I am using biopellets for the second time. I found the break in period a challenge, diatoms were the biggest pain. Once I hit the two to three month mark everything had adjusted and now I can feed as heavily as I like without an increase in nutrients. Since their introduction, tons of people are using them with an excellent success rate. A refugium is a good means of nutrient export. I have both scenarios set up currently, my FOWLR is using a fuge and working well, my SPS tan is set up with biopellets and personally I feel the pellets are doing a better job than a fuge ever did for that particular tank. If I were you I would get a better reactor than a TLF, Vertex and Next Reef both make far better reactors (and if you like spending money Deltec makes a nice one which is no better than the two previous mentioned brands, only twice the price). Here are a few pointers for you based on my experience:
1. Introduce the pellets slowly so you don't cause a Cyano or Diatom outbreak. Initially, the tank has to adjust and bacteria needs to colonize, the slower this happens, the better your chance of success.
2. Make sure there is enough flow to keep the pellets tumbling gently, your reactor doesn't have to look like a snow globe.
3. Manufacturers recomment not using GFO or other Phosphate removing media, I have had better results using GFO in conjunction with pellets.
4. Keep the outlet of the reactor as close to the intake of the skimmer as you can. Skimming is how the nutrients are exported so the less reactor water that travels back into the tank the better.
5. Use a very powerful skimmer, most recommend buying a skimmer rated larger than your tank, this is especially true with biopellets.
Top up the pellets the same way you firs introduced them, very slowly.
There's no disputing the pellets do work, it's just a matter of setting it up properly and like everything in this hobby... be patient. Results won't be noticeable over night.
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