Thinking of switching to bio pellets

[greg 45]

I have given up on pellets and went to a methanol dosing system
there is a explination on ed's post about pellets

 

[pecan2phat]

I've been using BP on a fish dominated system for a little over 4 years now and in my experience, it can reduce a ton of No3 (like 200 ppm) but will do little to nada for Po4. In my case, not even anywhere near the Redfield ratio.

 

[Mattl22]

I have given up on pellets also If I ran a softie or lps tank I'd run them and never do a wc but I had no sucess with them with sps for whatever reason there r a few guys who have found the sweet spot with them but I'd say the majority of guys end up pulling them then it takes time for ur system to readjust

 

[vio]

Is NOT about Bio-pellets, it is HOW to use ( # 1 will be the Reactor design then #2 is the right move of Bio-pellets) i find very few guys, that use the right way, in You tube. This is one ,good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMJhkclsXHc

if you watch the bottom of the reactor, it is some kind off bang to the edge, that why i said if use round bottom, will increase the move w/out bang, you don't want to be aggressive move, have to be gentle move, then efficiency go up to the sky, by using only 1/2 they suggest.Tthat biomass , have to stay around pellets ( like white film) , any way this guy from Video , is close to the point.

http://npbiopellets.dvh-import.com/index.php/How-it-works.html

 

[Dan_P]

Well po4 is on the rise now. Thats why im planning on doing the switch now. My po4 is at .07. My nitrates are at .05 but thats the normal. It dont really get to much higher then that. Im only planning on using 200ml of pellets to begin with with 180 total water volume.

Are you having issues with algae or cyano?

 

[Dan_P]

Is NOT about Bio-pellets, it is HOW to use ( # 1 will be the Reactor design then #2 is the right move of Bio-pellets) i find very few guys, that use the right way, in You tube. This is one ,good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMJhkclsXHc

if you watch the bottom of the reactor, it is some kind off bang to the edge, that why i said if use round bottom, will increase the move w/out bang, you don't want to be aggressive move, have to be gentle move, then efficiency go up to the sky, by using only 1/2 they suggest.Tthat biomass , have to stay around pellets ( like white film) , any way this guy from Video , is close to the point.

http://npbiopellets.dvh-import.com/index.php/How-it-works.html

Very good video but he forgot to mention that bio-pellets might fail to consume phosphates if nitrates are too low. You may have to dose nitrates! Ran across this notion in my cyano research. Also, some users saw increases cyano bacteria growth but I did not study those threads.

In Duke's case, he might use bio-pellets to no avail.

 

[vio]

After i try so many way to control the PO4, i come to one conclusion .
Bio-pellets
Now ,there r Pro. and Cons.

Pro.
I never , got a better success to control the PO4 safe , no spikes .
My clams never grow better, sponges ,my Coco worm grow 1 1/4 in few months
Price cost low (compare GFO) i prefer http://npbiopellets.dvh-import.com/
Cons.
Need to understand , how BP work.
Need 1/2 Gal. up reactor (depend size of the tank)
Need all Bio-Pellets to move nice and slow, just like dancing, NOT to be grind by reactor walls or move to slow (clog)
Never shot of the pumps (for hours)
Keep same flow all the time .
Do Not use sponge (will clog)
May need balance, start 1/2 they suggest
Need good Protein Skimmer.
Very few Reactors works well.
My best reactor, was the one w/flash light reflector in the bottom, help to move ALL Bio-Pellets , easy , melts all in same time, keep the biomass, around pellets.

Dan u right, that way i said , may need balance, i now lots of ppl. add Flourish Nitrogen , until PO4 go down to Zero , then stop add, most of reef tanks start to got Cyno ,when over dose Carbon (even Vodka etc.) for some reason most of the ppl. got sand or lots of sand got big chance of Cyno. A good way ,start 1/2 they suggest. http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewi...tm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=adwordsfroogle&utm

 

[motortrendz]

i have seen some advertising of AIO Bio pellets, that are suposedly for both nitrates and po4, i have no idea how they work.. just figured id throw that out there... http://reefbuilders.com/2014/05/12/biopellets/

 

[vio]

Very soon i gone build one , same reactor i give to u. I already order All in one Bio-Peletts.

