Bio-pellet reactor

[Paul B]

I built a bio reactor just for the heck of it. I think they are a silly invention and I don't need one but they look so cool that I needed to build one. I have all the building materials laying around so it only took an hour. Now I need to get some bio pellets and install the thing.
It will also not need a pump as the pump that feeds my skimmer will supply this and the skimmer and the algae filter. I may also connect that same pump to feed my Reverse UG filter, but I don't want to get to carried away. It is just a hobby and I like building things. :dance:

 

[Mattl22]

Hi pAul where do u get the acrylic cylinder? How do u thread the acrylic? Would love to build one for carbon and phosban !

 

[SteveZ15]

I like the old microscope

 

[Paul B]

The microscope is an antique, but I use it all the time.
I get the acrylic at a plexiglass place in New Rochelle. I think it is exit 16 on 95
Plastic works or something like that. It is the exit after Home Depot and just before the toll. It is right after the exit, just make a right and it is two blocks.
I just got some tubeing from them. You thread it with the same thing you thread metal with, a tap. I have a 1/2" pipe tap to make the 1/2" pipe threads.
I can lend you any tools you need as I live 5 minutes from you

 

[Mattl22]

Thanks Paul I've been meaning to check out ur tank for ever maybe in the fall when things slow down?

 

[Paul B]

This thing is finished and I tested it in a bucket. I just need to get one fitting (a union) and I will install it. Maybe I will put LEDs in it just for extra coolness. :thrash:

 

[Paul B]

As I said, it is mostly the coolness thing that matters and not if the thing actually does anything as I think it is a silly invention. I doubt the bacteria care or even know about it or what they are supposed to do. They probably look at those pellets all spinning around and get dizzy. I bet some of them even puke and we don't want bacteria puke in our reefs as it causes cyanobacteria, diatoms or even black ich. I may even install blue LEDs in mine to increase the coolness factor by at least a factor of five.

My tank runs fine with the nitrates at 40, if I lowered them much it would probably crash. As I am sure you know, I don't buy into the high nitrates/phosphates, global warming, 30 oz. soda's, or hamburger helper affects our reefs negatively as many nice looking tanks have high levels of "most" of those things. I would like my nitrates to run about 20 but I am still experimenting with these higher levels. So far I see no problems. Besides the coolness factor, I built this thing just for fun and to see if it really does anything or is just, as I presume, a silly, but really cool looking, high priced, hunk of acrylic.
In my case I feel my undergravel filter is the secret as it has functioned for so long and I never needed these funky devices.
But if I don't have one,I can't get into these complicated, and heated discussions of the pro's and con's of it.
If I could afford it I would put a manta ray in my tank (a small one) to see if they are reef safe and more important to see if it's tail would scratch my ceiling.
I have it running now in fresh water just to test for leaks and also to check if I lose any pellets out the top. I lost some but It seems when the pellets are new, they have air in them and tend to float, that abates in a few minutes and may not even be a problem in salt water. Maybe this week I will install it permanently in my tank for a test. I have the regular pellets that you are supposed to use for now. My LFS owed me a Janss pipefish and could not get it, then he owed me a cool gobi, (I forgot the name) and he could not get that, then he was supposed to get me another dragon pipefish and that fell through, so I said give me some pellets. That he could get. So being I had these silly pellets and they don't taste to good, I built a reactor to put them in. Now I will have to get a nitrate test kit
(and it breaks my heart) to test it. As you mentioned, it may be bad for my tank, but as you know, my tank is and has always been an experiment and if it crashes, it has a good run. I need to learn all about these things. I want to know everything, but some of us are getting older, and that knowledge has a way of leaving us as we age. No one here of course. :shhh:

 

[NYreefNoob]

paul what size bag of pellets did you get, i ran the pellets for almost two years with no issue's, i will say that it does drop your alk though

 

[Paul B]

The bag is 400ml. It will fill my reactor probably three times. I would not know if it affects my alk as I have not tested alk in many years.
I don't generally like anything that changes anything because when I used to worry about such things as parameters, and I would tweek them, my tank never looked so bad. I have found that the parameters that we generally test for are stable as long as we don't mess with them. If this thing screws up anything, I will take it apart and use it for a pooper scooper. Of course I will have to first get a dog and I don't see one in my future. :catsmiley
No, no cats either but I will make something out of it as my house is filled with partially built and re constructed devices. :shhh:

 

[Paul B]

What do you know, the thing works. Here it is with just a few pellets in it as it is just a test.
an experiment and I am not sure if I will leave the thing in there or for how long. One pump feeds the reactor then the skimmer, then the algae trough
Here is a video.

