Bio pellets are peeling and clumpy

[reef93]

My bio pellets after using for 6 months without adding more pellets or changing anything, the amount of the pellets are not dissolving so I can not add the new one in. The pellets are becoming clumpy and peeling off. I checked the pump, the flow is the same nothing wrong. I have stirred the pellets everyday but they still get clumpy again the next day, and every single pellet is peeling off. Some of them are floating to the surface and go direct to the skimmer. What is that ? Do I need to change them ?

[apexifd]

sometime the reactor clogs up. and not getting enough flow through.

[reef93]

I have checked the flow but it is the same. I have no idea why it happened like that.

[apexifd]

clumping are usually due to pellets aren't tumbling.

and pellet dissolving rate should be base on your bio load.

[The Grizz]

Did you soak them in RO water for 24 hours before putting them into your reactor? What kind of reactor & pump are you using. I am no way an expert but I have found with my NextReef MR1 I have to use a 2500 gph pump in order for them to tumble proper.

[ALang]

I find that if I don't dump out my pellets and scrub and rinse out the moded pads every month or so, the flow gets restricted and the tumbling slows down to next to nothing.
Then I'd gently rinse the pellets, and pour them back in, with the help of lots of water. Man, they are really "sticky" and hard to put back into the reactor.
I have mine now for 8 months and have no problems rinsing and using the RO (freshwater) to help pour them back in.
Then I just start the reactor back up, and SW will then swirl the RO water out of the chamber.
BTW, I run a TLF reactor. And I keep it at rapid boiling speed of tumble. HTH.

[wingedfish]

If I'm not mistaken, any exposure to air or fresh water negates the entire point of biopellets. Imho they do not need to be tumbling, just need water flow to keep the bacteria supplied with what they need and too much tumbling acts like the rock tumbler you had as a kid and knocks off all the stuff your trying to grow. My pellets don't tumble. Every week or so I open the valve and give the reactor a shake to unclump and sluff some mulm to the skimmer. Don't forget the whole concept of pellets is to grow things on the surface and export to the skimmer or have it be food for the coral. How can this happen if the reactor is smashing them about in a vortex of boiling pellets?

What are the consequences of not tumbling? I believe they stick together (do to the mulm your trying to grow) untill water flow ceases and it goes anoxic. I don't know how long this takes as I've never seen it and I would imagine it has alot to do with bioload.

[reef93]

If I'm not mistaken, any exposure to air or fresh water negates the entire point of biopellets. Imho they do not need to be tumbling, just need water flow to keep the bacteria supplied with what they need and too much tumbling acts like the rock tumbler you had as a kid and knocks off all the stuff your trying to grow. My pellets don't tumble. Every week or so I open the valve and give the reactor a shake to unclump and sluff some mulm to the skimmer. Don't forget the whole concept of pellets is to grow things on the surface and export to the skimmer or have it be food for the coral. How can this happen if the reactor is smashing them about in a vortex of boiling pellets?

What are the consequences of not tumbling? I believe they stick together (do to the mulm your trying to grow) untill water flow ceases and it goes anoxic. I don't know how long this takes as I've never seen it and I would imagine it has alot to do with bioload.


You were right, I don't know how my reactor gets a lot of air inside. After I let all the air out, it is tumble and no more clumpy, back to normal now :mrgreen:. Thanks a lot.

And thanks Alang, from now on, once in a while I will rinse them just like you said. I didn't know we need to do so though.

And thanks all of you who were taking your time to help me here. Thank you.

[ALang]

No Problem. The info was just about what I would do on a regular basis. Whether they are correct or not, that's what I do to mine. I might change my way of doing things as I learn new ideas from everyone else, one way or the other. Or that I hear of a better way.
I just stumbled onto that, partly due the the frustration of sticking pellets. I just think that a reactor full of tumbling pellets make sense, if the bacteria attached needs to regularly sloughed off.
If I'm not doing it right, I apologize. Don't want to lead anyone done the wrong path...
Have fun with this hobby!

[reef93]

Thanks again Alang, I think if I rinse them once in a while like you did it will be better, not totally neglecting them for a long period like me.

TO The Grizz, I forgot to tell you, my reactor is TLF and I run with an Aquaclear 802 powerhead. It looks almost like its in a boiling stage and they tumble well.

[The Grizz]

Sounds like you have them turning just right now. I have never washed mine just topped them off when needed.

[kien]

I think the principle behind the pellets and zeolites(rocks) are similar in that they grow bacteria. Both have to be shaken frequently to rid the media of all that bacteria byproduct. It is up to the hobbyist to decide how to go about doing that. You can either manually shack them once a day, rig them up to some sort of pump but still agitating them periodically. Luckily for biopellets you can automate this process of shaking them by allowing them to tumble constantly. Some people have MacGyvered reactors to try and do this with ZeoLite rocks as well with varying degrees os success. Any of the above should work.

