- Location
- Westchester, N.Y
Duke, how much egg crate you got in your tank. Heard phosphate leaks out of that stuff.
Thinking of switching to bio pellets
- Thread starter duke62
- Start date
- Location
- Maryland
I'm not sure a Two Little Fishies reactor, if you're talking about a Phos Ban reactor, would be the best for bio-pellets. The pellets need to churn around, which removes excessive bacterial film, and pushes it out of the reactor so that your skimmer can remove it.
A couple of important tips: Make sure your biopellet reactor dumps into a skimmer chamber, or is directly hooked up to your skimmer's intake. Since a biopellet reactor is full of anaerobic bacteria, if that bacteria makes its way into your display, it can begin generating thick discolored film throughout your tank. (similar to a cyanobacteria outbreak)
You will need to dose the reactor, for at least several weeks, with an anaerobic bacteria booster. I prefer Continuum Aquatics Micro Bacter MD. I would also suggest a soluble carbon source, just until the bacteria gets thick within the reactor. I prefer Red Sea's PO4/NO3 reducer myself.
NO3 dosing is typically used in systems where filtration strips the water of nitrate. The best way to prevent low nutrient systems from causing problems with your corals, is to dose a variety of ammino acids. These do raise nitrates, but get the coral the nutrition it needs, instead of simply adding extra waste.
You may want to consider adding a CO2 reactor to your skimmer's air intake. Since biopellets and the stuff needed to cycle them, are carbon sources, they do have an effect on alkalinity and thus ph. A carbon reactor can ensure that air pulled in through your skimmer is co2 free.
If your looking for a low nutrient system, that handles both p04 and no3 well, and can provide very good conditions for corals, you may want to consider zeovit over biopellets.
A couple of important tips: Make sure your biopellet reactor dumps into a skimmer chamber, or is directly hooked up to your skimmer's intake. Since a biopellet reactor is full of anaerobic bacteria, if that bacteria makes its way into your display, it can begin generating thick discolored film throughout your tank. (similar to a cyanobacteria outbreak)
You will need to dose the reactor, for at least several weeks, with an anaerobic bacteria booster. I prefer Continuum Aquatics Micro Bacter MD. I would also suggest a soluble carbon source, just until the bacteria gets thick within the reactor. I prefer Red Sea's PO4/NO3 reducer myself.
NO3 dosing is typically used in systems where filtration strips the water of nitrate. The best way to prevent low nutrient systems from causing problems with your corals, is to dose a variety of ammino acids. These do raise nitrates, but get the coral the nutrition it needs, instead of simply adding extra waste.
You may want to consider adding a CO2 reactor to your skimmer's air intake. Since biopellets and the stuff needed to cycle them, are carbon sources, they do have an effect on alkalinity and thus ph. A carbon reactor can ensure that air pulled in through your skimmer is co2 free.
If your looking for a low nutrient system, that handles both p04 and no3 well, and can provide very good conditions for corals, you may want to consider zeovit over biopellets.
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- Location
- Dingmans ferry PA
I got a reef octopus bio pellet reactor and pellets are all set up. I have it directly to my skimmer and already started adding microbacter7 to it's intake. I am still dosing vodka in the mean time as well. Not doing zeovit because I'm not looking to spend 150 dollars a month in supplements 
. After I wrote this thread I researched everything I could about bio pellets. My tank calls for 800ml and I started with 200ml and every 2 weeks will be adding 200ml more
. After I wrote this thread I researched everything I could about bio pellets. My tank calls for 800ml and I started with 200ml and every 2 weeks will be adding 200ml more
I play w/Bio Pellets for long time, take me time to realize , how to use, feed the reactor from dedicate pump, try to avoid aggressive flow, try to avoid bang to the walls, is not a secret reactor become a hachering machine, the goal is to create the Biomass (the white clear film) around BP, this help to make cells for bacteria , then bacteria start to multiply, for bacteria to grow , need both Nitrate +PO4 ( that way , when PO4 wont go down , you have to balance , by add more nitrate) then when bacteria got mature (old) will die , then need to be OUT, some how, but NOT necessary to connect the output reactor to intake Protein Skimmer, buy connected direct to Protein Skimmer will be a huge chance to push OUT, the young (live bacteria) by this you denimize the efficiency of BP reactor, old (dead bacteria) will be push by flow all around, some corals will consume, clam (i use to have Derasa 9") sponges, water filters like Coco worm, some bacteria will stay on main tank, keeping healthy Bio-system, that the reason i like Flow,Flow,Flow, the old (dead bacteria ) will end up on Berlin Sock filters and no matter what , end in Protein Skimmer any way. List that my opinion and the link. http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/warner-marine/149859-ecobak-plus-bio-pellets.html
I got a reef octopus bio pellet reactor and pellets are all set up. I have it directly to my skimmer and already started adding microbacter7 to it's intake. I am still dosing vodka in the mean time as well. Not doing zeovit because I'm not looking to spend 150 dollars a month in supplements
How u like the BioPeletts ?!
- Location
- bayonne / nj
- Location
- Dingmans ferry PA
Tell you honestly haven't noticed any change in no3 since I started using them
- Location
- Ronkonkoma, NY
- Location
- Dingmans ferry PA
Nope no difference
- Location
- Dingmans ferry PA
I just changed my rowaphos because my po4 went up to .10
To be honest, the only one i got the bigger success, was......http://npbiopellets.dvh-import.com/......no ATB, EcoBak,BRS,Vertex,TLF etc. now if you go back in Rowa is even worst, Bacteria need both ,Nitrate and PO4 to exist , may be because , you connect the output direct to Protein Skimmer, may be the BP Reactor was to small for you system , i mean like water volume, NOT how much BP use ( 800 gr.) some start to work after 4-6 weeks. Also low Alk. like 8-8.5 dK.
- Location
- Dingmans ferry PA
No the reactor is rated up to 300 gallons. I followed everything to a T from numerous forums on how to run the bio pellet reactor. I see no change to what I was doing 2 months ago
i buy all Tonga from Ming ( Moderator) i decide to bleach, then i run fresh water in 30 gal. conteiner for 2 weeks (24/7), the when i do water change, i use that water, i dose Vodka to drop the PO4, then when i make my new AquaS, i still have PO4 + major Algae , i think from dead stuff inside the Rocks, my BioPeletts can make it, i end up to dose some ZeoStart 3 ( some expensive Vinegar, i now you not like it) like 3 ml a day, finaly now i am around 0.04 , when i gone see 0.00 i will stop the Zeo, then let the BP Reactor to do the rest. For me Rowa is the last solution.
- Location
- Connecticut
It may be heresy, but I question whether bacteria need that much orthophosphate. I would not expect much phosphate reduction when dosing carbon. Reduction of ammonia and nitrates is behind the original idea of dosing. GFO is the method for reducing orthophosphates, right? Or am I off base on this?
Dan i am glad you jump in, i hope you will spend more time to study this issue, i mean PO4, i wish you could open one thread about, i try to avoid GFO or AOG (aluminium oxide granule ) or any dif. form , i like to go "Bacteria" and Macro Algae, not sure what is the right balance between those.
http://www.zeovitusa.com/zeostart-3-500ml/
http://www.zeovitusa.com/zeostart-3-500ml/
- Location
- Connecticut
- Location
- Bellmore, NY
There was a great reef threads podcast this past week on the subject of nutrients. One of the things brought up were levels of iron in correlation to the amount of algae, citing Richard Ross' high phosphate reef tank as an example.
- Location
- Connecticut
You would think I'd know my around by now! Where is the link to that podcast. Thanks! Dan
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