Let's hear from Biopellet user's?

[sidewinder2180]

What kind of pellets are you using? What type of reactor are you running? How much biopellet are you running in what size tank? What kind of pump? What kind results did you have? Any problem's?

[BigKahuna]

On my 75g I use a Reef Octopus hang on BP reactor, OCT-BRH90, with about 200ml of TLF NPX BP's. I love the Octo and did a write-up of it here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2052551

I run it off my main return via manifold and controlled by a ball valve. I started off with a TLF 150 reactor but didn't love the tumble pattern and the need to keep after it to prevent clumps a couple times a week or when adding more BP's. The OCT-BRH90 has been running over a month and I haven't needed to touch it the whole time. Love it.

[sidewinder2180]

Originally Posted by BigKahuna

On my 75g I use a Reef Octopus hang on BP reactor, OCT-BRH90, with about 200ml of TLF NPX BP's. I love the Octo and did a write-up of it here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2052551

I run it off my main return via manifold and controlled by a ball valve. I started off with a TLF 150 reactor but didn't love the tumble pattern and the need to keep after it to prevent clumps a couple times a week or when adding more BP's. The OCT-BRH90 has been running over a month and I haven't needed to touch it the whole time. Love it.

Nice review BigKahuna! That is the reactor that I am thinking about going with! Right now I have 2 TLF 150's on a 30g. One running GFO and one running GAC. And was going to use the GAC too run Biopellet's! But it seem's from what I have seen on here that people are having some problems with clumping in the TLF reactors. And have heard some say there coral's are having trobble. So I thought I would start this and get some feedback from peolpe that run Biopellet's good or bad.

[BigKahuna]

Originally Posted by sidewinder2180

Nice review BigKahuna! That is the reactor that I am thinking about going with! Right now I have 2 TLF 150's on a 30g. One running GFO and one running GAC. And was going to use the GAC too run Biopellet's! But it seem's from what I have seen on here that people are having some problems with clumping in the TLF reactors. And have heard some say there coral's are having trobble. So I thought I would start this and get some feedback from peolpe that run Biopellet's good or bad.

You probably could run BP's in just about any reactor but it all depends how much effort you want to expend keeping them from clumping or you have to blast the hell out of them, which presents some problems too. I feel BP's are a more maintenance free version of Vodka dosing so if you don't get the right reactor you are probably already at a disadvantage and the required maintenance kinda defeats the purpose of going BP anyway. I think the jury is out on just how good BP's are and the downsides, I do seem to have success getting my nitrates down to unreadable levels but they do seem to be so good at it PO4 levels might need to be taken care of with GFO.

The best advice I could probably give would be to A) have much more pump than you probably need so you could always valve it back B) Make sure you have a good skimmer and put the BP outlet right in front of the skimmer input - I noticed much more disgusting smelly skimmate when the BP outlet is practically right on top of my skimmer intake C) start will less BP's than you need and add the amount you want after you start to get some stuff on the BP's - I think many people run into trouble dumping the full amount of BP's right from day one.

[mojo~]

I just got the alpha 1 reactor made by jns. It works great. Comes with pump too. Made just for biopellets... I like it.

[Stanley-Reefer]

I have WM ecobaks in my 90 and a mix of ecobak and tlf pellets in my 175....both at full doses since I dosed both tanks with vodka over 2 years. I've cut my vodka weekly and am 6 wks from being done with it in my tanks

To give you an idea of how much I dosed....
90 has 60 net gal--16cc/d
175 has 160 net gal and was up to 35cc/d

although I think with the pellets topping off while at leas half reamains will be vital to avoid "starting over" with your bacterial population.

Also I run mg 1200s to get a nice gentle role in both reactors. Not the 600s often suggested.

[GrampaDon]

Originally Posted by mojo~

I just got the alpha 1 reactor made by jns. It works great. Comes with pump too. Made just for biopellets... I like it.

^^Those BP sure are moving a lot. I thought you needed to gently tumble them.^^


I cant say much about using them yet. I started 3 weeks ago using a Avast MR10 reactor.

[pompeyjohn]

I run BRS biopellets, filled to about half-way up a TLF 150 reactor.

The flow is from a tee off my main pump, and I'd estimate it is a couple hundred gph. It is a constant tumble. I have a mini mag float in the reactor which I use to break up any clumping about once a week.

The biopellet reactor then feeds into another tlf 150 reactor, containing GFO, that outputs next to my skimmer.

SPS and LPS appear to be doing better. Polyp extension certainly improved. Too soon to really notice a difference in growth speed. Water clarity is excellent. Button Polyps seem to be receding a little.

Hope that helps.

[BigKahuna]

Originally Posted by pompeyjohn

The biopellet reactor then feeds into another tlf 150 reactor, containing GFO, that outputs next to my skimmer.

