Vodka VS BioPellet Reactor

[kingfisherfleshy]

What wins and why?

Looking into both at the moment, have heard a lot of personal stories one way or another, and a lot of the information out there is confusing.

Just want to know what you guys think, and if you can shed some light one way or another on the subject.

Tell me what you are doing, and why it is working. Thanks

 

[Troylee]

Both achieve the same results but vodka is a hundred times cheaper....
The pellets are kinda set and forget where vodka is a daily thing...
Pretty much boils Down to less money more work or more money less work... Both work great thou....

 

[FishLipz]

My job keeps me busy on unpredictable shifts. I like the set it and forget it that the pellets offer.

 

[Paul_N]

I have used both and voted pellets because It is hands off. I'm not sure on long term yet (1 year+) so we'll see. So far so good, same results as vodka.

 

[Mr.Firemouth]

Dosing vodka overtime delivers multiple doses per week at different strengths due to variations in the actual dose and differences in the vodka refinement from bottle to bottle. Also, people get busy and forget or get too distracted to dose daily. However, with a properly working and flowing reactor the vodka dose is a constant micro dose that feeds an active bacterial colony continuously. The advantage is consistency with the reactor.

The point of dosing is to build large bacterial colonies that feed both corals and filter feeders while also controlling nutrients via bacterial respiration. It is ultra important when carbon dosing that you keep up on water changes to control both trace element and ionic balances with water quality, and to reduce excess bacterial growth. The bottom line is, adding a reactor and keeping up on regular water changes will lead to an amazing coral display!

I also feel it is important to keep up on skimmer maintenance when adding a reactor. I have noticed in all of the systems that we have added reactors to that the sludge in the skimmers increased initially and then has a steady production rate that requires cleaning the skimmer weekly. This is probably due to the ability to feed more often. We have been adding automatic feeders that dose a small portion of mixed dry foods once every 4 hours per day. The fish are gaining weight and coral polyps are extended nicely along with the appearance of more and more tube worms, tunicates, sponges, and feather dusters/fan worms.

HTH, Rich

 

[Troylee]

The fish are gaining weight and coral polyps are extended nicely along with the appearance of more and more tube worms, tunicates, sponges, and feather dusters/fan worms.

HTH, Rich

this would tell me that your nutrients are rising.... at least from what i have exp. is tons of feather dusters in high nutrient tanks and very little to none in ulns... just been my exp.

 

[DrTrey]

Hmmm. It's interesting to see that everyone seems to prefer the BioPellets over vodka. Personally, innate been using the Brightwell "Reef Biofuel" product, which is essentially the same thing as vodka dosing. I had initially dismissed the BioPellet method as a fad, which required yet another reactor and would produce the same result as vodka dosing. However, the rationale that Mr Firemouth provides above sounds pretty good. So although I currently use a vodka-type method, I'm strongly considering giving the BioPellets a try...

 

[Mr.Firemouth]

this would tell me that your nutrients are rising.... at least from what i have exp. is tons of feather dusters in high nutrient tanks and very little to none in ulns... just been my exp.

My tank was neglected for about 9 months due to my work schedules and just being busy. I threw a new lighting system on it by switching from MH to VHO and my corals began to fade. Instead of testing the water, I just figured it was the lighting, but what really was happening was the tank was beginning to crash. Salinity was low, Alk was low, and nitrates and PO4 were high. I thought about selling everything before it all died, but then realized this isn't the economy to try to sell everything off so I started doing water changes. After 6 50g water changes I started to stabilize. I did a water change every 3 days for the first 6 water changes. At this time corals started to stop receding and were surviving.

My buddy John(uberfrags) recommended that I throw a reactor on immediately. He claimed that all of his tanks were doing phenomenal and that Sissy was using them on all of their fish breeding systems with no ill effects and that even the fry survival rate was up. So I ordered one and within 10 days my system began to flourish. Algae died back rapidly, coraline algae rebounded quickly, and the corals that I removed for safe keeping were returned only to look better than ever before. After 2 months of using the reactor I have had absolutely no reading on the nitrate kit, but expect it to be less than 10ppm as i am not using a low range kit. PO4 is 0ppm on the Hanna Photometer.

Knowing from doing the ULNS with Zeo-vit before I new the tank would start to need to be fed as nutrients continued drop so I added the automatic feeder with no ill effects and I feed live baby brine every night after lights out. Again, no increase in nitrate, no increase in algae, and no increase in phyto on the glass. I go about a week before I develop a film on the glass compared to every other day before.

