Offical Eco-Bak Thread

shellynjason · Feb 14, 2013

Thanks Chris - I got the idea of using the Eheim from one of your build posts. I will get a proper reactor when I get the stand/sump done but this is a quick temp solution. I do have ball values so I will play with that. Should recieve the Ecobak and bacteria any day now. My phospates read .39 on a hanna checker so really need a quick solution. I currently have two eheims with cloth bags in each with the phosguard stuff and got the phospates down from .89 three weeks ago so ecobak should do the trick to get it even lower.

gmoney243 · Feb 14, 2013

Ecobak or any biopellets will take time.to sstart working. I would use gfo to get your phos down in the meantime. It will take several months from now for ecobak to kick in and reduce those phosphates but it does a great job of keeping them low. GFO will reduce them overnight. Ecobak is mostly for nitrates but also gets rid of phosphate as a side benefit.

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Dowtish · Feb 14, 2013

gmoney243 said:
Ecobak or any biopellets will take time.to sstart working. I would use gfo to get your phos down in the meantime. It will take several months from now for ecobak to kick in and reduce those phosphates but it does a great job of keeping them low. GFO will reduce them overnight. Ecobak is mostly for nitrates but also gets rid of phosphate as a side benefit.

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This is all true. Except I wouldnt say several months. 6 weeks at the most before you see great results.

shellynjason · Feb 14, 2013

Interesting ... I assumed Ecobak was mostly for Phospates. My nitrates are zero right now, mainly from a small diatom outbreak after the new T5 lights were put on the tank. Every day the algae is less and less (and just on the glass) and nitrates are still at zero.

My Pink Birdsnest looks great , sharp white tips and lots of new tips sprouting (over the last three weeks in this tank) - which signals low nitrates too.

It's the phosphates that are fighting me. I didn't want to buy GFO if I could just use Ecobak long term. hmmmm

Dowtish · Feb 14, 2013

What test kits are you using for Nitrates and Phosphates?

shellynjason · Feb 15, 2013

I use the ATI kit for Nitrates, and always had nits. in th 20pm range until this algae outbreak from the new lights.

For phospates I use the hanna checker and it read .40 last night from my DT. The ATI phospate checker reads zero, obviously wrong. I used the Hanna to check my water change buckets (ro/di w/salt mixed) and it read zero, so it appaers accurate.

6272862829 · Feb 15, 2013

Are mangroove good at removing phosphates??

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Dowtish · Feb 15, 2013

I have read that you need one mangrove per gallon to see any real nutrient reduction. So unless you have room, and a lot of money to spend on mangroves I would look for an alternative method.

6272862829 · Feb 15, 2013

So for the guys using bio pellets do you guys just run bio pellets and skimmer with no refugium or gfo.

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sluicebox · Feb 15, 2013

iiluisii said:
So for the guys using bio pellets do you guys just run bio pellets and skimmer with no refugium or gfo.

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I run biopellets with just a skimmer. In my 75 gallon, NO3 is zero and PO4 is stays around 0.025 ppm. On the 150 gallon tank, the NO3 is at 2 ppm and the PO4 is about 0.030. The nitrates have never been very high in either tank and the phosphates are down from around 0.15 ppm at the max. I started biopellets soon after the tanks were set up in each case.

6272862829 · Feb 15, 2013

sluicebox said:
I run biopellets with just a skimmer. In my 75 gallon, NO3 is zero and PO4 is stays around 0.025 ppm. On the 150 gallon tank, the NO3 is at 2 ppm and the PO4 is about 0.030. The nitrates have never been very high in either tank and the phosphates are down from around 0.15 ppm at the max. I started biopellets soon after the tanks were set up in each case.

Do you have a lot of fish

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sluicebox · Feb 15, 2013

iiluisii said:
Do you have a lot of fish

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I have 11 (about 40") in the 150 and 6 (20") in the 75. Not too heavily loaded.

Dowtish · Feb 15, 2013

iiluisii said:
So for the guys using bio pellets do you guys just run bio pellets and skimmer with no refugium or gfo.

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I have a small 6x18 compartment in my sump full of chaeto. Not so much for nutrient reduction, more for ph stability. I run no gfo.

bknapp · Feb 19, 2013

I have been running ecoBAK since my tank cycled and I am happy with the results thus far.

I have been tossing around an idea in my head for the last couple of weeks. I know one of the major rules with running pellets is use of a strong skimmer, but here is where my idea skews things. I am thinking of shutting off my skimmer for a few hours during the night to help my corals feed better at night will this cause any issues?

Dowtish · Feb 19, 2013

Why not just put the output of the reactor in the return section of the sump instead of turning off your skimmer?

bknapp · Feb 19, 2013

Never really thought of that before, but I also broadcast feed Oyster Feast and Macrovorve after lights out as well.

Dowtish · Feb 19, 2013

Are you thinking your corals just need more food?

I wouldnt cut the skimmer off personally, but you could try putting it in the return section just at night for starters. I know Bart ran his output straight into his frag tank that was connected to his main system, and never had any issues. I think as long as you have a capable skimmer it doesnt really matter if it goes directly into the skimmer section.