I'd be a little careful running the GFO reactor in series after the BP reactor. The reason they recommend removing the sponges from a TLF reactor when converting it from GFO to BP duty is the sponges can collect bacterial debris and become a problem. You have an entire reactor downstream the BP reactor, which in standard TLF GFO configuration is a bunch of GFO sandwiched between two sponges, which over time might become a bacterial reservoir. I'm sure there are experts that could chime in but generally you want the BP output right to the front of your skimmer.

[pompeyjohn]

I'd not thought about that. Good point. I'll wait to hear what others say, but can switch them round so it is the gfo first. I guess they could also run in parallel.

[shifty51008]

i've been running the ATB bio pellets in an Avast MR5 reactor and i havent seen any results yet, just giving it time still.

[jg2269jg]

i am running a tlf reactor on my 29 gallon aio sps tank. i started the npx bp about 2 weeks ago at around 50 mls. i know it is to early to tell but i have been seeing less algae on my glass and no negative effects to the corals. i did have some clumping in the first few days so i put a bigger pump on the reactor and i shake the reactor a few times a week and that seems to work.

[mikestevens]

I'm using Vertex. I cant complement them enough. I tried several different brands and had no luck. Then after a few months of those my Nitrates dropped to zero and have never risen since. I just have them in my canister filter and at one point i just had them tumbling around in the bubble trap in the sump.

[ari5736]

I tried about 4 different brands without results for months, then one day no more nitrates. I use them on all my tanks and nitrates are now a concern of the past. Never had any problems. I now am noticing that they do dissolve pretty rapidly over the course of a year and will probably top off my reactors soon. I'm using the small tlf reactors on smaller tanks and sml xl reactor on larger tank.

[Gorgok]

Which one was the one you used when you got it to work? And which ones didn't?

I have been using WM EcoBak and so far it seems to work just fine. And its not all that cheap while not horribly expensive either.

[NyReefNoob]

ive been using the vertex pellets and a vertex uf-15 reactor for over a year, no issue's and i quit carbon and phos from day 1

[mojo~]

I a really liking the alpha reactor. I am only running about 100ml. ITs made for up to 500. Its running well I am happy with my purchase.

[billwill]

I've been running ATB pellets in Avast Marine reactor for nearly 8 weeks now. Also running GFO. My phosphates have been at zero for quite some time without changing gfo during this time, but my nitrates haven't budged below about 25 (Elos test kit). I'm hoping it's going to kick in any day now, but loosing confidence. 90G with 500 ml. Tank looks fantastic though, so definitely no ill effects; just hoping the nitrates start dropping

[sidewinder2180]

Getting some great info! Keep me updated on how things go! And keep the info coming.

[moonpod]

just started with brs pellets and the brs reactor. I have tried off of my manifold, a mj1200 and a mag 2. The reactor seems to clog really easily. Not happy with this aspect. I have ordered a reef octopus biopellet reactor in hopes it'll work better. It's not the pellets themselves...those haven't been clumping. The screens in the reactor seems to clog. I have been dosing the Instant Ocean NNR and my nitrates (with crazy heavy feeding) is about 15 or so. Hoping the biopellets will make life easier and get the nitratest down some more.

[shifty51008]

Originally Posted by billwill

I've been running ATB pellets in Avast Marine reactor for nearly 8 weeks now. Also running GFO. My phosphates have been at zero for quite some time without changing gfo during this time, but my nitrates haven't budged below about 25 (Elos test kit). I'm hoping it's going to kick in any day now, but loosing confidence. 90G with 500 ml. Tank looks fantastic though, so definitely no ill effects; just hoping the nitrates start dropping

from what i understand you need to have p04 in the tank to get rid of the nitrates, they work together

[MidMichiganReef]

I used vertex pellets in a modded TLF reactor on my old 75g. Eliminated all phosphate and nitrates. Had the 2 worst cyano outbreaks ever.

[leeit2me]

I had my tlf and nix bp running for awhile, but had to take it offline. My corals started to bleach on me. Now the corals color are slowly coming back.

I started with one cup full by the 3 or 4 cup of bp, that's when my corals started to bleach. So, now I am just running gfo and gac. Will try bp again later if the tank acts up with algae again.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

[sidewinder2180]

Think im just going to stick to gfo and gac. Look's like bio pellets are just to new! Until people get it down on how much to use in what size tank and so on there are to may people having problems and not just here.

[jamesdawson]

I run 2 litres of NP and ATB pellets in a SWC UR120 reactor with the cone bottom. This reactor is a steal at $149 and a much better value then the large Reef Octopus reactor IMHO. The UR120 is built like a tank and on my 2 litres of pellets is easily fluidized by a little old MJ600.

In any case, I have had good results with biopellets.