Biopellets: Let's here your thoughts

Orly20 · Nov 9, 2012

melev said:
Once I got in the habit of dosing bacteria regularly to my tank, the biopellets took care of my NO3 and PO4. When I didn't dose bacteria, I had brown stuff dusting the surface of the substrate. I tried to remember to dose MB7, but it was hit or miss. Once I started dosing Prodibio (every 15 days), it was much easier to make it a routine for me. Reef Addicts - Dosing Prodibio Products

My corals are all doing very well, but keep in mind that like dosing any other carbon source water clarity will improve. That means better lighting penetration or increased PAR that can burn your corals, so adjust your lighting schedule accordingly. Feed more often or more heavily than before you ran biopellets, because your system can handle it and your corals will need it.

Do you or anyone know if Zeobak would do the same?

I have to read the prodibio link.

Phyber · Nov 9, 2012

I noticed a huge spike in cyano algae with TLF pellets, and took them offline.

Upped my water changes, tried to spot vacuum the algae, waiting to see if its gone, then try again

jdl513 · Nov 9, 2012

I have been running pellets for six months and found the results generally good now that my skimmer is fully dialed in.

Biopellets work by providing a source of energy and substrate for bacteria to grow.
The bacteria incorporate NO2 and PO4 as they do, and when a bacteria cell dies it falls off the pellet to be carried away by the effluent water.
Skimming this water removes the bacteria (or what is left if it) taking the NO2 and PO4 with it.

If the effluent is not skimmed the bacteria cell decays releasing the NO2/PO4 back into the water.

Orly20 · Nov 10, 2012

If the effluent is not skimmed the bacteria cell decays releasing the NO2/PO4 back into the water.[/QUOTE]

Sounds very true!! I am sure that some hobbyist don't skim we'll enough and end up experiencing the dreaded cyano bloom!!!

Greeni · Nov 22, 2012

I've been using Bio-Pellets since June 2010, very happy with the results, but in that time i've purchased a new skimmer, a Bubble Magus BM-220CS needle wheel cone protein skimmer, this pulls out about 1/2" skimmate every second night, and i've just updated my reactor to a JNS Alpha 2,( four weeks ago)this is a great reactor, i had problems with the pellets clumping up in my other reactor.

Orly20 · Nov 23, 2012

Greeni said:
I've been using Bio-Pellets since June 2010, very happy with the results, but in that time i've purchased a new skimmer, a Bubble Magus BM-220CS needle wheel cone protein skimmer, this pulls out about 1/2" skimmate every second night, and i've just updated my reactor to a JNS Alpha 2,( four weeks ago)this is a great reactor, i had problems with the pellets clumping up in my other reactor.

What brand of pellets have you been using?

Looks like a beast of a reactor!

Reefltx · Jan 6, 2013

So, after 6 months I finally decided I had enough and took the BP reactor offline today. Let me just say it worked perfectly for the first 4-5 months. No algae, my rock and sand have never looked cleaner, even with what I consider heavy feeding (1 cube frozen, pellets 2x daily, amino acid 2x weekly). But right after 5 months, I had a big cyano bloom and a week after that my SPS begin to lose tissue from the base. I was throwing out frags and colonies out weekly, though after weeks of waiting for something to change I decided to remove the bio-pellets completely. Though, time will tell now if the BP was the real cause.

melev · Jan 7, 2013

Sorry to hear that your tank had issues. There's a list of some suggestions I've made in my recent biopellet review:

Reef Addicts - Product Review: EcoBak by Warner Marine

For a time, I thought biopellets might be affecting some of my corals, but the corals grow and look beautiful. I've been using biopellets for 23 months.

Here's my Duncans, from today.

creefer · Jan 7, 2013

melev said:
Sorry to hear that your tank had issues. There's a list of some suggestions I've made in my recent biopellet review:

Reef Addicts - Product Review: EcoBak by Warner Marine

For a time, I thought biopellets might be affecting some of my corals, but the corals grow and look beautiful. I've been using biopellets for 23 months.

Here's my Duncans, from today.

Nice review, Melev. Thanks.