[reef93]

I think the principle behind the pellets and zeolites(rocks) are similar in that they grow bacteria. Both have to be shaken frequently to rid the media of all that bacteria byproduct. It is up to the hobbyist to decide how to go about doing that. You can either manually shack them once a day, rig them up to some sort of pump but still agitating them periodically. Luckily for biopellets you can automate this process of shaking them by allowing them to tumble constantly. Some people have MacGyvered reactors to try and do this with ZeoLite rocks as well with varying degrees os success. Any of the above should work.


Have you ever seen pellets that are peeling off and they were floating everywhere like flakes. It didn't look normal to me when I saw them like that. They are all gone now since I let all the air from the reactor out. Thank goodness.

[kien]

If by "peeling off" you mean the mulm that is sloughing off the pellets then that's normal. However, the fact that they are clumping due to this suggests to me that you are not keeping up with the production of mulm. I'd recommend getting a bigger reactor so that you can send more flow through the reactor. I've used the TLF150 as a biopellet reactor before and found it very difficult to use for this purpose. there are lots of good reactors out there designed for this type of media. Also, if you upgrade your reactor you can upgrade your pellet reactor pump and have much better control over how much flow gets into the reactor. If getting a bigger reactor is not in the cards then you will have to manually agitate the pellets frequently to keep up with all that bacteria byproduct.

[reef93]

I guess I have no choice but to manually stir them once in a while then. I can't afford to change my reactor for another ... NO MONEY for now, I have to save for the Boxing day sale coming in 4 months to get the nice tunze wavemaker. Thanks for your input, Kien.

[kien]

Can you show a picture of how full the reactor is? Maybe it's as simple as reducing the volume o pellets that you have in the reactor. This will allow you to push more flow through it. I found that with the TLF 150s it was very easy to overload it with pellets.

[reef93]

I have no camera but I can tell you what I did. With that reactor I put 1000ml bio pellets from Vertex for my 75 gallon tank. They were doing fine untill the last few days I had noticed they had all become clumpy like cake and the mulm started peeling off a lot. I didn't know what was it and scared that it would kill my tank.

[kien]

Personally I think 1000mL is way too much for that reactor to handle. I struggled with running 500mL when I tried using the TLF150. Somewhere from 250 to 400mL I think is more reasonable for that reactor.

[reef93]

Really ... let's see in a few days, if it happens again I will take half of them out. Hummm, I thought I was putting the right amount.

[kien]

You may be putting the right amount for your tank but that doesn't mean that little reactor can handle that capacity :-(

[kien]

Also, are you using the foam pads still or did you replace them with something else?

[lastlight]

Hey what do people here think about running bio-pellets? Do they work?

[kien]

Hey what do people here think about running bio-pellets? Do they work?

Only the zeoVit bioPellets work. All the other ones are just snake oil.

[ALang]

Ha ha, funny!
But I agree with Kien regarding the amount of pellet that a TLF can handle. I originally used 500ml bag. That barely turned-over.
I had to reduce the amount to almost half for them to tumble nicely, and not clog up constantly.

I recently switched my reactor to the Bulk Reef Supply's brand of reactor, and I can put more in there. But start with less pellets, and work your way up.

[reef93]

Also, are you using the foam pads still or did you replace them with something else?


I threw away those foam pads but I didn't replace them with anything else.

[reef93]

Hey what do people here think about running bio-pellets? Do they work?


For me, they work really well. I can feed my fish anything I want 2, 3 times a day. All my algae problems are gone (knock on wood), nitrate and phosphate are undetectable in 6 months since I have been using bio pellets.

[Gripenfelter]

I use Saltwater Connection nitrate and phosphate reducer pellets. Can't say I noticed a difference.

[Maverick00]

Hey what do people here think about running bio-pellets? Do they work?


I switched back to GFO after my phosphates began to rise. I tried different amounts/ flowrates. The only thing i didnt try was dosing some kind of bacteria to kick start the process. Perhaps my tank wasnt mature enough to get the bacteria needed to make everything come together... i dunno either way i pulled the plug.

[reef93]

One thing I don't like about using bio pellets, my sps corals used to grow crazy before, but since I use these pellets, my corals stop growing. Some even change their color, I may get rid of the pellets if it continues like that. Does anybody here have this experience with their corals ?

[kien]

One thing I don't like about using bio pellets, my sps corals used to grow crazy before, but since I use these pellets, my corals stop growing. Some even change their color, I may get rid of the pellets if it continues like that. Does anybody here have this experience with their corals ?

It is possible that you are starving your corals to the point where they have stopped growing. Perhaps with the pellets your water is way too clean? Same thing can happen with any nutrient export method.

[reef93]

I thought sps corals don't need to get fed, I never feed them. What do you feed them, Kien ?

[globaldesigns]

It is possible that you are starving your corals to the point where they have stopped growing. Perhaps with the pellets your water is way too clean? Same thing can happen with any nutrient export method.

