Biopellet Reactor Help

[redfishbluefish]

I will be purchasing Mike S’s JNS biopellet reactor (Thanks Mike), and this is all new for me. I’ve been reading, but I would like to hear first-hand experience. I have a 90 gallon DT with a 40 breeder sump and I’m currently running a BRS dual GFO/Carbon reactor. First thing is that I’ve read that you should shut off GFO and carbon when you start biopellets. When, if at all, do I turn GFO and carbon back on?

The other question is how much do I start with? I’ve seen numbers all over the map. I’ll point out that I’m a “slow as you go” kind of person…..although it might be my age.


Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[downbeach]

I started out with 1/3 of the recommended amount for my system, added another 1/3 in three weeks and the balance in another 3weeks. I did remove my GFO, but kept my GAC on line. Keep the flow so the pellets are just fluidized, so you may want to bump the flow a little each time you add pellets, and keep the reactor in darkness. Keep the effluent from the reactor near, or in your skimmers intake. You probably already have enough bacteria in your system, but adding a little Biodigest or Microbacter, might help to jump start the pellets. Although I didn't do it, it has been suggested that you'll get less "floating", by the bio-pellets if you soak them overnight in some RO/DI water. If your PO4 remains low enough, you may not have to use GFO. In my case, I redeployed my GFO about two weeks after I added my final dose of pellets, since I couldn't get it below .08.

 

[jgraz]

Jim basically said it all. In my system of very similar volume I started with 1/4 of the total and added a 1/4 at a time every 2-3 weeks. I took GFO off but left GAC on. I just recently put GFO back online.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Thanks for the replys guys, but where did you find your “recommend dose?”

BRS says 1 ½ cups (355mls) biopellets for a 75 gallon DT, so, for a 90, that would be a target dose of pellets of 1.8 cups (426 mls).


Another site states five times total water volume in gallons for the mls of biopellets. So I have a 90 gallon DT with maybe 25 gallons in the sump, for a total volume of 115 gallons. So five times 115 equals 575 mls of biopellets. If you just consider only DT, five times 90 gallons is 450 mls…..close to the above number from BRS.

 

[jgraz]

My recommended came directly from John Warner. I was having a conversation with him on 3reef and went with his recommendation of 500ml of EcoBak. Though I only added the final 1/4 after a couple of months.

 

[greybolt03]

I am running a third of the recommended dose too.. I will bump up to about 1/2-3/4 of the recommended dose and stop there also I am running Warner marine pellets. I have heard nothing but good things about them and many horror stories about other brands. I stopped running gfo when I put pellets online never ran carbon...

 

[redfishbluefish]

But John and Mike, you’re still talking fractions. I need total tank volume to volume of biopellets.

John, your “John Warner” recommendation of 500mls is for how much tank volume?

And Mike, I need tank volume to volume of biopellets.


Thanks.

 

[jgraz]

I have approximately 110gal.

 

[redfishbluefish]

OK, thanks John. So the numbers I’ve posted above….426, 575, 450, are in the ballpark for my roughly 115 gallons of water. Now I’m happy and feel that I can start with the quarter dose of pellets and slowly increase to the roughly 500 mls of pellets. Good stuff! Thanks.

 

[jgraz]

NP. Good luck. It wont happen in the beginning but keep an eye on your coral colors as you get closer to the full dose and don't be surprised if you find your self feeding more often. I notice if I start feeding a little less then some of my colors go off a bit. So I increase and they come back. I see this specifically with my setosa.

 

[mnat]

Paul: Which pellets are you going to use?

John: Do you dose any coral aminos?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Paul: Which pellets are you going to use?

You tell me. It's coming with a partial bag of BRS biopellets. Does the brand of pellets matter?

 

[jgraz]

Paul: Which pellets are you going to use?

John: Do you dose any coral aminos?

I have dosed AV fuel in the past but accidently left it out of the fridge so I tossed it. I now have the Warner Marine Amino's but rarely use it. I never really had a grasp on how to dose, with or w/o snow, how often, ect

 

[jgraz]

You tell me. It's coming with a partial bag of BRS biopellets. Does the brand of pellets matter?

Id like to hear Mike's response here too, but I've started with WM EcoBak and feel like its doing a good job. I made my decision based on many peoples input here and after reading the ecobak thread on 3reef. To be honest though I couldn't begin to understand the differences that John Warner claims make his pellets better then others

 

[mnat]

Paul as far as the brand goes I think it is like the great salt debate. Personally when I start using them I am going with Warner marine. I can't give you any scientific data on that, I just feel like from what I have read and what I have seen from people who run them, they are the brand to go with. I plan on talking to John Warner at the swap and probably setting up a reactor shortly after that.

John: The theory behind the aminos is that with carbon dosing (bio pelletts) you are stripping so much out of the water the corals need food. They can lose color when there is not enough food for them to consume. Aminos have been considered the answer for that problem or a type of food that targets SPS (or just regular food like rods that has lots of small pieces in it). Again, having proper levels is much more important but you might be able to supplement AA with your feeding so you don't have to have such a heavy hand. Or enjoy having a heavy hand and keep feeding away.

 

[downbeach]

I bought a half gallon of BRS bio-pellets when I started a couple years ago, and have no complaints. My research at the time recommended that they be made of Polyhydroxyalkanoates or PHA. All other brands I was considering, weren't revealing what their pellets were made of, which made me a little suspicious, so I went with BRS.

A couple of other things I have experienced: don't use any other type of carbon dosing, i.e. vinegar, vodka, NOPOX, etc. I was using vinegar in my top off to super saturate my kalk, and it had the added affect of producing too much bacteria in the reactor, which started to clog the screening at the top. The more reactor effluent you can get going through your skimmer, the better.
Don't fill your reactor more than half full(when idle), when fluidized, it should be about 2/3 to 3/4 of the cylinder.

 

[Hawkeye]

not much to add - i have a 120 system plus custom richT (yeah i've been with the club that long) sump (40?). Like everyone else I started with 1/3 or so in the BR70 Octopus Bio Pellet Reactor. i use the TLF brand. Honestly I have no clue whether one is better than the other. Right now i can't really provide any long term results since sandy wiped out most of the inhabitants. So far so good.

 

[Tommyboynj]

I've been running dr tims pellets on my 75 mixed for almost a year. Very happy with the results. I followed his instructions and very slowly increased the dosage. I'm running more pellets than he suggested but I slowly built up to that point. I did "seed" them with waste away and mb7. I run the effluent to my skimmer intake. I initially stopped gfo but put it back online about 6 months in. I had some lingering po4 and this knocked it back down. I also started wondering why people say don't use gfo with BP. I'm sure there is a scientific reason but I'm no scientist. People use gfo all the time with vodka dosing. Biopellets is just a different form of that. My tank has never looked better clean sand, good coral growth and PE. Only issue I had to contend with was and alk spike about a month in. I stopped dosing for a few weeks, alk resettled and I resumed dosing again. My alk is now steady around 10.5. Probably a little high for biopellets but non of my sps has burnt tips so I'm not messing with it

 

[Chrisgarrick]

Plus 1 to downbeach. Wm ekobak my choice