Reefltx · Jan 7, 2013

I wonder what those who are having success doing differently than those who have not. Melev I've read your review and I personally ran them like that. Starting off slow, good reactor, over sized skimmer, increase feeding, and keeping alk stable at closer to NSW. But, for some reason after 5 months of amazing growth and clarity, the tank and its SPS inhabitants took a turn for the worst.

jdl513 · Jan 7, 2013

Did your nitrite and/or phosphate spike?

The way I understand it biopellets are comprised of a biopolymer carbon source.
In a reactor the bacteria colonize a pellet and feed on the carbon it contains.
The bacteria grow incorporating nitrogen and phosphate as they do which is why the pellets dissolve over time.
When a bacteria dies it falls off the pellet and is washed out the reactor and removed by the skimmer.
For the system to work it to work the effluent needs to be discharged next to the skimmer intake.

Question is why the rapid system decline.
If you determine the reason why and it can be traced back to the pellets that would be good information to pass on.

Good luck!

melev · Jan 7, 2013

Reefltx said:
I wonder what those who are having success doing differently than those who have not. Melev I've read your review and I personally ran them like that. Starting off slow, good reactor, over sized skimmer, increase feeding, and keeping alk stable at closer to NSW. But, for some reason after 5 months of amazing growth and clarity, the tank and its SPS inhabitants took a turn for the worst.

What was the status of the pellets after five months? Were they depleted? How often did you dose bacteria? Any change in lighting (age of bulbs) perhaps? Obviously, something went wrong. Just wondering what the source of that issue was.

Reefltx · Jan 7, 2013

jdl513 said:
Did your nitrite and/or phosphate spike?

The way I understand it biopellets are comprised of a biopolymer carbon source.
In a reactor the bacteria colonize a pellet and feed on the carbon it contains.
The bacteria grow incorporating nitrogen and phosphate as they do which is why the pellets dissolve over time.
When a bacteria dies it falls off the pellet and is washed out the reactor and removed by the skimmer.
For the system to work it to work the effluent needs to be discharged next to the skimmer intake.

Question is why the rapid system decline.
If you determine the reason why and it can be traced back to the pellets that would be good information to pass on.

Good luck!

Yes, that is the question. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can chime in.

And, I did not notice any spike in no3/po4. Oddly enough, my no3 was 0ppm before running biopellets. After the BP kicked in, I was getting a steady .2ppm reading from my salifert kit. Also, po4 has always measured below .04ppm with Hanna.

Reefltx · Jan 7, 2013

melev said:
What was the status of the pellets after five months? Were they depleted? How often did you dose bacteria? Any change in lighting (age of bulbs) perhaps? Obviously, something went wrong. Just wondering what the source of that issue was.

Hey Melev I use ATI t5, all bulbs were replaced about 5months ago. I did not dose any bacteria, well not until I had a cyano bloom at 5 months and it was recommended to me to dose "special blend" from microbe which did little. Besides looking a little worn, I did not notice much depletion in the pellets.

melev · Jan 7, 2013

And what type of reactor did you use? So no depletion of media at all in five months? Sounds a little like they never really did anything for you. What was water clarity like?

Reefltx · Jan 7, 2013

melev said:
And what type of reactor did you use? So no depletion of media at all in five months? Sounds a little like they never really did anything for you. What was water clarity like?

After the first 3 months, water was very clear and I also noticed there wasn't much algae build up on the glass at all, it was more of a hazy dusty look within a week or two without cleaning. And, I ran the biopellets in a Reef Octopus BR-70 reactor.

melev · Jan 7, 2013

I'm not sure about what happened. Sorry.

Dowtish · Jan 7, 2013

I have been running EcoBak for 24 months on my tank, and have had zero issues. This tank is my first ever reef tank, and I give credit to most of the success of the tank because of the pellets. I had a little cyano issues here and there, but they always cleared up with WC's and dosing bacteria. I have not seen a speck of any algae in my tank now(except on the glass) in 10 months now.

robby2782 · Jan 7, 2013

Biopellets work. I have a 180 sps and 58 lps/frag tank that I've ran them on for 1-2 years. In that time I've had 0 cyano and 0 phos/nitrate spike with either tank. They need to run directly to the skimmer and I've had even better conditions after dosing bacteria once a week to keep phosphates at 0.01.

I also haven't done a water change in over a year.