BioPellet Reactor Experience

brad87us · 11/02/2012, 04:38 PM

So about a month back I purchased a Reef Dynamics Recirculating BioPellet Reactor from Coral Corral. After getting it home and set up I was getting a pretty severe leak from the top portion of the reactor. After taking it apart and reassembling multiple times I finally decided to bring to back to CC and see if I was doing something wrong. There we found that there was a slight gap in the glue at the top of the reactor just under the top seal. Pierre contacted Jeff at Reef Dynamics and they sent me a brand new one. It took a couple weeks but I finally got it. After setting it up the second reactor has been up for about a week now and has been working like a charm.

I am running a Reef Dynamics BPR-135 on a 125 gallon mixed reef tank. As far as stocking goes: I have a couple tangs (hippo and powder blue), couple clowns, couple purple firefish, bangaii cardinal, a diamond goby, a couple cleaner shrimp, torch coral, acans, zoas/palys, duncans, and trumpets.

Before installation nitrates were running around 2-5 ppm. I don't have a PO4 test but I was getting some hair algae growing on the returns and right around the top of the overflows. So i'm sure there's some present.

After about a week of running the reactor I am starting to see the hair algae slowly receding and no adverse reactions to the corals. In fact they seem to be thriving, with the trumpet splitting into multiple heads and my pink zipper paly has popped out 3 new heads in the last couple weeks.

I'll continue to monitor progress. Also thinking about getting a PO4 test kit this week to track the progression.

Here's a photo. I set the reactor up externally as I didn't have the room in my sump. The blue line is the water intake and the white line is output.

EgmontKey · 11/10/2012, 05:25 PM

How is that reactor working for you?

brad87us · 11/10/2012, 05:29 PM

Working more a charm. I have seen a noticeable reduction in algae growth and the tank is looking pristine. The reactor is very set and forget and working great!

EgmontKey · 11/10/2012, 09:45 PM

Good to know and glad to hear its working out so well!

dave1045 · 11/12/2012, 02:01 AM

Did you load the reactor with all the pellets all at once, or did you add them gradually? I heard that adding too much at the begining can cause a crash..?

brad87us · 11/12/2012, 04:26 AM

All at once. The benefit of the recirculating reactor is that the pellet tumbling and water output is separate. So you can keep the media tumbling like normal but slow the output into the tank eliminating any crash.

aguila88psi · 11/12/2012, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brad87us

All at once. The benefit of the recirculating reactor is that the pellet tumbling and water output is separate. So you can keep the media tumbling like normal but slow the output into the tank eliminating any crash.

That's pretty cool, I'm gonna have to look into getting one now, thanks.

11/02/2012, 04:38 PM	#1
brad87us Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Tampa, Fl Posts: 197	BioPellet Reactor Experience So about a month back I purchased a Reef Dynamics Recirculating BioPellet Reactor from Coral Corral. After getting it home and set up I was getting a pretty severe leak from the top portion of the reactor. After taking it apart and reassembling multiple times I finally decided to bring to back to CC and see if I was doing something wrong. There we found that there was a slight gap in the glue at the top of the reactor just under the top seal. Pierre contacted Jeff at Reef Dynamics and they sent me a brand new one. It took a couple weeks but I finally got it. After setting it up the second reactor has been up for about a week now and has been working like a charm. I am running a Reef Dynamics BPR-135 on a 125 gallon mixed reef tank. As far as stocking goes: I have a couple tangs (hippo and powder blue), couple clowns, couple purple firefish, bangaii cardinal, a diamond goby, a couple cleaner shrimp, torch coral, acans, zoas/palys, duncans, and trumpets. Before installation nitrates were running around 2-5 ppm. I don't have a PO4 test but I was getting some hair algae growing on the returns and right around the top of the overflows. So i'm sure there's some present. After about a week of running the reactor I am starting to see the hair algae slowly receding and no adverse reactions to the corals. In fact they seem to be thriving, with the trumpet splitting into multiple heads and my pink zipper paly has popped out 3 new heads in the last couple weeks. I'll continue to monitor progress. Also thinking about getting a PO4 test kit this week to track the progression. Here's a photo. I set the reactor up externally as I didn't have the room in my sump. The blue line is the water intake and the white line is output.

11/10/2012, 05:25 PM	#2
EgmontKey Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 35	How is that reactor working for you?

11/10/2012, 05:29 PM	#3
brad87us Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Tampa, Fl Posts: 197	Working more a charm. I have seen a noticeable reduction in algae growth and the tank is looking pristine. The reactor is very set and forget and working great!

11/10/2012, 09:45 PM	#4
EgmontKey Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 35	Good to know and glad to hear its working out so well!

11/12/2012, 02:01 AM	#5
dave1045 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 119	Did you load the reactor with all the pellets all at once, or did you add them gradually? I heard that adding too much at the begining can cause a crash..?

11/12/2012, 04:26 AM	#6
brad87us Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Tampa, Fl Posts: 197	All at once. The benefit of the recirculating reactor is that the pellet tumbling and water output is separate. So you can keep the media tumbling like normal but slow the output into the tank eliminating any crash.