N/P reducing pellets (solid vodka dosing)

[BuckeyeTodd]

Originally Posted by Rhodes19

I don't know how you have your system set up but it sounds like it is siphoning back into your pump. Is the bottom of your reactor at a higher level than your pump? Is your effluent under water or does it suck air after you turn the pump off? Just taking some queses.

Thanks for the advice.

I contacted Coral Vue(I run the 110 model Octopus). They suggested making sure the return tube was underwater, as you did. I thought it was underwater, but perhaps it was not at the time as I had been cleaning sump and the tube may have been moved. They also said that my maxi jet 1200 doesn't handle back pressure well at all, so not sure what to do from here. The Maxi Jet sits about one inch higher than bottom of reactor.

I guess when I do next waterchange I can test with return line underwater and go from there unless anyone has better advice

[Scej12]

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

Good thing is that the zeo products (supplements) are available to be used with any system of Low nutrient establishment - so why not mix and match?

I might be inclined to agree, but only if I knew what I was mixing and matching. Since I can't, I don't.

Fair enough... can't blame them for keeping a secret though...

So far I'm just using the ZeoBak to supplement the carbon dosing... Will get into some of the amino acid , and colour enhancement products when I finally get my PO4 down to trace levels.

Regards,

SJ

[tntneon]

Onces you really hit zero phosphates , you can try to experiment with aminoacids scej12.
But only dose like 1/3 or 1/4 of the recommended dosage , else you could end up cleaning the glass 2 times a day.

But what we realy must try to achieve (i think) is , a low nutrient system where you have try to feed live zoo / baterial plancton and other fresh live foods and thus mimicking the ocean .
I know this is the ideal situation , where one have too spend serveral houres a day in maintaining and breeding the foods for your reef.
In real life you can try to feed comercial plantonic foods and try to determine wich foods are high in aminoacids and/or trace element.

My findings are that my acro's like zoo- and bacterioplancton alot.
Zoa's really like phytoplancton
And my LPS are more lovers of mysis and other (bigger) foods.

greetingzz tntneon

[Rhodes19]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeTodd

Thanks for the advice.

I contacted Coral Vue(I run the 110 model Octopus). They suggested making sure the return tube was underwater, as you did. I thought it was underwater, but perhaps it was not at the time as I had been cleaning sump and the tube may have been moved. They also said that my maxi jet 1200 doesn't handle back pressure well at all, so not sure what to do from here. The Maxi Jet sits about one inch higher than bottom of reactor.

I guess when I do next waterchange I can test with return line underwater and go from there unless anyone has better advice

Cool beans. I think I read some where that the mag 3 was recommended for the 110. Try moving the MJ up a little higher too and see what happens. That might help.

[sneaton]

will having some pellets stuck in between the top screen of my reactor cause any problems? i have a tlf 150 with 200 ml of pellets fed by a mj1200 and im getting good movement with valve half way closed.. my concern is that i didnt soak the pellets so some (maybe a teaspoon worth) floated to the top and got stuck in between the top screens..do i need to break the reator down or will everything be alright? do i need to worry about sulphur building up?

[Rhodes19]

Originally Posted by sneaton

will having some pellets stuck in between the top screen of my reactor cause any problems? i have a tlf 150 with 200 ml of pellets fed by a mj1200 and im getting good movement with valve half way closed.. my concern is that i didnt soak the pellets so some (maybe a teaspoon worth) floated to the top and got stuck in between the top screens..do i need to break the reator down or will everything be alright? do i need to worry about sulphur building up?

It shouldn't. I had some floating at the top but they eventually sank to the bottom. If it's only a few pellets, I wouldn't worry about it. HTH

[plankton99]

I spoke to the Coralvue reef octopus representative, and he said that certain pellets clump after the initial slime coat gets on them. he suggested of course the Coral Vue brand of pellets. I was using some generic brand and after 2 days no boil at all.

I just pruchased NPX bio pellets, and will try that.

What brand are most folks using?

