N/P Reducing Pellets ("Solid Vodka") - "Wow" ... 3 month update

Delphinus · #1 01-28-2010, 12:29 AM

Week 6 update.

So, sometimes you learn things by trial and error. My last week's efforts to double up the media in the reactor have had a paradoxical effect. I doubled up both the zeolites and the N/P pellets and the resulting mix is noticeably restrictive on the velocity of water running through the reactor. In turn, the bacterial mulm released upon agitation is on epic levels, far more than the tank inhabitants consume - and this in turn is contributing to a build up of nitrate back in the tank.

Meanwhile, those who are running the pellets in reactors on their own report continued reductions.

So, I will be separating the two media types into different reactors. I have a spare phosban reactor I can use for starters and will see where things go after that. I will elect to sustain or suspend zeovit independently of this. I suspect at this point that the mulm from the pellets have coated the zeolites rendering them ineffective.

"In conclusion": although I think I don't have enough datapoints to make a solid recommendation on whether it's worthwhile or not to run pellets AND zeovit together; versus just one or the other... however I do think there is a definite trend here that we can make a recommendation against running both types homogenously in the same reactor vessel.

globaldesigns · #2 01-28-2010, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Week 6 update.

So, sometimes you learn things by trial and error. My last week's efforts to double up the media in the reactor have had a paradoxical effect. I doubled up both the zeolites and the N/P pellets and the resulting mix is noticeably restrictive on the velocity of water running through the reactor. In turn, the bacterial mulm released upon agitation is on epic levels, far more than the tank inhabitants consume - and this in turn is contributing to a build up of nitrate back in the tank.

Meanwhile, those who are running the pellets in reactors on their own report continued reductions.

So, I will be separating the two media types into different reactors. I have a spare phosban reactor I can use for starters and will see where things go after that. I will elect to sustain or suspend zeovit independently of this. I suspect at this point that the mulm from the pellets have coated the zeolites rendering them ineffective.

"In conclusion": although I think I don't have enough datapoints to make a solid recommendation on whether it's worthwhile or not to run pellets AND zeovit together; versus just one or the other... however I do think there is a definite trend here that we can make a recommendation against running both types homogenously in the same reactor vessel.

Personally I am still running 1L of Zeolites and 500ml of BioPellets in the same Reactor. I am seeing good results.

Tony thanks for your test results, maybe running more of both is not worthwhile, but at this point the amount and combination I have seems fine.

BlueTang<3 · #3 01-28-2010, 01:37 AM

they say with zeo less is more usually had a bad algae outbreak from dosing recommend levels or at least on bottle dropped back and things turning around

globaldesigns · #4 01-28-2010, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueTang<3

they say with zeo less is more usually had a bad algae outbreak from dosing recommend levels or at least on bottle dropped back and things turning around

I agree 100%, dose recommended amounts see algae blooms, cut it back and all is good.

I personally dose Zeovit at about 75% of the recommended. Found this to be effective so far.

BlueTang<3 · #5 01-28-2010, 04:10 AM

on zevoit.com you put your tank parameters and it ends up only being like 20% what they tell you to dose on the bottle saves a guy a lot of cash

Delphinus · #6 01-28-2010, 05:35 AM

For what it's worth I run 25% the recommended doses for zeovit already. It was a good start in reductions but it levelled off at two weeks at NO3=10 and hadn't decreased further and in fact I'm feeding less than when I started so I feel that the two systems in concert should be doing much better. The real kick here was when I doubled up the media's and the nitrates started increasing again. I think if you're going to do it homogeously I would cut back on the amounts or maybe do maybe more zeolites with just a thin layer of pellets.

It's OK I set out to see what would happen if I did this and now I know. I'll continue to post results as I go, one method had a pretty good run so I'll put out the same sort of run for separating and we'll see how it goes.

globaldesigns · #7 01-28-2010, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

For what it's worth I run 25% the recommended doses for zeovit already. It was a good start in reductions but it levelled off at two weeks at NO3=10 and hadn't decreased further and in fact I'm feeding less than when I started so I feel that the two systems in concert should be doing much better. The real kick here was when I doubled up the media's and the nitrates started increasing again. I think if you're going to do it homogeously I would cut back on the amounts or maybe do maybe more zeolites with just a thin layer of pellets.

It's OK I set out to see what would happen if I did this and now I know. I'll continue to post results as I go, one method had a pretty good run so I'll put out the same sort of run for separating and we'll see how it goes.

Wow!!! BlueTang 20%

Tony 25%, I am going to start rethinking things here. I am into saving some $$$$

Thanks for the heads up guys!!!

Delphinus · #8 01-28-2010, 05:51 AM

It's not just the $$$ savings (which is nice of course) but I think the tank reacts better also. If I actually do the recommended dosage per volume for one day I will notice a slight film algae over everything the next day.

globaldesigns · #9 01-28-2010, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

It's not just the $$$ savings (which is nice of course) but I think the tank reacts better also. If I actually do the recommended dosage per volume for one day I will notice a slight film algae over everything the next day.

I do have that, always had... I just replaced my zeolites, so I am in the process of my 10 day zeobak and food dosage. But I am cutting that back also as per you guys.

when I start dosing everything else, I will cut way back. Maybe this film will be gone for good.

I can say the my skimmate has changed from a green to a very brown color. A good sign of lack of algae.