in the hobby use them with mixed results and of course they let them run their course, not what I did.

"cheers!"

 

[jc16]

so anyone with updates if their biopellets? results? been using them for 2 months now dont see much of an improvement yet but never added full dosage yet

 

[DJREEF]

so anyone with updates if their biopellets? results? been using them for 2 months now dont see much of an improvement yet but never added full dosage yet

NO3 starting to creep back up (20ppm)- but I think it might be a flow issue through the pellets. I may be getting close to the time where I need to add more.

DJ

 

[rguyler]

After a week I show the typical signs of the pellets: cloudy water, clogged filter socks, skimmer in overdrive, etc. Unfortunately no change in the density of the GHA yet. Maybe I need to be more patient but I went ahead and added the remaining 1/3 of the bag to the reactor. Funny enough but I found that the pellets immediately started tumbling much better with more pellets than with less. Maybe the additional pellets restrict the channeling more so the upflow becomes more efficient. Either way it's a good thing if it continues.

 

[Snookster]

update: I've been using mine since Aug and my HA is finally gone. I still see some cyano on the glass. I also have a little brysopsis. But I think with my small bioload, I have more phosphates than nitrates. I have a sneaky suspicion that I have a rock or 2 that leak some PO4.

I've been feeding well, but not heavy, all my coral seem to be happy with great polyp extension. On that note, my NO3 is still at 0 and the skimmer is certainly pulling some nastier crap than before. I need to get a meter for PO4 since the chem test doesn't measure anything.

After 4 months of eval, I'm certainly leaving them online. I will probably add GFO back when I get ambitious enough.

 

[thebanker]

snookster, thanks for the update. I'm almost 2 months in, and I think the Vertex pellets have made coral grow faster, but algae also grows faster than it did before. I really can't tell what's happening in there.

Are there any tanks that absolutely, positively, have flawless results on pellets? Some guys have great before & afters with vodka. I just haven't seen anything of the same caliber with pellets. I mean, I'm a believer in solid carbon dosing... but...

 

[DJREEF]

snookster, thanks for the update. I'm almost 2 months in, and I think the Vertex pellets have made coral grow faster, but algae also grows faster than it did before. I really can't tell what's happening in there.

Are there any tanks that absolutely, positively, have flawless results on pellets? Some guys have great before & afters with vodka. I just haven't seen anything of the same caliber with pellets. I mean, I'm a believer in solid carbon dosing... but...

I'm becoming of the opinion that not all carbon dosing is equal, and this certainly holds true of solid carbon dosing. I wish someone would do a study comparing the different types with as close to identical systems (as impossible as that may sound) as possible. I'm finding that my PLA sources don't seem to be breaking down in salt water. They obviously aren't culturing bacteria, so whether or not this is a saltwater issue, or a formulary issue I don't know. I'm currently testing to see if they'll decompose in my compost bed to at least verify if the formulary deconstructs in that type of environment.

DJ

 

[thebanker]

I'm becoming of the opinion that not all carbon dosing is equal, and this certainly holds true of solid carbon dosing. I wish someone would do a study comparing the different types with as close to identical systems (as impossible as that may sound) as possible. I'm finding that my PLA sources don't seem to be breaking down in salt water. They obviously aren't culturing bacteria, so whether or not this is a saltwater issue, or a formulary issue I don't know. I'm currently testing to see if they'll decompose in my compost bed to at least verify if the formulary deconstructs in that type of environment.

DJ

It's not impossible. If you had multiple tanks with no livestock, and you dosed each tank with equal parts of potassium nitrate, some sort of phosphate, etc, you could run the experiment with a control group.

PLA is polylactic acid, right? What PLA are you using? I thought you were using Vertex pellets (PHA).

My other question is, how do you know when your pellets are culturing bacteria? I have had no hazy water (very slight, it could have been psycho-somatic), and the only thing I can definitely see is more skimmate, that's smellier. But how accurate is that?

I'm in love with the idea of solid carbon dosing, because it's a sexy concept, but the proof isn't yet in the pudding for me. My old system was a modified berlin / ecosystem method and it worked very well - basically zero pest algaes, and decent coral growth.

 

[DJREEF]

It's not impossible. If you had multiple tanks with no livestock, and you dosed each tank with equal parts of potassium nitrate, some sort of phosphate, etc, you could run the experiment with a control group.

PLA is polylactic acid, right? What PLA are you using? I thought you were using Vertex pellets (PHA).

My other question is, how do you know when your pellets are culturing bacteria? I have had no hazy water (very slight, it could have been psycho-somatic), and the only thing I can definitely see is more skimmate, that's smellier. But how accurate is that?

I'm in love with the idea of solid carbon dosing, because it's a sexy concept, but the proof isn't yet in the pudding for me. My old system was a modified berlin / ecosystem method and it worked very well - basically zero pest algaes, and decent coral growth.

I'm actually using both. My source is NatureWorks Polymer PLA. I'm also running the EcoBak pellets. The smellier skimmate is a tell tale sign that additional bacteria is making it's way into the collection cup, so yea, I'm thinking that it's working.

DJ

 

[thebanker]

I removed all the GHA growth from my powerheads, just in case they were acting as bacterial "nets" that caught dead stuff and created more nitrates etc. I'm giving the pellets until 12/31, and if they don't cut the mustard, I'm going to vodka.