N/P reducing pellets (solid vodka dosing)

[NaClH2Opgh]

How much flow (gph) do you guys have going through the reactor holding the pellets?

[bluereefs]

jptenklooster pm send

For me prices are not high, of course vodka are not expensives also, if you are not in Finland lol. But what atract me to this system is simplicity, of course with all other great benefits. Was checking this system few months already, from Tatuvaj home page.

Can I please get the answer for my question regarding starting with bio pellets in brand new aquarium. I would like to test him and have 2 new aquariums, I think that will be also interesting for reefer who start new aquarium and would like to use bio pellets from the begining. In next 20 days I will be get new shipment of fishes/corals and would like to know how many of them can I put in new aquarium with bio pellets filtration.
Did I need to dose food in empty aquarium (with bio pellets filtration) to rise bacterial populations and prepare them for new livestock, or I dont need that and bio pellets will procesed fast waste from new fishes after their adition.

[bluereefs]

I will test bio pellets in this aquariums

150-160 gallons/500-600 liters, strong flow (5000 liters/hour), strong skimmer, can put bio pellets in fluid filter or filtersock who receive very high flow fully aerated, is few days old aquarium




400-500 litter, 100-120 gallons, fed days old also, litlle weaker skimmer Extreme 200 EXT, also strong flow 5000 lit/hours


I think it will be interesting to get information from using bio pellets from the start.

I can also test him in my 6 months old aquarium, due to heavy feeding I have about 2-5 mg nitrata/liter, no fosfates detectable on test kit probably due to strong wet skimming or kalkwaser use, or combination of both.



I have very clear water and polyp extension, will see if bio pellets will get even clearer water and PE.

[Mike O'Brien]

I've been following this thread and it's very interesting. In regards to the placement of the pellets near the intake of the skimmer, I have an idea. I'm using a temporary sump on my tank and to help with bubbles, I'm running my return into a container full of rubble that has an outlet at the bottom where my skimmer intake goes. With a few partitions of appropriately sized mesh, I think you could contain the pellets while allowing bacterial mulm to get skimmed out. You would also have lots of oxygenation and water movement to keep everything moving. it also doesn't require an extra pump.

My skimmer produces like crazy with this setup. I have to weigh down the collection cup lid and have to clean the cup daily.



One day

[tatuvaaj]

Mike,

That looks like a very good setup I might try something similar.

[Mike O'Brien]

Cool. I'm glad that idea can be helpful !

[tntneon]

cool set up Mike.
But i wouldn`t make the mesh to small , because if it clogs a little bit it would decrease performance of skimmer.
never the less awesome perfoming skimmer !
greetingzz tntneon

[tntneon]

Originally Posted by bluereefs

.....

I can also test him in my 6 months old aquarium, due to heavy feeding I have about 2-5 mg nitrata/liter, no fosfates detectable on test kit probably due to strong wet skimming or kalkwaser use, or combination of both.



I have very clear water and polyp extension, will see if bio pellets will get even clearer water and PE.....

Whaaw , that six month old one(pellet test tank) is already looking great ,even w/o use of pellets!!
Keep us informed if you have any results!

greetingzz tntneon

[Mike O'Brien]

Hi !

Yes, I don't know what size would be best. I guess that would depend on the size of the pellets and the mulm. In my case it's free flow because I'm using rubble live rock. I'd tend to think that it's a great place for bacteria, and even as is may be of benefit to a bacterial system because it might add Nitrate that might be limiting P uptake.


Also there is a lot of water moving in there which might help in keeping it clog free.

I just want to present by basic idea. That was about two minutes of work with a circular saw. You guys can run with it if you want.

[tntneon]

Originally Posted by Mike O'Brien

Hi !

Yes, I don't know what size would be best. I guess that would depend on the size of the pellets and the mulm. In my case it's free flow because I'm using rubble live rock. I'd tend to think that it's a great place for bacteria, and even as is may be of benefit to a bacterial system because it might add Nitrate that might be limiting P uptake.


Also there is a lot of water moving in there which might help in keeping it clog free.

I just want to present by basic idea. That was about two minutes of work with a circular saw. You guys can run with it if you want.

-With me the pellets lay in a box where my display drains into and i never see any build up off mulm in there so that won`t be a problem i think , due to fluidizing the pellets continiously release bacterial mass in think ( i never saw them wave to me , and saying hi i`m bacteria who are you)

This after noon i cleaned my skimmer cup too , is one that`s connected to an reservoir because i do wet skim , i skim about 1/4 g a day on a 30 g system.
it`s a diy skimmer so the neck piece is of black pvc ,so i couldn`t see it was holding like 25 grams of thick skimmer clay almost clogging the neck area , even when doing wet skim !!!
powerfull skimming is a must , using this methode i think .

greetingzz tntneon

[bluereefs]

Thank you tntneon, get answer from Jean Paul and contacted Dennis for BP shopping, hopefully will be testing soon my aquariums with BP.
Still nobody answer my question how to use BP with brand new aquarium and when is time to add livestock. If BP can proceed waste imideatly that mean that livestock can be added almost imideatly after the BP. Or bacteria from BP can eliminate only nitrate/fosfate and not the amonium, nitrite...?