Kien is on to something here.... I recently removed all my pellets. Yes, believe it or not I did! But I am now seeing white tipes/growth on most of my corals, and corals that had no polyp extension, now are showing small polyps.

BUT... I also have some algae growing on my powerheads. Just noticed this last night, not much... but it is there. I have recently put a refuge back in with live rock and chaeto. Seeing great results, but will see where it takes me.

If algae comes back, maybe put pellets back in but at a much smaller amount, as I think maybe I was starving all my coral? Just don't know.

FYI, also my skimmer has changed. very green, so this is indicating a much higher nutrient level in my tank prior to the pellets.

Was running about 2-3 litres of pellets before... Maybe I should just use 150-250ml of them after the refuge? Any thoughts?

[tang daddy]

I have a 75g sps dominated tank running a vertex reactor with 1000ml of pellets, I don't notice a slow down of the growth on my sps since starting the pellets. I only feed the fishes once a week with pei mysis and as much as they can eat and feed the anemone at the same time aswell.

I believe the pellets don't slow down growth on sps, but calcium does!
As for feeding sps, it's not needed but it does help to feed them if you have the time. The best time to feed them is 2 hrs after the lights are off, the sps have crazy polyp extension at night. I use to feed zooplankton, phytoplankton, reef roids and cyclopeze but got lazy and haven't done it in a year.

[reef93]

I have a 75g sps dominated tank running a vertex reactor with 1000ml of pellets, I don't notice a slow down of the growth on my sps since starting the pellets. I only feed the fishes once a week with pei mysis and as much as they can eat and feed the anemone at the same time aswell.

I believe the pellets don't slow down growth on sps, but calcium does!
As for feeding sps, it's not needed but it does help to feed them if you have the time. The best time to feed them is 2 hrs after the lights are off, the sps have crazy polyp extension at night. I use to feed zooplankton, phytoplankton, reef roids and cyclopeze but got lazy and haven't done it in a year.

You made me feel better now, my tank and yours is exactly the same, I also run 1000ml pellets in TLF reactor. But do pellets suck up calcium too ? Because I have never checked my calcium for years but my corals were growing like crazy before. I just do water change 20% twice a month but that is it, I don't feed my corals. I can try to start feeding them and let's see if there is any improvement.

[kien]

I thought sps corals don't need to get fed, I never feed them. What do you feed them, Kien ?

Not everyone needs to feed their corals, but some do with various additives. Some people are lucky enough to have just the right balance of nutrients to feed their corals "naturally" while still maintaining a low nutrient system. Some people are not so lucky.

Biopellets don't consume calcium but the bacteria which you are growing on the biopellets can deplete essential nutrients that corals would use to grow. For example, some corals need trace amounts of phosphate to grow. It's quite a delicate (and difficult) balancing act.

I do not feed my corals anything but did notice a slow down in growth when I cranked up the amount of biopellets earlier this year. I have since dialled them back.

Also, keep in mind that even if your tank on paper is identical to someone else's tank, chances are the make up of your actual tank water can be dramatically different. As a result it is very hard to compare two tanks this way. You both would likely have different organisms doing different things to your water chemistry, not to mention a crap load of other factors (equipment, age of system, husbandry, etc).

[lastlight]

Also, keep in mind that even if your tank on paper is identical to someone else's tank, chances are the make up of your actual tank water can be dramatically different. As a result it is very hard to compare two tanks this way. You both would likely have different organisms doing different things to your water chemistry, not to mention a crap load of other factors (equipment, age of system, husbandry, etc).

Roughly translated we reefers can never *really* know what's going on. Do your best and hope for some luck as well!

[Parker]

It is possible that you are starving your corals to the point where they have stopped growing. Perhaps with the pellets your water is way too clean? Same thing can happen with any nutrient export method.

This!

I dialed mine back because I have a pretty low bio load. I'm slowly increasing fish load and will bring the pellets back online a little at a time.

[reef93]

Not everyone needs to feed their corals, but some do with various additives. Some people are lucky enough to have just the right balance of nutrients to feed their corals "naturally" while still maintaining a low nutrient system. Some people are not so lucky.

Biopellets don't consume calcium but the bacteria which you are growing on the biopellets can deplete essential nutrients that corals would use to grow. For example, some corals need trace amounts of phosphate to grow. It's quite a delicate (and difficult) balancing act.

I do not feed my corals anything but did notice a slow down in growth when I cranked up the amount of biopellets earlier this year. I have since dialled them back.

Also, keep in mind that even if your tank on paper is identical to someone else's tank, chances are the make up of your actual tank water can be dramatically different. As a result it is very hard to compare two tanks this way. You both would likely have different organisms doing different things to your water chemistry, not to mention a crap load of other factors (equipment, age of system, husbandry, etc).

You mentioned about dialing the pellets back, do you think using 1000ml of pellets is overdoing it for my tank ? Tang daddy's tank must have different organisms than mine, that's why his is better than mine. I can cut it back in half if it helps my corals to grow and get their color back, especially for the red and blue corals.