Warner Marine Now Has A Pellet Product

[afernandez]

Humm special blend hu....I've been using it with mb7 the whole 3months I've been on pellets with good results. I am going to start using kz bac in the next few weeks. This is interesting .....

[swissgaurd]

Originally Posted by drummereef

Very interesting guys. I might have to pick up some special blend. At what rate were you dosing?

special blend dosing as per directions on bottle then into maint.program

[evoi19]

I'm a bit new to bio-pellets and I'm interested in running it. In fact i just ordered a reactor and 500ml of ecobak that will run off a mj 1200.

I'm currently on the zeovit system however i'm not running their zeolith. So I'm basically dosing zeostart3, zeobak, zeofood7.

My nitrates have always been at 5 tested with salifert and my phosphates are consistant at .03 with a hanna checker. Don't have any hair algae and film algae stays at a minimum.

I also run carbon in a BRS reactor and i used to run GFO but have pulled it about 2 1/2 months ago.

I guess my question is, would BP really make a difference even when my readings are pretty low as it is? I was going to stop using zeostart3 since the BP will be the carbon source.

[bayoupr]

Lastest update since 4/11. Nitrates and Phosphates are still on the decline. Today Nitrates approx. 12PPM and Phosphates approx. 0.02PPM. Probably a little error with test kits but definitly on the decline. Everything is looking great and only have to wipe down the inside glass once a week ( didn't really need to because there was only a slight trace of film) not the green film I was having to clean 3 times a week. So far great results.

[aculross]

Can I ask where people are getting EcoBak at the moment? I just checked premium aquatics and marine depot and don't see it listed - WM website is also a little funky with this product (page not found) - this stuff still inproduction?

[gary faulkner]

I'm starting to see cyano. Running 1500ml EcoBak on 350 gal total system. GFO and Carbon. Been running the pellets about 8 wks now. Also dosing mb7 and Special Blend both at 1/2 strength.

No3 @ 10
Po4 @.03 hanna

Should I stop pellets or gfo or what?

TIA

[trondsbr]

Originally Posted by aculross

Can I ask where people are getting EcoBak at the moment? I just checked premium aquatics and marine depot and don't see it listed - WM website is also a little funky with this product (page not found) - this stuff still inproduction?

http://www.saltysupply.com/Warner-Ma...p/ss535145.htm

I purchased mine from here. Hope this helps.

[kendo]

Hi, I've been running my pellets for around 8 months now, how do now when to add more pellets,or how much should be depleated before you add more.

[Buganddoug]

Over time the pellets will brake down. You will be able to see when you will need to add more.

[poolkeeper1]

When they start to clump together and won't break up, This is a sign that they need rinsing and then Topped off to the original amount you started with. This is from Jon Warner, Keep rinsing the pellets until all the Flaking stops as this is built up Bio Mass that has collected on the pellets and needs to be removed. The one thing I will caution you about is not to dump the water from the Reactor into your System as it caused a Cyano out break when I did this!. Other than that after I topped off and restarted the reactor all is working like it did the whole year i had them running, Also I just used Chemiclean and the Cyano has never returned or harmed the EB. I also Dose MB7 3 x a week at around 4 drops at a time FYI
Hope this helps.
Bill

[gary faulkner]

Originally Posted by poolkeeper1

When they start to clump together and won't break up, This is a sign that they need rinsing and then Topped off to the original amount you started with. This is from Jon Warner, Keep rinsing the pellets until all the Flaking stops as this is built up Bio Mass that has collected on the pellets and needs to be removed. The one thing I will caution you about is not to dump the water from the Reactor into your System as it caused a Cyano out break when I did this!. Other than that after I topped off and restarted the reactor all is working like it did the whole year i had them running, Also I just used Chemiclean and the Cyano has never returned or harmed the EB. I also Dose MB7 3 x a week at around 4 drops at a time FYI
Hope this helps.
Bill

Thanks Poolkeeper,
I need to get rid of some cyano also. So can I use the red slime remover and leave the pellets running in the reactor?
Thanks

[poolkeeper1]

Originally Posted by gary faulkner

Thanks Poolkeeper,
I need to get rid of some cyano also. So can I use the red slime remover and leave the pellets running in the reactor?
Thanks

I did with no Issues at all, But i also dose MB7 and this may have something to do with the success?
Bill

[gary faulkner]

Thanks Bill, Yea I've been dosing Mb7 and Special Blend also.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

For you folks who add bacterial mixtures, what bad thing do you think would happen if you stopped adding it?
Cyano only?
Ever try?

[poolkeeper1]

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

For you folks who add bacterial mixtures, what bad thing do you think would happen if you stopped adding it?
Cyano only?
Ever try?