 

[vio]

Not sure if works Paul ,are you using the proper screen, the foam ones would resist flow (or clog fast). The reactors best suited for bio pellets are the ones that the input is on the bottom, you get better flow then. If the pellets are established , then the clumping can lead to hydrogen sulphide formation, you will be able to smell "eggs" if that happens.Need all pellets to move.
While this is somewhat of topic, do you run a protein skimmer?, not only do you need the extra oxygenation but the only way to truly remove the nutrients is to skim out the biofilm and when i say Protein Skimmer, must be the best.Now the good news
"New ! NP Reducing BioPellets XL



NP Reducing BioPellets XL


We managed to create a new kind of biopellet that doesn?t need to fluidized. Same material, different shape, same function. Due to the curly shape of the pellet you can place these pellet in any kind of filter with high flow rate.

Both NP Reducing BioPellets contain 100% pure biologically degradable polymers and contain no fillers or anti-oxidantes which can be harmful for your animals. Color and shape may vary per batch. Some NP Reducing BioPellets XL can contain some small black spots, this is normal and doesn?t compromise the function of the pellets." C/P if u still got the old Biopellets use that schematic design, in my poinion. Vio

 

[Paul B]

The thing is fed from the bottom. The reason the pellets don't move much in that video is because that is when I just installed it to see if it leaked. There are marbles on the bottom and I laid the thing down before I turned it on and the marbles all want to the side. The marbles are for weighting down the screen. It works great now and remember, it is just an experiment like everything else I do. I really don't care if it works or not as I just built it for fun and am not sure how long I will let it run. It is connected to a large homemade skimmer. The tank ran fine for over 40 years without it, but I think it is a cool experiment.

 

[vio]

Please post pic. about " large homemade skimmer " i love to see it. Thank You.

 

[Paul B]

 

[Paul B]

Vio, those new pellets look cool. I am working on designing my own pellets, but it will take some time.

 

[NYreefNoob]

paul just let the output of the pellets near the intake of the skimmer, i ran pellets for almost two years with success as well as other carbon dosing sources, pellets was easiest for me cause i didnt have to remember to dose daily, if you would ever like to discuss the pellets lmk i did a few things diffrent then most and really didnt put to much effort into the thread in reguards to it

While this is somewhat of topic, do you run a protein skimmer?, not only do you need the extra oxygenation but the only way to truly remove the nutrients is to skim out the biofilm and when i say Protein Skimmer, must be the best

lol and what would be the best skimmer ? ive had 30 plus skimmers

 

[Paul B]

The best skimmer is an "Urchin Searchin" skimmer. That is my company and I built it. (I don't sell them)
I built many of them and never bought one and never will. If I can't build something, I don't need it as no one knows what is best for my tank as well as I do and I have been building skimmers before there were skimmers. Actually i did have a Sanders Skimmer in the 70s.
This 4' model is a venturi model (also home made) and it runs with ozone. That silly bio reactor is plumbed into the inlet side of it and out of the skimmer it flows over a 5' algae trough. One pump is used for all of it but the skimmer has an extra pump for the venturi.

This pellet thing is just an experiment and mostly for fun, I don't really need it and when I get tired of it, I will tear it apart and build something else out of the parts. :p

 

[vio]

paul just let the output of the pellets near the intake of the skimmer, i ran pellets for almost two years with success as well as other carbon dosing sources, pellets was easiest for me cause i didnt have to remember to dose daily, if you would ever like to discuss the pellets lmk i did a few things diffrent then most and really didnt put to much effort into the thread in reguards to it


lol and what would be the best skimmer ? ive had 30 plus skimmers

ATB, in my opinion , also Volcano (for big tanks)

 

[vio]

Wow,wow that Super Skimmer.
"This pellet thing is just an experiment and mostly for fun, I don't really need it and when I get tired of it, I will tear it apart and build something else out of the parts" ha,ha funny,lol.

 

[Paul B]

OK so I had to build a new surface skimmer because I built a bio pellet reactor and the plumbing wasn't condusive for the surface skimmer. I used the old top from the last surface skimmer. This one has an adjustment in it so that I can turn a screw and adjust the water level inside the device. Most of the water enters from the screen at the bottom. There is an adjustable screw above it that is accessable with a screwdriver from the top. The rest of the water overflows in a very thin film over the floating part at the top with the floats. I replaced the stainless steel hardware with nylon because the stainless was to heavy and it didn't float correctly.

The offset tube goes up to the bio pellet reactor, then to the protein skimmer, then to the algae trough. At all works with one pump.