[cvye]

I think they say that it takes up to 4 weeks before they are fully functional, which sounds like the bacterial colonies are developed enough to handle the waste. Like an ordinary tank cycle.

An advantage I see with them is you can use more than you need, and if you happen to overfeed, there will be more carbon for the bacteria to use. I'm not sure what happens to your tank if you add vodka, sugar or vinegar in excess of what the bacteria can take up.

[catastrofe]

Jean Paul,

What would you think of using a Deltec PF501 fluidized calcium reactor for the pellets? With this setup, the agitation is independent of the flow through the reactor as flow is dictated by the feed pump and agitation is via the built in recirculating pump.

Curious as to your opinion, and what the recommended flow-through rate would be.

Thanks!!

[Frogmanx82]

So do the pellets need agitation. I was thinking of using my canister. I would have to make sure there was room for the pellets to move around in the chamber?

[rkaires]

I bet any zeolite reactor will work well for these. You could agitate them every so often to eliminate channeling.

[cvye]

Originally Posted by catastrofe

Jean Paul,

What would you think of using a Deltec PF501 fluidized calcium reactor for the pellets? With this setup, the agitation is independent of the flow through the reactor as flow is dictated by the feed pump and agitation is via the built in recirculating pump.

Curious as to your opinion, and what the recommended flow-through rate would be.

Thanks!!

J-P can answer this, but IMHO, I'd think you would seriously limit the number of aerobic bacteria in that kind of reactor, as the flow-through rate is pretty small. Even if it worked well, it's a pretty expensive option. I'm going with a Rowa reactor...

[catastrofe]

Originally Posted by cvye

J-P can answer this, but IMHO, I'd think you would seriously limit the number of aerobic bacteria in that kind of reactor, as the flow-through rate is pretty small. Even if it worked well, it's a pretty expensive option. I'm going with a Rowa reactor...

It's not expensive if you have one laying around gathering dust!!!

You make a good point about flow-through. . .hopefully JP can provide some recommendations.

[jptenklooster]

I don't know the flow through of this reactor, but I guess it will be to low, because most calciumreactors have a very low flow through and will result in anaerobic conditions. In my experience the higher the better until your pellets go out of the container, which you don't want :-). In my set-up I have a flow of aproximately 500l/h, but there are people using 3000l/h in a very open filternet (don't use nylonsocks, they will clog).

Originally Posted by catastrofe

Jean Paul,

What would you think of using a Deltec PF501 fluidized calcium reactor for the pellets? With this setup, the agitation is independent of the flow through the reactor as flow is dictated by the feed pump and agitation is via the built in recirculating pump.

Curious as to your opinion, and what the recommended flow-through rate would be.

Thanks!!

[catastrofe]

Thanks Jean Paul!

[bluereefs]

What about using BP in skimmer body instead of fluid reactor, without cup of course and modified to prevent BP escape (strainer on outlet)? I have few old skimmers laying around. Put the BP inside of skimmer body and they will receive loots of air (quantity of air can be adjusted in case there will be to much air) strong flow/bubbles will made them agitate even more then in fluid reactor.

[Frogmanx82]

Bluereefs, I was considering adding the pellets to my tunze nano doc skimmer instead of my canister. I don't have a sump so the best I can do on my 90 gallon tank is 2 tunze nanos. I think I will add pellets to one of them and then compare the skimmates before adding pellets to the other.

My pellets have been shipped, I hope to get them shortly.

[bluereefs]

I still whaiting to Dennis ship my BP
I will try bp in skimmer instead of fluid reactor, just for the test, I dont think anything cant be more aerated then skimmer body, well maybe Mike drain are more aerated lol.

[jptenklooster]

I considered using a skimmer for the pellets as well, but some skimmers are to powerfull and pellets will be blown out (the airbubbles makes them float quicker than just water). In addition, a skimmer is designed to destroy and skim of your bacteria, whereas you need them to settle on your beads. So I don't think it will work. Using a old skimmer without the aerator should work similarly as a zeovit container, so that should work.

ciao,

JP

[recife111]

i have been using a product called reef active by Tropic marin.

I have a feeling that this product is similar to the bio pellets.


By incorporating these long chain marine biopolymers, the new products, REEF ACTIF and PRO-CORAL REEF SNOW greatly increase and maintain the vitality and colour of corals and reef clams while providing other filter feeding animals with an optimal nutrient source. In addition, both products contribute to a significant improvement in the water quality of saltwater aquaria.
http://www.tropic-marin.com/web/english/homepage.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopolymer

[catastrofe]

Originally Posted by recife111

i have been using a product called reef active by Tropic marin.

I have a feeling that this product is similar to the bio pellets.


By incorporating these long chain marine biopolymers, the new products, REEF ACTIF and PRO-CORAL REEF SNOW greatly increase and maintain the vitality and colour of corals and reef clams while providing other filter feeding animals with an optimal nutrient source. In addition, both products contribute to a significant improvement in the water quality of saltwater aquaria.
http://www.tropic-marin.com/web/english/homepage.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopolymer

IMHO, these TM products are similar to Zeovit Coral Snow and Zeozyme, both of which I use. I don't see a similarity between these products and the NP Pellets. The pellets are a long-term carbon source/bacterial growth medium. The TM and Zeo products are single dose products that facilitate skimming of organics, but they aren't a bacterial growth medium.

JMHO. . .