USING BIO PELLETS

[ottoman]

Renegade, you will need to do more research. As I understand that phosphates and nitrate will be used up in a certain ratio (just for example 1 phosphates : 5 nitrate). So if your tank does not have nitrate, no phosphates will be consumed by bacteria. That's why people also run phosphate binding media. Same happens, if no phosphates, no nitrate will be consumed. I may be wrong too. Cheers.

[Funky_Fish14]

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=72671

[Renegade]

Funky Fish - I believe you need to do more research with regards to carbon use. Many Granular Activated Carbon contain phosphates left over from the manufacturing process, and can add phosphates back into to the water column.

You will find that warning generally right on the manufactures page. Here is an example of one on j&l.

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/s...t_ID=sc-mc2000

Now while this is not the Carbon i use. I personally use Kent, which is suppose to be Non-Leaching. I don't like to leave it up to manufacture to always tell truth. All carbon has phosphates in it so i'm adding a stage of "piece of mind"

[Renegade]

Also NP Bio Pellets Suggest that you suggest placing the outlet of the pellet filter in front of a protein skimmer, to limit the amount of bacteria entering the system.

The Idea being to keep the bacteria in the filter containing the Pellets and not in your tank.

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by Renegade

Also NP Bio Pellets Suggest that you suggest placing the outlet of the pellet filter in front of a protein skimmer, to limit the amount of bacteria entering the system.

The Idea being to keep the bacteria in the filter containing the Pellets and not in your tank.

Actually putting the output in front of the skimmer is more for re-oxynation of the water. The bacteria uses oxygen and can deplete it, the skimmer re-oxynates. It does remove some bacteria by-product, but this by-product also feeds the coral and isn't bad for the tank. But no oxygen is BAD.

Just wanted to add more to the topic, hope it helps.

[Renegade]

Thats a really good point.

NP Neducing BioPellets however seems to be more worried about excess bacteria then the lack of air.

"Quote"
We also suggest placing the outlet of the pellet filter in front of a protein skimmer, to limit the amount of bacteria entering the system. This has the additional benefit of increased gas exchange (CO2-removal and O2-addition). The pellets should never be used without sufficient aeration, as this may lead to low oxygen and pH levels, especially during night time. Proper aeration can be established with air pumps and protein skimmers.

http://npbiopellets.dvh-import.com/i...Important.html

[Funky_Fish14]

Originally Posted by Renegade

I believe you need to do more research with regards to carbon use.

Speak for yourself...

Yes, some carbon has phosphates in it from manufacturing, but not all carbon types available are made like this.

Activated Carbon has gotten a reputation of adding or leaching phosphates back into the water. This is only partially true. Activated Carbon can be made in two ways, either by Physical Activation or Chemical Activation. Physical activation used CO2, oxygen, or steam, and contains no phosphates. Chemical activation uses phosphoric acid and zinc for activation. If you buy the latter, then adding carbon will also add phosphates to your water. You are better off not using carbon at all then using a phosphate washed product. - Source: http://joejaworski.wordpress.com/200...k-need-carbon/

Also... when i said what I said... I was under the impression that you were suggesting carbon will leach phosphates back out after capturing organics. I assumed you weren't using phosphate-washed carbon in the first place. If your getting phosphates from the carbon, get a better carbon.

Activated Carbon Myths and Misconceptions

....Carbon will leach organics back into the water False. Once all the carbon pores are saturated, bacteria slime and detritus will accumulate on the carbon grains, turning it into a weak biological filter with the organics locked in the deeper layers. - source: http://joejaworski.wordpress.com/200...k-need-carbon/

Thats what I assumed you were talking about.

Originally Posted by Renegade

Carbon to pick up anything the pellet leach back into the water

Originally Posted by Funky_Fish14

Neither the bio-pellets nor the carbon 'leach' anything 'back into the water'.

"Leach" - New Oxford American Dictionary:
- make (a soluble chemical or mineral) drain away from soil, ash, or similar material by the action of percolating liquid, esp. rainwater : the nutrient is quickly leached away.
(Can be adapted to describe nutrients being 'dissolved away' by/within water)


Globaldesigns is right about the bacteria... it is harmless to your tank.

Cheers,

Chris

[Renegade]

Funky Fish - I was not talking directly at you regarding the skimming, it was merely an interesting fact, that i wanted to add to the discussion.

[Reefpins10]

WOW... I don't know how long it will take me to get all those acknowledgements I am just an amateur compared to all of you, you guys really are serious engineers talking here. It will take me awhile to understand them though

[asylumdown]

I just started using reactors, one for biopellets, and one for carbon. Haven't noticed much of a difference in the algae growth, but within a matter of days my acroporas started burning at the tips, in some cases badly.

Now, I also switched to sodium bicarbonate (un-cooked baking soda) for my alkalinity dosing solution at the same time, so the pH dropped a little. Now that I'm using sodium carbonate again (cooked baking soda), I saw a slight improvement, but definitely not a full recovery.

Not saying it's one thing exactly causing the problem (never change three things at once!), but for now I'm sticking with both the carbon and the biopellets to see if things adjust/algae problem gets better. If they don't I'm going to start taking one offline at a time to see if anything suddenly improves.