I think using the pellets with water changes, and with a strong skimmer have been one of the best system enhancements I have seen over the last 25 years of growing corals. I could only imagine how many more corals would of survived the early days of the hobby if we would of had access to the science and products that we have today.

 

[kingfisherfleshy]

Wow, thanks everyone, learning a lot from this discussion, exactly what I wanted.

Has anyone noticed any negative effects when starting dosing or adding a reactor?

Ran into a guy the other day who said he had bleaching when he first put the reactor on.

Im going to be doing one or the other. I already have an oversized skimmer, and if possible (and I choose to go this route) I would add vodka via a dosing pump.

That being said, this discussion has pushed me back towards the direction of the reactor. Im hoping to run the twolittlefishies 550 on my 6' tank, because it is stocked with large, predatory fish...

Will this overkill hurt my corals? Are there any negatives? Will by corals be shocked if I just put on this reactor? How long did it take you guys with the reactors to start noticing a difference in h2o quality?

Thanks

 

[kingfisherfleshy]

Can anyone recommend a reactor?

The I would already have the one off marine depot...the 550...but they are sold out. Its only $112 with media. What kind of pumps do you guys use on yours?

 

[Paul_N]

I purchased a used a Vertex Zeo reactor. I love using this reactor because I can pump the reactor and keep the pellets loose in it. Also it is easy to change out or add pellets because all I have to do is pull the handle with the inner chamber out instead of disconnecting the pump and lifting the entire reactor out.

 

[kingfisherfleshy]

Aquarium Phosphate Control: PhosBan Reactor and Parts from Two Little Fishies

BRS Bio Pellets - English

How about this combo?

Or...

JUMBO BRS Bio Pellet Reactor - English

With the above biopellets?

Either way I would get 1000mL of pellets and run the 550 to the max, which seems like it might be a little small for my tank...or running the larger one with 1000mL which would be slight overkill for my system.

How often do you guys replace your pellets? This is seeming expensive...but Im willing to do it.

 

[kingfisherfleshy]

Well the jumbo one from BRS just sold out...so scratch that idea.

I will also buy my pellets here I think...its considerably cheaper:

Two Little Fishies NPX Bioplastics Nitrate & Phosphate Reducing Polymer Media, Biofiltration & Nutrient Control > Biological > Filter Media > Saltwater Aquarium Supplies

 

[FishLipz]

Try AVAST marine. They are a sponsor here and have customer service that is second to none. I know they had been working on a reactor with an inverted cone shape in the bottom that kept the pellets tumbling better than the flat bottom models. And for the record, I'm using the TLF 550 with Warner marine Ecobak.

 

[kingfisherfleshy]

AVAST Marine Works - Media Reactors - Category Details

So...here are his reactors. Nice price, and they should hold more media than I want to run (800mL). I would buy the smallest one.

Do I have to contact him on here to find out about his cone bottomed ones?

 

[Mr.Firemouth]

AVAST Marine Works - Media Reactors - Category Details

So...here are his reactors. Nice price, and they should hold more media than I want to run (800mL). I would buy the smallest one.

Do I have to contact him on here to find out about his cone bottomed ones?

Actually, run a larger reactor but use the amount of media you want to, be it 500ml or 1000ml. The reason is the larger reactor will allow for more tumbling room and a faster flow VS. a smaller, tighter chamber.

For pumps, use a pump that can push around 400gph for enough power to tumble the pellets and prevent clogging and clumping.(which does happen)

 

[kingfisherfleshy]

The MR5 reactor says that it holds over 1100mL of media.

I plan on using 800mL. So should that work? Leaves me some room for upgrade in that regard as well. Maybe up to 1000mL sooner or later?

It also says it recommends a maxijet 900/1200...so could I just run a 1200 on it?

 

[FishLipz]

I'd PM them about it. I'm not sure if has made it to production yet. I remember seeing a vid of a test model they were developing. Doesn't hurt to ask. I'll be honest though, I run the 550 with a mag 5 and they tumble just fine. The flat bottoms would work from AVAST IMO.

 

[kingfisherfleshy]

Do you think the maxijet would work?

That would save me a lot of money.

AVAST Marine Works - MR5 Media Reactor, 18" Tall - Clearance 2010 - Product Details

I sent them an email about this one to find out why it is so cheap...I emailed Justin.

If he gives me an answer I like soon, I will go ahead and buy this, 1000mL of twolittlefishies pellets, and a maxijet 1200.

 

[Pizzapro83]

Do pellets only benifit a sps tank??