For those that run bio pellets

[afamousjohnson]

Or have experience with them-

I have noticed that a few of my bio pellets within the reactor are a dark coraline purple to a black color. For those that run bio's have you seen this before? There was quite some time where my pump was not moving the bio pellets well enough and there ws more clumping going on in there than moving around.
I wonder if it caused a problem with them from lack of movement for so long. It was still up and running with water moving thru the reactor just the pellets weren't getting much movement. And always clumping together leaving me to manually break them up.

I have been thinking lately of emptying the reactor and starting it over with new bio pellets - my hesitation is how long it takes for them to start working(?6months?) and I dont want to run into any more problems. Anyone have any insight into this?

-the dark purple to black bio-pellets
&
-switching them out completely and starting them over

Thanks all

 

[Mike O'Brien]

Is the reactor exposed to light ?
I'd take it out and smell it, could be hydrogen sulfide. Either way, they shouldn't be that color, they should stay basically the same color they were when you started. I'd replace them.

 

[afamousjohnson]

Thanks Mike. Ya I have found throughout the day to see it as a foul pellet. Gonna either take them off line tomorrow or start new with 10% of my good used pellets for seed. Not quite sure what I want to do yet???

not exposed to direct light