Bio pellets help

[Xxflounderxx]

Ok so I have a 250 gallon fowler tank I've always had high nitrates tank has been up for 3 years. I started running with a bashsea bio pellet reactor in the middle of October I added 1 cup the first week another cup a week later the 2 more. I haven't seen any drops in nitrates. The tank has been cloudy for almost a month even with water changes. I'm using a Reef Octopus
Regal 200INT and BRS pellets. Anyone have any ideas?

Alkalinity 8.8
Phosphate .20
Nitrate 37.8

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

Has you skimmer started to produce more? Because you stated that your tank is cloudy I would remove 1 cup of the bio pellets.

 

[Xxflounderxx]

If anything the skimmer has slowed a little I took it fully apart last week and gave it a thorough cleaning

 

[Xxflounderxx]

If anything the skimmer has slowed a little I took it fully apart last week and gave it a thorough cleaning
[/QUOTE

Ok so I have a 250 gallon fowler tank I've always had high nitrates tank has been up for 3 years. I started running with a bashsea bio pellet reactor in the middle of October I added 1 cup the first week another cup a week later the 2 more. I haven't seen any drops in nitrates. The tank has been cloudy for almost a month even with water changes. I'm using a Reef Octopus
Regal 200INT and BRS pellets. Anyone have any ideas?

Alkalinity 8.8
Phosphate .20
Nitrate 37.8

Any biopellet experts out there?

 

[Xxflounderxx]

Bump, any biopellet experience?

 

[Joekr73]

Gonna follow along. I'm basically having the same problem. Put biopellets on in November and no change to nitrates. I don't have a cloud in the tank like you do, but it seems my skimmer performance has dipped down some too. I don't want to hijack your thread, but I would love to hear from biopellet experts.

 

[Xxflounderxx]

Agreed, I recently upped my flow seeing if that makes a difference no change over 1 week of flow increase

 

[dadnjesse]

I heard you should feed bacteria. Watch this video

 

[Xxflounderxx]

I must of watched this video 10 times lol.. I just started dosing MB7 will see if that helps if not I might try the other brand he uses

 

[Joekr73]

yep, watched that myself haha. I've been dosing prodibio. I've used mb7, fritz and now got a small bottle of KZ zeo-bak. All to try and get as diverse bacteria in there that i can. Haven't seen a difference in all that yet unfortunately, so I'm going to add more pellets to what I've got going already. That's the last thing I can think of to try, other than that I'm out of ideas. post in here if you try the different pellets flounder, I'd like to hear if it makes a change.

 

[Xxflounderxx]

yep, watched that myself haha. I've been dosing prodibio. I've used mb7, fritz and now got a small bottle of KZ zeo-bak. All to try and get as diverse bacteria in there that i can. Haven't seen a difference in all that yet unfortunately, so I'm going to add more pellets to what I've got going already. That's the last thing I can think of to try, other than that I'm out of ideas. post in here if you try the different pellets flounder, I'd like to hear if it makes a change.

Are you bare bottom?

 

[Joekr73]

No, I have about inch and a half sand bed (special grade)

 

[Xxflounderxx]

Joekar any update I added an uv sterilizer to clear up my tank but bio pellets are still not working.. zero consumption on them. Thinking of trying another brand

 

[Joekr73]

Joekar any update I added an uv sterilizer to clear up my tank but bio pellets are still not working.. zero consumption on them. Thinking of trying another brand

I never did get them to work. I finally took them off the tank last week. I figured six months was long enough to give them the chance to start working. I may try another pellet brand in the future, but for now i'm just going to dose liquid to keep things under control. If you do try another brand please update because I would be very curious to know. I tried Dr. Tim's pellets, but if i tried again I would probably try Bulk Reef Supply brand.

 

[Xxflounderxx]

Update I added a uv water cleared up in 24 hours after about a month I took the uv off line. Waited another 2 months still no consumption of my bio pellets and they still appear to be the same color as when I added them.

Nitrate 40ppm
Phosphate .42
Alkalinity 8.9

 

[Xxflounderxx]

Anyone have any ideas on why I'm not seeing any progress

There is currently 64 ounces of brs pellets in the reactor

 

[Spare time]

Maybe try a wetter skim for the bloom? I would think since there is a bloom, that its working. If not, maybe add waste away. You can supposedly seed biopellets with waste away according to an old Dr Tim video

 

[Xxflounderxx]

Should I remove any pellets before adding the bacteria? Any idea on how long the bacteria takes to seed?

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I like to soak mine in rodi or tank water prior. Yes they make the tank cloudy initially. I'm running almost half full a xl biomaxx reactor on 280g volume.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

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