Biopellet reactor or not

[codytbuckner]

Considering a biopellet reactor. Just want a way to remove phosphates and nitrates without a sump and other means. Opinions on them?

 

[reefologist55]

Gfo worked better for me..less clumping and was less harsh and more gradual.

 

[codytbuckner]

Gfo worked better for me..less clumping and was less harsh and more gradual.

Being new to the hobby, I'm a bit lost on the differences. How does it differ and why is it better for you?

 

[reefologist55]

The bio pellets take a while for them to start working in the reactor. They also tend to clump often. I would have to remove it and clean it weekly which was always a mess. They also have to run and tumble very high. W gfo, I can adjust the tumble based on how clean I want my tank. Phos should always be as low as possible..but i like my nitrtnit to be above atleast 10

 

[xaflatoonx]

i have heard that biopellets are better - but i would love to know more about the pros and cons of BP vs GFO

 

[reefologist55]

I guess its like a calcium reactor for me...in the beginning itsita pain but once dialed in...works ...but I've used both...and prefer gfo. Easy to maintain and does the trick

 

[redfishbluefish]

GFO only removes phosphates. A biopellet reactor (along with a skimmer), removes both nitrates and phosphates. As a matter of fact, you need both for BP to work. Think of BP as a solid form of carbon dosing.

 

[reefologist55]

My nitrates went from 30 to 10 after one month of gfo

 

[Gareth elliott]

I like biopellets, but a little goes a long way, and are slow to start.

Resist the urge to add more if in a couple weeks still see no difference. The bacteria these run off are slow to populate.
No change, test 1 week later no change... repeat a few times, than bam lower no3 and po4.

Until you see a decrease in the mass of pellets you added dont add more. After you know they are populated via a visual test, and still not seeing the decrease you want then add a little more, and wait again.

Also each tank is different, my tank runs at just detectable nitrate but phosphates climb without intervention. So i run GFO right now not biopellets. Each has its uses and one it not necessarily better than the other :)

 

[codytbuckner]

GFO only removes phosphates. A biopellet reactor (along with a skimmer), removes both nitrates and phosphates. As a matter of fact, you need both for BP to work. Think of BP as a solid form of carbon dosing.

Can you explain the carbon dosing a bit more? So if I have high phosphates and not high nitrates, a gfo reactor will work for me?

 

[redfishbluefish]

My nitrates went from 30 to 10 after one month of gfo

Iron Oxide Hydroxide (GFO) Phosphate Binders

 

[redfishbluefish]

Can you explain the carbon dosing a bit more? So if I have high phosphates and not high nitrates, a gfo reactor will work for me?

First a bit of a story....


All living organisms need carbon, nitrogen and phosphus to build the various components of their cells. A number of years ago a gentleman determined that with a particular algae, the ratio of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus was 106:16:1, and this ratio was named after this gentleman, and termed the Redfield Ratio. You might hear it mentioned on occasion. Dependent on the organisms tested, this ratio could vary, but what's important is that the nitrogen to phosphorus number is fairly large...16:1...and with other organisms is the case as well where nitrogen is needed in much larger quantities than phosphorus. I remember reading one strain of algae that had a 50:1 ratio. So we've established that organisms need more nitrates than phosphates. What's missing, to make them grow and multiply, is a carbon source. The thought is that if you supply additional carbon to your tank (that already has the nitrates and phosphates there), the bacteria will increase their growth rate, consuming the excess nitrates and phosphates in the process.

The various sources of carbon that are typically used are ethanol (vodka), acetic acid (vinegar), sugar, combinations of the aforementioned three ingredients, and biopellets (polyesters). You can think of these as a food source for the bacteria. They consume this food, along with a touch of nitrates and a pinch of phosphate, and grow and multiply. If any of the three ingredients are missing, bacterial growth will slow/stop.

With all forms of carbon dosing, a skimmer is needed. And specifically with biopellets, they highly recommend the output of the reactor is close to the input of the skimmer. When I ran biopellets, I did just that, as seen in this picture.

The skimmer removes excess bacteria, and in the process "exports" the nitrates and phosphates out of your tank.


Now, with GFO, it binds phosphates (silicates, organics and trace elements), but does not bind nitrates. It becomes "saturated" and therefore needs to be changed with frequency. If you are going to use Biopellets, I'd highly recommend not running GFO at first. If you see the N and P requirements of the biopellets are being met (Nitrates reduced and phosphates still high), you can then add GFO to help reduce the phosphates.

Hope this helps.

 

[codytbuckner]

First a bit of a story....


All living organisms need carbon, nitrogen and phosphus to build the various components of their cells. A number of years ago a gentleman determined that with a particular algae, the ratio of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus was 106:16:1, and this ratio was named after this gentleman, and termed the Redfield Ratio. You might hear it mentioned on occasion. Dependent on the organisms tested, this ratio could vary, but what's important is that the nitrogen to phosphorus number is fairly large...16:1...and with other organisms is the case as well where nitrogen is needed in much larger quantities than phosphorus. I remember reading one strain of algae that had a 50:1 ratio. So we've established that organisms need more nitrates than phosphates. What's missing, to make them grow and multiply, is a carbon source. The thought is that if you supply additional carbon to your tank (that already has the nitrates and phosphates there), the bacteria will increase their growth rate, consuming the excess nitrates and phosphates in the process.

The various sources of carbon that are typically used are ethanol (vodka), acetic acid (vinegar), sugar, combinations of the aforementioned three ingredients, and biopellets (polyesters). You can think of these as a food source for the bacteria. They consume this food, along with a touch of nitrates and a pinch of phosphate, and grow and multiply. If any of the three ingredients are missing, bacterial growth will slow/stop.

With all forms of carbon dosing, a skimmer is needed. And specifically with biopellets, they highly recommend the output of the reactor is close to the input of the skimmer. When I ran biopellets, I did just that, as seen in this picture.

The skimmer removes excess bacteria, and in the process "exports" the nitrates and phosphates out of your tank.


Now, with GFO, it binds phosphates (silicates, organics and trace elements), but does not bind nitrates. It becomes "saturated" and therefore needs to be changed with frequency. If you are going to use Biopellets, I'd highly recommend not running GFO at first. If you see the N and P requirements of the biopellets are being met (Nitrates reduced and phosphates still high), you can then add GFO to help reduce the phosphates.

Hope this helps.

Would there be a need to run both biopellet and gfo since BP will do what gfo will?

 

[jgraz]

Would there be a need to run both biopellet and gfo since BP will do what gfo will?

Just ran across this. I know it's a couple months back but figured I'd answer for you.
There may be a need to run both. Ideally the biopellets will lower both phosphates and nitrates to your desired levels. But once nitrates are at zero, there can be no more phosphate reduction. In that case you may need to add gfo to bring to your desired lvl.

 

[reefologist55]

I would never run both..u would strip your water to 0. Which is bad juju ... usually one or the other works best once tuned to your system..sometimes it's trial and error. ...every 2-3 mo the I change out my gfo and have to lower the Tumblr...and when I'm close to my 2-3 months I increase my tumble speed to get the desired effect.