Who uses bio pellets

I am using it since about month and half... My tank is only three month old and I have 20+ Nitrate and couldnt get it down... did lots of water changes too... After putting bio-pellet my nitrate went down to 0 in two week time... however I have green hair algae (not Much) in the tank so not sure if that has to do with anything...

I rather have bio-pellet and change out every six month or so than doing carbon dosing everyday... my skimmer works much better after bio-pellet in the sump with it as well... I have out put from the reactor to go back on top of skimmer pump... I heard thats better for set up too... hope this help but my tank is brand new... i heard some tank crash and stuff...
 
I just took my biopellets off line. I worked at it since December with break outs of hair algae and cyano and my sps not looking so hot. I dosed zeobak, mb7, water changes and just could not get nitrates below 20. I read extensively on rc central and it appears that there are some successes but lots of those with tank crashes, etc.

Today I added a refugium and will go that way for a while.
 
jhutto;667957 wrote: I just took my biopellets off line. I worked at it since December with break outs of hair algae and cyano and my sps not looking so hot. I dosed zeobak, mb7, water changes and just could not get nitrates below 20. I read extensively on rc central and it appears that there are some successes but lots of those with tank crashes, etc.

Today I added a refugium and will go that way for a while.

There are still a lot of unknowns in regard to carbon dosing and bacterial driven systems from what I understand.

I HAVE had success with ZEOBAK in the past, but it was SO MUCH to keep up with and got really REALLY expensive long term.

I think there is a lot of room to experiment in this area of the hobby, and I wouldn't doubt if it becomes a mainstay.. much the way that using a skimmer has... in the next 10 years or so.

B
 
I use them in the powerbuy reactor that I got a couple months ago...

I ran out of nitrate test kits, so I haven't had a chance to see where they are.. (but the tank is growing like crazy)
 
Rbredding;667992 wrote: I use them in the powerbuy reactor that I got a couple months ago...

I ran out of nitrate test kits, so I haven't had a chance to see where they are.. (but the tank is growing like crazy)

Previous to running the biopellets... were you dosing any bacteria? Do you now? Or do you just run the pellets?

I have a BRS single media reactor.. .would that work ?

B
 
no dosing of any kind (previously or since)..

I dont think that would work.. to keep the pellets tumbling you really need a bit of a concentrated stream.. (I've seen a reactor using an Eductor work REALLY well - that can probably be made at home..)
 
I have been using Marine Bio Pearls from the UK for 4 months now in areactor.
I decided to go that route instead on pellets after all the research I did for a month. My nitrates were 20+ before starting and are undetectable now for the last month using red sea pro low level test kit. After I got nitrates to undetectable level, I added Rowaphos in a reactor to bring my phosphates to undetectable from .25.
No HA, no cyano, no reduction in ph like you can get with pellets.
I have had good success with the pearls, took it slow and am happy with the results. Skimmer went nuts and is still pulling dark green to brown gunk out of my water column. Coraline algae went nuts too.
 
SnowManSnow;668004 wrote: Previous to running the biopellets... were you dosing any bacteria? Do you now? Or do you just run the pellets?

I have a BRS single media reactor.. .would that work ?

B


Brs makes a different cylinder to put in the reactor, I just got one today. It looks a little different and you dont use the sponges.
 
Smallblock;668027 wrote: Brs makes a different cylinder to put in the reactor, I just got one today. It looks a little different and you dont use the sponges.

+1

I just recently purchased one as well and was going to give the pellets a shot.
 
gregoryleonard;668023 wrote: I have been using Marine Bio Pearls from the UK for 4 months now in areactor.
I decided to go that route instead on pellets after all the research I did for a month. My nitrates were 20+ before starting and are undetectable now for the last month using red sea pro low level test kit. After I got nitrates to undetectable level, I added Rowaphos in a reactor to bring my phosphates to undetectable from .25.
No HA, no cyano, no reduction in ph like you can get with pellets.
I have had good success with the pearls, took it slow and am happy with the results. Skimmer went nuts and is still pulling dark green to brown gunk out of my water column. Coraline algae went nuts too.

I have read in several places to put the OUTPUT FROM THE BIO reactor close to the INPUT OF THE SKIMMER? Is this true? ...

If so.. then I'm understanding that the "doing" takes places inside the reactor... then outputs...

Just trying to figure why to suck the water back into the skimmer to have things removed that the bio pellets put INTO the system..

I'm sure somethin is wrong with my logic here..

someone help me out
 
It allows the skimmer to pick off the excess nitrate laden bacteria. That is the theory.
 
Smallblock;668027 wrote: Brs makes a different cylinder to put in the reactor, I just got one today. It looks a little different and you dont use the sponges.

Problem is that I'm not sure my reactor would be large enough... ... I THINK I'll need 3 cups of the pellets for 150g ? is that right?
 
SnowManSnow;668095 wrote: I have read in several places to put the OUTPUT FROM THE BIO reactor close to the INPUT OF THE SKIMMER? Is this true? ...

If so.. then I'm understanding that the "doing" takes places inside the reactor... then outputs...

Just trying to figure why to suck the water back into the skimmer to have things removed that the bio pellets put INTO the system..

I'm sure somethin is wrong with my logic here..

someone help me out

I have my output of my reactor going straight into the skimmer input and allow the skimmer to remove the excess that is produced by the bacteria so you minimize the possibility of an algae bloom inside your dt. The skimmer will pull out the "mulm" as they say from the reactor and not have it in the dt like what can happen with vodka dosing. Type in Marine Bio Pearls in yahoo search engine and read the links to get all the info you could want on solid carbon dosing.
 
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