[sneaton]

i use npx...i put 200ml on my 75 with 12g sump 4 days ago and now my water is pretty cloudy...do i need to worry about fish our corals? i have removed a sponge so microbubbles get into the display to help with o2 levels,but some of my sps are closed up...how long does this normally last? my nitrates were a 15 when i put them on and i switched from biofuel to biopellets in one day

[gary faulkner]

Originally Posted by plankton99

I spoke to the Coralvue reef octopus representative, and he said that certain pellets clump after the initial slime coat gets on them. he suggested of course the Coral Vue brand of pellets. I was using some generic brand and after 2 days no boil at all.

I just pruchased NPX bio pellets, and will try that.

What brand are most folks using?

WM EcoBak

[Scej12]

This is common and should clear up within a couple of days... just make sure you don't run low on O2 while cloudy... agitate your surface or add an air stone. Cloudiness will run it's course by weekend.

Regards,

Sheldon

[Scej12]

Originally Posted by plankton99

I spoke to the Coralvue reef octopus representative, and he said that certain pellets clump after the initial slime coat gets on them. he suggested of course the Coral Vue brand of pellets. I was using some generic brand and after 2 days no boil at all.

I just pruchased NPX bio pellets, and will try that.

What brand are most folks using?

SWC xtreme

[goochesfish]

I cant remember if sps bleaching is a side effect of too low nutrients from the biopellets? All other parameters are stable.
KH 7-8
pH 7.9-8.1
Ca400
Mg 1240
N,P zero

[aravindk]

I got started with the pellets like three weeks ago. I see the Phosphates are all over the place. Below are the readings. All of them are using Hanna checker:

4/22 0.18
5/1 0.09
5/7 0.17
5/11 0.04
5/15 0.00
5/18 0.11

Nitrates was less than 10 when I started and it gradually became zero and stays in zero.

My system has a low bio load. I have about 10 fish with four of them tangs. I feed them once a day with flakes and every other day with one cube of frozen mysis. Any idea why the phosphate fluctuates?

Arvind.

[rinconmike]

I have a 150 DT FO and running a BR-140 with 1 cup of BRS Pellets. I feeed the reactor with a Mag5 and valve around 1/2 open.

My water has been cloud now 8 days. My nitrates have dropped from around 50ppm to under 25 (maybe 15). I have not checked my Phosphates recently. I stopped GFO when I started the pellets but am still running ROX Carbon.

5/6 Installed BR-140 and 3 cups of pellets
5/8 decided to remove 2 cups of pellets
5/10 water started to become cloudy
5/18 water is still cloudy, not sure if it is less cloudy or the same.

I do have an air stone running. Not sure if ORP is an indication, but my ORP has dropped from around 400 to around 360.

Fish seem fine (porc puffer, snowflake eel, butterfly, red breasted wrasse and one tiny damsel).

Mike

[Rhodes19]

I'm using BRS biopellets. I haven't experienced any cloudiness but I also started with half of the recommended pellets and added the rest about a month later. I did have a bunch float for about 2 days and some that clumped but after about 5 days, the clumping was gone and I only have maybe 3 pellets floating. I've noticed the slower I tumble the pellets, the better they work.

[tntneon]

Originally Posted by plankton99

...

What brand are most folks using?

I use the original BioPellets , but they also will float a coupple of days , just let them soak about 48 houres before you implement then in your reactor

Originally Posted by goochesfish

I cant remember if sps bleaching is a side effect of too low nutrients from the biopellets? All other parameters are stable.
KH 7-8
pH 7.9-8.1
Ca400
Mg 1240
N,P zero

After a year of zero N/P in my tank my acro also seemed to get paler ,
just feed more plancton foods and or flakes (ocean nutrition).
After the initial reduction of N or P your corals will get less and lesser bacterial plancton from the pellets (after 6 month's to a year) , leaving the corals (especialy acropora) very hungry.
This would be a fine moment to carefully up your feedings , monitoring glass and or NO3 /PO4 measurments.

greetingzz tntneon

[ChuckLawson]

I'm using a mix of original biopellets, vertex, and "ATB HQ BioPellets" (sold by Avast). All seem to work the same, but interestingly, I've got vertex and ATB combined in one reactor, and they fluidize but all of the vertex are at the top of the mix, and all of the ATB below; been a month and they still stay segregated.

