Zeo vs Bio pellet reactor

fullmonti

fullmonti

now is the time
I have been using a Zeo reactor.

I have been hearing good things about Bio pellets in a reactor.

It sounds like they are both reducing nutrients, & increasing bacteria growth.

So if both are good, would using both be to much of a good thing? I know this is one of those times when a simple question requires a complicated answer, & possibly more questions. Would like to hear some thoughts on the subject.

If this should be in reef chemistry, pls move it there
thanks Jim
 
It should be asked on the Zeo forum.. I know what they are going to say though... Zeo only.. If you need bio pellets when you are running Zeo IMO something isnt right. The thing that appeals to me about the bio pellets is its ease of use. No pumping the stones.
 
Actually I don't need the bio pellets at all. Nutrients levels in my system are stable & really low. I don't like using the zeo site because your right they seem to think zeo is do all end all system. It took me along time to short through all the different ways of doing things in a sps tank. I still use the zeo reactor & a little zeo carbon, extra & sponge power but thats all.

I suspect that using both would be to much of a good thing. So I guess my real question is what is the difference between them? Is there a real difference or are they doing the same thing just in a different way? Or is there some real benefit in the bio pellets, like more bacteria production for the corals to eat? I kinda have an idea how the bio pellet reactor works just could use some more info on it.
 
Every tank has a different nutrient load, so it's hard to predict how the pellets would work in your system. I'd leave the setup as is if I was happy with it. The pellets are new and some people report problems with them.
 
Thank you for the reply but I still would like to know what differences there are between a zeo reactor & bio pellets in a reactor? I think there must be others wondering the same thing
 
My take on it is that there is not much of a difference at all between the two systems except for the carbon source used, medium used to colonize bacteria, and the addition of live bacteria. Both systems operate under similar approaches. However, the zeovit system doses a carbon source which consists of an unknown formulation. Zeovit uses zeolites to colonize the bacteria. Zeovit also doses live bacteria consisting of an unknown formulation. The pellet system uses the pellets to both serve as a carbon source and a medium to colonize bacteria. Most pellet systems, however, do not involve the dosing of any live bacteria. However, that is starting to change, and several of the pellet makers are now endorsing the concept of also dosing live bacteria. As such, the two systems share many similarities. It is difficult to make any comparision between the two because we just do not know the formulation of various components of the zeovit system.
 
The pellets are made of a bio-degradable plastic, and serve as the carbon source. There's lots of Zeo media, but the one I think you're discussing is a zeolite, which for our purposes is just artificial live rock. The Zeo system includes a liquid carbon supplement, much like vodka dosing.
 
I think there is something totally missed here and thought I would chime in incase the posters hadn't gone on to read more. Zeolit media is used for ion exchange. They suck ammonia out of water column before it converts into Nitrite and Nitrate. If the system could handle X amount of Nitrate in the past and isn't able to keep up with it adding Zeolit reduces the amount of Nitrate that will ever be present and what ever is left the system is often more then capable of.(depending on how much media you use and a million other variables)

The downside to Zeo media (NeoZeo or KZ's Zeolite or whatever else) is that it sucks potassium out of the water as well. Most hobbyist forget there is even potassium in the water column and certainly don't have a test kit for it, but if you plan on using a zeolit media you better pick up a test kit and a bottle/dry container of potassium.

I would certainly not say Zeolit is just like live rock. They are very different and I don't know a lot of people who occasionally change 25% of their rock because it can no longer absorb ammonium.

I'm no expert on this, but in an attempt to figure this stuff out I ran across this thread and thought I should post so it isn't anyone else's first and last source for information. Read on elsewhere.
 
I believe that if by ion exchange the zeolith systems imply binds up ammonium then the zeolites would be saturated and need changing in hours. However the medium does seem to encourage and aid bacteria to pick up ammonium from the zeolite rather than fishing for it from the water column. There is prodigious growth of bacteria on the 'magic stones' in my experience.

However I am planning to run pellets as the K depletion is a nuisance, and I no long er use stones and hope these can replace my liquid carbon dosing (Fauna Marin Ultra bak) in a lower maintenance stable way. I do think tho' that I am going to need to continue to feed the corals as you would need to do with Zeo, Ultralith or whatever.
 
I still really need to find a good K test kit. I purchased the "high resolution" kit from Elos and the resolution appears to be worthless.
 
Actually, the ion exchange doesn't work in saltwater. It's effectively just live rock. There's lots of posts on this if you want to do more reading. There are competing ions in saltwater interfere with the adsorption by binding more strongly to the media. I think sodium is one of the prime culprits here.
 
Zeovit is a whole system

biopellets strip the water from nutritions.

Zeovit, you have a reactor as a bacteria column, (place to grow bacteria) as bertoni said, like LR. bacteria or mulm grows there, taking up N and P, then we shake the zeovit reactor, releasing this "Mulm" or bacteria into water, which can be used as corals and fish as food, and then we try to remove the left overs. see how this is different from pellets ? the output of pellets goes right onto skimmer ! it does not produce the aggregates Zeo does !

now with Zeovit, we have a different crbon source, we we decide how much to add, unlike biopellets ! so we try to find the best balance for C needed to remove the N and P from wter to reach best coloration's in SPS ...

of course, my chances of being wrong are high :)
 
bertoni I'm not sure this is the case at all. Why would people continue to buy these medias if it was just like live rock. The manufacturers are dead wrong in starting the media absorbed ammonium???(is what your stating) I'd like to hear more about this.
 
I have read in books and heard from well respected people with scientific study background that zeolite doesn't absorb ammonia in a salt water environment. Not saying zeolite doesn't have other benefits in the Zeovit system, it just doesn't respond the same in salt water as it does in fresh water.
 
Funny how a thread can be dormant for months then come back to life?
Also funny the on going debate about how zeo system works, or if it works, or if it's needed at all. For those of us with out a science background all the different takes on how to have a heathy reef tank can be hard to sift through. But we/I appreciate the input, & keep it up.
Jim
 
Gamble please tell me the name of the books you've read this in and the author. Seriously not trying to call you our on anything just prefer to check my information in more the one source for myself. Surely you understand that you wouldn't take the word of any random person on the forum as factual.
I don't like to use something just because it work with out understanding it. What works in one system may not in another and what works now could cause serious issues down the road. I like to know what I am doing and not play with the lives of the animals in my tank.
 
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