Should I shut down my bio pellet reactor?

Kzoo · Dec 11, 2016

I started a bio pellet reactor on my 150g that has been running for 6 months now, was having trouble with acans and zoas at first but now that my media in the reactor has got less seem to have better growth, all my sps hammers ,mushrooms have been good all the way though. If i do shut it down what can i use the reactor for ?

AcanSkywalker · Dec 11, 2016

You can buy an LED strip & chaeto and turn it into a algae reactor.

nervousmonkey · Dec 11, 2016

It sounds like you were just stripping the water too much at first with too many pellets. If your parameters are in line and your corals are doing good, it would do more harm than good to shut down the reactor now. You would have instant algal growth and spikes of NO3, with some PO4 increase as well. I would personally keep it online. Take note of the volume of biopellets that you have now, and then let it keep running and simply add more biopellets when you need to once they are becoming depleted. It's a good source of nutrient control, I'd keep it...

psirex · Dec 11, 2016

nervousmonkey said:
It sounds like you were just stripping the water too much at first with too many pellets. If your parameters are in line and your corals are doing good, it would do more harm than good to shut down the reactor now. You would have instant algal growth and spikes of NO3, with some PO4 increase as well. I would personally keep it online. Take note of the volume of biopellets that you have now, and then let it keep running and simply add more biopellets when you need to once they are becoming depleted. It's a good source of nutrient control, I'd keep it...

Ditto

charleslotz · Dec 11, 2016

As above ...

Twocorns · Dec 11, 2016

Glad I read this post. I was going to take mine offline as well, but now I decided to keep it. Can't wait 'til we move next year, so I can house my sump in the garage and not have to hear the pellet reactor swirling!

twilliard · Dec 11, 2016

It takes algae to make algae ;)
If a person considers removal of a reactor wait for it to deplete first as the population of bacteria follows pellet level.