Bio pellets?

nicks387 · Dec 8, 2011

I had issues in the past but no problems in a long time. How much tumble depends on how much pellets you are running. There is a balance. If you have too many pellets and tumble aggresively then you will get the cyno blooms etc. If you have too many pellets and don't tumble them you may have good water quality without cyano blooms but they clog up and mush up and turn into a sloppy mess in the reactor or bag. If you have the right amount and tumble them you get the best results. Its a balance and every tanks needs vary, unfortunately you need to find out the proper amount through trial and error. The best way to run them is to not over do it and keep them at a slow tumble. The tumble keeps them clean as they melt, if theres no tumble, they melt and the bacterial film sits on them and turns nasty, you want that stuff to go into the water, you just dont want too much of it. It makes sense that if your using too much then tumbling them will cause negative effects. It also makes sence that using a lesser amount and tumbling them in a reactor is more efficient.

nicks387 · Dec 8, 2011

Vodka is just fine too by the way, but again, if you over do it on vodka, you get the same results. the key is balance and when these came to market nobody knew just how much to use, or how to use them. We had to find out the hard way. Most people thought if some is good, more is better, and the companies said you couldn't overdose. Well, you can. I lost alot of sps in the beginning but now that I have it down and balanced I have had no issues.

FaviaFreak · Dec 8, 2011

is there an updated dosing regime for the vodka

Dowtish · Dec 9, 2011

nicks387 said:
I had issues in the past but no problems in a long time. How much tumble depends on how much pellets you are running. There is a balance. If you have too many pellets and tumble aggresively then you will get the cyno blooms etc. If you have too many pellets and don't tumble them you may have good water quality without cyano blooms but they clog up and mush up and turn into a sloppy mess in the reactor or bag. If you have the right amount and tumble them you get the best results. Its a balance and every tanks needs vary, unfortunately you need to find out the proper amount through trial and error. The best way to run them is to not over do it and keep them at a slow tumble. The tumble keeps them clean as they melt, if theres no tumble, they melt and the bacterial film sits on them and turns nasty, you want that stuff to go into the water, you just dont want too much of it. It makes sense that if your using too much then tumbling them will cause negative effects. It also makes sence that using a lesser amount and tumbling them in a reactor is more efficient.

thanks for backing up what I was thinking. This is what is going on with me right now. What kind of pellets are you using?

nicks387 · Dec 9, 2011

Initially I was using the original NP Biopellets, those clumped up pretty bad and it seemed no matter how much flow I put through them, they still clumped up. Now I use the Ecobak ones and they tumble much better and clump up way less. If they are tumbling well in the reactor and your getting cyano blooms then you need to take some out, I know its a pain but just do it. You need to find the right balance for your tank, when you do, they will work great.

Dowtish · Dec 9, 2011

Right on...I'm using Ecobak as well, and I probably do have a little too much. My reactor is actually pretty easy to shut down and take some out. Plus my mesh discs could use a little cleaning. Thanks

Nuocmam · Dec 9, 2011

Thank you sooo much for your input Nick. I've been battling red and green cyano for awhile. I was about to add more hoping the bacteria would out compete the cyano. Been dosing zeobak and mb7 on alternating days. My pellets have a light tumble on the surface. Should I lower the flow to just barely a tumble or pull some pellets out? Thank you Sir for your insight.

nicks387 · Dec 11, 2011

Thats part of the reason some people have problems with these. The natural thinking in the hobby is that "If you have cyano, the water is dirty." "Therefore, if pellets clean phosphates and nitrates, then more should work better, and take care of the cyano by cleaning the water." Thats NOT the case. Cyano is a bacteria, and as such, carbon dosing feeds bacteria. adding more pellets will only feed and fuel the cyano. Theres likely too much carbon being dosed already, and thats why the cyano is going crazy. The biopellets will eventually get consumed to a point where the cyano dies off, but why wait? Take out some of the food your feeding it.
Are they just tumbling at the surface or are they all in motion in the reactor? If its just the surface then I would pull some of the pellets out. Say a third of them to start. That should allow the rest that are in the reactor tumble better and make them more effective. I would also cut back on your bacteria dosing for a couple of weeks too. I don't think you need to keep dosing bacteria, the bacteria thats already there now should be able to consume the pellets and keep its own steady population going. Its a good idea at first, but not needed once things get going. Just wasting money really. I would dose some maybe once a month or so, even once a week if it makes you feel better but I don't think you need to dose it more then that with the pellets.
See how that works, give it a couple of weeks and you should see an improvement in the cyano. Then, when the pellets get low again, add the third you pulled out back in. Probably 3 months down the line.

nicks387 · Dec 11, 2011

By the way, when you open the reactor to take some pellets out, mix the rest up nice, and clean them up a bit if they are clumpy from not being in motion. Then pour out that nasty water, or your skimmer will go crazy. Close it up and let it flow. They should tumble much better, and work better, by giving off the mulm rather then holding onto it and turning to mush. Rinse the ones you took out with fresh water to get them clean, and store them in a ziploc bag for later. Hope that helps.

Nuocmam · Dec 11, 2011

Thanks nick. I am going to try all this and report back.

brahm · Dec 11, 2011

I ran eco bak's for about 6 months or so I had great results, I took them off to see if I can keep my nutrients down with less, and so far I've been able to with just water changes/gfo & carbon. So I haven't put them back on. Lately though I've been thinking of putting them back on, I have decent PE now, but some things really were extra hairy when I was running biopellets.