I do not quite understand your Point Randy? I do not think anything major will happen, But then I also do not think it Hurts anything to Add different Strains of Bacteria when running Pellets (Carbon source)
But I know you will tell me the error of my ways LOL And your Opinion is greatly Valued!
I have success with this method and see no harm in dosing this Product, And I see a Clearer tank While using MB7, Maybe it's my Imagination or maybe not.
Bill

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I guess my question really is why do it wihout evidence whether it continues to be useful. It may not be useful at all. There is no particular reason to believe the bacteria in such a mix can even metabolize the particular organics any individual reefer doses. But once you've added a bunch, are even more useful?

One idea is to stop doing it for a bit and just see what happens. Maybe you'll decide you need the product, and maybe not.

[poolkeeper1]

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

I guess my question really is why do it wihout evidence whether it continues to be useful. It may not be useful at all. There is no particular reason to believe the bacteria in such a mix can even metabolize the particular organics any individual reefer doses. But once you've added a bunch, are even more useful?

One idea is to stop doing it for a bit and just see what happens. Maybe you'll decide you need the product, and maybe not.

I'll do just that and see if there are any noticable differences, My main concern would be that the Pellets are in some way feeding off this bacteria?
Maybe not though, As many of these products are just snake oil.
Good point to see what happens if anything!
Bill

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Great. Let us know what happens.

[gary faulkner]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...dosing&page=14

This thread is why I started Special Blend. After getting rid of Cyano I stopped using it. I later started using biopellets and knew that others were experiencing Cyano when using the pellets so I started back using just the maintenance dose of SB. The Cyano suddenly came back when the po4 and no3 started getting to the lower ranges. I will start back with the starting dose to try and combat the Cyano. It worked for me before and I believe it will work again. That's why I'm using it.

I never dosed anything that I couldn't measure for until I hit this Cyano thing and it seemed that nothing else would work so I jumped on the SB bandwagon. If I had Bryopsis I would jump on the Teck M wagon also. All this just my 2 cents.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It may well be useful for cyano, and its certainly a fine thing to try. But you are assuming that whatever bacteria are in SB can consume the pellet released organics just like the may have consumed whatever organics were present in your tank before the pellets were added. That may be true, or not. It isn't exactly the same situation because a different organic material is involved, and so it is possible that different bacteria may be needed.

[poolkeeper1]

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

It may well be useful for cyano, and its certainly a fine thing to try. But you are assuming that whatever bacteria are in SB can consume the pellet released organics just like the may have consumed whatever organics were present in your tank before the pellets were added. That may be true, or not. It isn't exactly the same situation because a different organic material is involved, and so it is possible that different bacteria may be needed.

Would SB be any different than MB7 or just the Different strains of Bacteria is the Key (Possibly) Here? Or are they actually the same thing basically. I am not familiar with SB so this is why i ask.
You seem more Favorable to me that this may be more helpful than MB7 or am i mis reading your statement?
Well No MB7 last night and the tank is still OK and all seems well! Only thing that will be a factor is I just upgraded to a much better skimmer the same week this test will start. Do you think this may skew the results any? As the Key to Pellets working is a good skimmer, Which i had but I now have a better one? This may effect the export of waste produced by the bacteria on the pellets. Or am i just looking at this in the wrong light???
Bill

[gary faulkner]

Bill, I can't answer many of your questions but SB and MB7 are quite different if color and smell are any indication. MB7 is kind of off white and a little musky smelling while SB is reddish clear in color and stinks to high heaven. Smell goes away pretty quickly though.

HTH

[milkman55]

I am also using Special Blend with my EcoBak. Been using it about 3 mths and the display and corals have never looked better. I dose 80 ml in my 200 gal system every weekend and one bottle will last a month. I have found it for as little as $9.80 per bottle, so not terribly expensive.

[poolkeeper1]

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

Great. Let us know what happens.

I have noticed a much more faster growth of Algae on my Glass since stopping all my MB7 dosing! I am not sure Yet! if it is related but I did my Weekly Water change and never before on the Day after a Water change would i see so much algae on the Glass as this.
This is my only Observation so far and I did a Check of Po4 with my Hanna Checker and It was 12 PPB which is higer than my normal reading around 4 PPB that I have had as a average level.
Not sure this means anything yet but I will keep going and If it continues to get worse I think it's absolutly an indictator it must be doing something with the EB as far as it keeping the PO4 low JMO
Bill
PS, Plus I upgraded to a much better Skimmer in this same week but It's already pulling more than my old one did!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Would SB be any different than MB7 or just the Different strains of Bacteria is the Key (Possibly) Here? Or are they actually the same thing basically. I am not familiar with SB so this is why i ask.

No one knows what kinds of bacteria are in any of these products. So comparing them is impossible except by experience.

I have noticed a much more faster growth of Algae on my Glass since stopping all my MB7 dosing!

OK, let us know how it goes. Bear in mind that the skimmer change complicates interpretations, but certainly the observations you are making are useful to know what works best in your tank.