[sneaton]

ive been running 200ml of npx on my 75 g for 5 days and my nitrates have dropped from 15 to undetectable...lol ive tried everything and they stayed the same(15-20), so im completely satisfied...im almost thru the bloom as my tank is clearing up....i was dosing reef biofuel before and this has worked way better...this so far has been the best 17 dollars ive spent in my life

[Aquarist007]

Originally Posted by tntneon

I
After the initial reduction of N or P your corals will get less and lesser bacterial plancton from the pellets (after 6 month's to a year) , leaving the corals (especialy acropora) very hungry.


greetingzz tntneon

Curious why this occurs?

[tntneon]

Hi capn_hilinur ,

-I think because when you start with carbon dosing you will produce more bacteria (due to elevated no3 or po4 levels) means more food for corals .
Like bacterial blooms (= alot off bacteria) can occur when starting carbon (solid or liquid) dosing .
When the system starts to stabilize at low NO3 /PO4 , and all the excesive bacteria are consumed by corals and/or pulled out by the skimmer , less and less (bacterial-)foods are available for the corals.
Also it will depend on skimmer performances.

But since i've began to feed more plancton , reefbooster (are fatty acids and omega3,6 m qnd others ) , flakes again my acro looks deeper green fluocerent and grows alot better again.
And this w/o having N / P or algea problems .

I have to say that all my other corals (montipora ,poccilopora , euphillia , zoa's , tubrestrea,...) where not affected with less growth or paler colors , but they also feed on bigger foods (mysis what i always have fed my fish).

greetingzz tntneon

[TheFishMan65]

I wonder then if after the bio pellets are established it would be of any benefit to move the exit tube away from the skimmer. In theory this would allow more bacteria to the corals.

What do you think?

[Dogger]

Hello all

I have set up a new tank by my existing. It is 250 gal dispaly with 65 gal. sump. At this time it has ran its cycle and I am now finally at 0 Nitrates. Phosphates are .09. There is only five damsels making home here. I have not yet transfered any stock, just taking it real slow. I have two BRS Jumbo reactors that I have not yet started up but was about to until I started reading along on this forum. My ideas were to run Carbon and Rowaphos in these reactors. If I am going to use the BP then is it advisable to not run the reactors.

Thanks

[tntneon]

Originally Posted by TheFishMan65

I wonder then if after the bio pellets are established it would be of any benefit to move the exit tube away from the skimmer. In theory this would allow more bacteria to the corals.

What do you think?

-The same idea crossed my mind too , or running an adjustable bypass away from skimmer.
Don't know what the results would be though , nice experiment for somebody who's plannig a new set up

Originally Posted by Dogger

Hello all

I have set up a new tank by my existing. It is 250 gal dispaly with 65 gal. sump. At this time it has ran its cycle and I am now finally at 0 Nitrates. Phosphates are .09. There is only five damsels making home here. I have not yet transfered any stock, just taking it real slow. I have two BRS Jumbo reactors that I have not yet started up but was about to until I started reading along on this forum. My ideas were to run Carbon and Rowaphos in these reactors. If I am going to use the BP then is it advisable to not run the reactors.

Thanks

At first i would keep them inline if i where you , nitrates ( zero) are already playing a limiting factor to further reduce phosphates , so some GFO is nice to do that job.
In my opinion you should always run some carbon and replace it regulary it removes alot more then N /P alone

greetingzz tntneon

[Dogger]

tntneon,


Thanks for that but I am not sure what you mean by keep them inline. Are you saying I should add the activated carbon and Rowaphos and start the BP.

[plankton99]

Biopellet Usage Summary

So here is what I get from this entire massive thread… Summarized in laymans terms. ***Please feel free to disupute any of my statements. This is meant to be a starting point...

Good for tanks with
- already high Nitrates and Phosphates
- hair alage problems (caused by N and P)
- tanks that require heavy feeding
- tanks with heavy bio loads

Not so useful for tanks with… and can have negative impact to tanks with…
- already low Nitrates and Phosphates
- no or little algae
- low bioload
- low feeding needs
- reduces food sources for corals by completely depleting phosphates (because corals internally grow algae as part of their food source, so if no phosphates, they can’t grow it.

Biopellets won’t help with
- improving coloration of corals because they have nothing directly to do with that
- growing your corals