N/P reducing pellets (solid vodka dosing)

[cvye]

Originally Posted by teesquare

Does anyone make a LARGE reactor for these yet? I am in need of one for a 500 gal. system
Thanks,
T

I'm running 2L in a Deltec FR616. They take up about 1/4 to 1/3 the volume of the reactor. I'm running a Tunze Recirculation pump rated at Pumping capacity: 3,000 l/h (792 USgal./h). Pumping head: 3 m (118.1 in.)... You'd want to use a pressure-rated pump to fluidize more than 2L, I'd surmise, but the Deltec reactor itself would be adequate for your system.

[Bzar]

Is there a retailer list for this product?
Curious to see if there's any Canadian retailers yet. (cross border shipping is spendy)

[Bzar]

nm found one carry on. I`ll report on my findings once I get em going.

[Psionicdragon]

so...does this reduce phosphate or just maintain it? read 17 pages, but didn't really see a definite answer.

[tatuvaaj]

How BPs affect phosphate levels depends entirely on input. As bacteria grow and multiply they will take up (among other things) phosphate and nitrogen from the water column. The problem is that the ratio of these in bacteria is "locked"(*) and thus if you are introducing either one in excess no bacteria based method is going to be able to reduce that one to "zero".

Unfortunately many invertebrate foods have high phosphate levels and thus you might need GFO to take care of that excess. High nitrogen input might not need any special action because of the denitrification happening inside the live rock and sand bed.

(*) not really locked, heterotrophic bacteria are able to alter their N:P content based on the environmental conditions but there are limits to that.

[Whalehead9]

Are saying is that the function of N and P uptake by the bacteria while using the NP Biopellets is simply a function of the surface area of the pellets themselves? if this is the case, then why not use a smaller pellet, or mechanically reduce their size? (blender, or food processor)

If this is the case then as the pellets are consumed,and get smaller in diameter, more pellets are added, to get back to the original total volume, there will be a rise in the functionality of the beads in total. (more total surface area of the beads per total volume of beads)

[1538Moss]

The Biopellets has changed color from yellow/white to pink/white (See picture) Is this a good or a bad sign ?

/Pål

[recife111]

Pink, thats a new colour. mine is still white after 4 weeks.

[Psionicdragon]

Then if this doesn't reduce phosphate after the balance of N & P changes, then what is the difference between running a sulfate denitrator with gfo in combination?

[cvye]

I'm running mine with a GFO reactor in parallel. The bacteria will reduce N and P in a set ratio. If you reduce the N too much, then they will be N-limited and therefore stop reducing P. P is not likely to be the limiting nutrient, however. I feel that this combination will allow me not to worry about H2S from a sulfate reactor, the system will stay aerobic with enough pumping capacity (flow-through and tumbling). It also allows me to leave the tank for the holidays without worrying about malfunctioning dosing pumps. So far I've seen a reduction in nuisance algae and cyano, and better coloration from my SPS corals in my DT.

[homeboyreefer]

are you guys letting the pellets tumble in the reactor?? just wondering as i have it running right now and afraid if i let the flow enough to move the pellets they will grind them down thus wasting them

[Daniel Reef]

Any updates from the new users who have used to for about a month or so now? Would really appreciate it if I could get some feedback to know if this product is worth the expense. Thanks.

[goldenclove77]

Originally Posted by Daniel Reef

Any updates from the new users who have used to for about a month or so now? Would really appreciate it if I could get some feedback to know if this product is worth the expense. Thanks.

+1 also curious if there are any necessary precautions or things to watch out for? How do I determine how much to use?

[chetscc]

Taggin Along

[JonSadowsky]

Running the pellets seven days now. 500ml in my 90.

Tapered of my VSV from 3ml a day to just one now, plan to be at zero by end of next week.

Observations so far... Corals look good (no real change) What little cyano I had seems to be retreating. I am running GFO and a little carbon too. Skimmate has remained the same (dark and stinky).

Jon

[reefkeeper2]

Originally Posted by teesquare

Does anyone make a LARGE reactor for these yet? I am in need of one for a 500 gal. system
Thanks,
T

I also have a 500 gal system and would like to try this out. What's stopping me is not the reactor, but the expense of the pellets. 500gal = 4 litres of pellets = $400.00

[danrobberg]

how much would i need for my 120? i know they sell it in 500 and 1000ml. i thought i bag of 500ml would be good?

[danrobberg]

i was also planning on buying a bulk reef supply jumbo reactor. i think i could fit plenty of pellets in there

[cvye]

Originally Posted by reefkeeper2

I also have a 500 gal system and would like to try this out. What's stopping me is not the reactor, but the expense of the pellets. 500gal = 4 litres of pellets = $400.00

I thought the recommended dosage was 500 ml per 1000 L. If you have a 500 g tank you have roughly 2000 L. So 1 bag, 1000 ml, should get you going. The reason I use 2L on my 180 is because I have a 7-8" Emperor Angel. He's like having a hippo in a bathtub. He eats and poops ALOT!

[reefkeeper2]

The recommended dose is 500-1000ml of pellets per 500 litres of tank water.

[Daniel Reef]

My understanding is that the pellets are consumed as used and need to be replaced once they are gone. So if your system has more needs, then the pellets will be consumed quicker and you will eventually figure out how much is needed for your tank.

[Daniel Reef]

I would like to know if users of the pellets are also using ozone or a UV sterilizer and whether they negatively impact the use of the pellets.

[reefkeeper2]

I think it is the size of the bacterial population that is important. If there are not enough pellets, then there will just not be enough bacteria present to consume the the nutrients in the water. Presently I am dosing vodka. The bacterial population is spead out over the whole system. If I stop the dosing, that population will decline. I would need to replace at least the same amount growing on the pellets. I could be wrong, but I think this is a situation were more equals better. There is probably a lot of leeway here.

[reefkeeper2]

Originally Posted by Daniel Reef

I would like to know if users of the pellets are also using ozone or a UV sterilizer and whether they negatively impact the use of the pellets.

Since the bacterial growth is confined to the surface of the pellets and not the water, I wouldn't think that ozone or UV would effect it at all once the bacteria have colonized the pellets.

[teesquare]

True - it seems that the use of UV - on the downstream side of the pellets should not have any effect. On the upstream side tho - it may slow the activation of them fully.

Shouldn't the reccomendation for the volume of pellets needed be based on the amount of N and P that you need to remove - vs - the volume of water in the system? It would make for better utilization of the product.
T