 

[vio]

Very soon i gone build one , same reactor i give to u. I already order All in one Bio-Peletts.

I already make it, need some mod. but so far , i think , i am in the right direction, i will open a post in DIY. Vio.

 

[tunicata]

Hm, I finished reading all 7pgs of that AIO thread. Very inconclusive results from what the MFG is posting and what actual users are posting.

The general trend I see is that the bag and MFG says product should work in 3-4 wks from an already low PO4 range, so no miracles. But that from there it should keep levels undetectable using a Salifert kit.

There were a few people/users posting that in LESS time they say lowered lvls of both PO4 and NO3. Some say only lowered NO3. Those folks aren't reporting any major negatives outside of that.

The remaining users (seemed majority of those that have bothered to post results) that posted shows that most people after 8+ wks are not seeing a significant PO4 change, or their NO3 and PO4 lvls are much higher than when they used pellets+gfo alone. Many have posted nuisance algae issues.
Most people posting this data were testing with Hanna UL P04 instrument and were using real biopellet reactors.

One other posted concern with these pellets is the fact that the GFO portion of the pellet (this product is mainly the regular biopellet carbon source mixed with GFO btw)
can crumble and enter into the system, so similar to gfo , the powder portion of the AIO can dissolve out and generate a level of particulate matter in the water colomn or you can find it in the skimmer dep. on how you have it set up.

I would only switch to AIO if this product actually surpassed GFO in bringing down PO4. and did it in such a way that I did not have to then employ nitrate dosing in order to have this be as easy a feat as possible. I run my reactors off of my manifold so it's actually no big deal to have two reactors running. I mainly care about the price of GFO!!

 

[mbg75]

I been running ecobak pellets almost a year now. Did a lot of reading before I started.
Ecobak pellets seem to have the least problems.

Start off with 1/4 of recommended dose. Add another 1/4 every 2 weeks until at full capacity for water volume.
Ecobak requires a gentle tumble.
Cyano means there is an imbalance and you should slow the flow.
Reactor output must feed into skimmer. This shouldn't be overlooked.
You need a low range nitrate test like the Red Sea, And a low range phos tester.

 

[vio]

i run Ecoback plus pellets, i like it, the output of the reactor is close to Protein Skimmer, but NOT direct connection , also Macro Algae , NO GFO, i build many, reactors, i think the main key , is the flow inside reactor, the way pellets move, that the key , in my opinion, connect the Bio Pellets reactor to manifold , i think is wrong, huge chance to kill all bacteria , depend how long the return pump is OFF, i use to dose Vinegar,Vodka i like better Bio Pellets, problem is when u mess w/pump or OFF (to long) or clog pump, that way i decide to build dif. Bio=Pellets Reactor (see DIY) , i post this link, see post # 20.

http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/warner-marine/149859-ecobak-plus-bio-pellets.html

 

[duke62]

Got a reactor

 

[Marek-S]

Tagging alone,
I was thinking of using BP myself - never got into it yet, wonder how they gonna work in you're system and if you be able to reduce the use of GFO completely - but it will take close to two months before they really start to work
Keep us posted

 

[vio]

Nice, this is Model: BR-1000ss ? What kind of Bio-Pellets u intend to use ?

 

[duke62]

I'm using TLF bio plastic pellets. Got it up and running. My size tank calls for 800 ml I started with 200ml

 

[vio]

The problem w/BP , they don't like to be disturb , now run the 200ml. then add 300 more , to 500 ml. in few weeks you shut see some improvement.

 

[duke62]

No only going up 200 at a time ever 2 weeks

 

[vio]

How , you gone deal w/Vodka ? u stop it ? or go slow down, just curios.