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

[Delphinus]

Quick update. About a week ago I separated the pellets and put them into a phosban reactor, fed by a Maxijet 1200, throttled back on the reactor (not quite full bore on the pump).

I was optimistic that this would be a beneficial change, however, I am simply astonished at the results a week later.

Last week my nitrate reading was 10, as it had been for several weeks prior.

This week, my nitrate reading is bouncing between 3 and 4 (splitting the difference, let's call that 3.5). WOW.

But it gets better. I tested the effluent of the pellet reactor as well as the zeovit reactor:
- The zeolites are pulling nitrate down, the effluent has a reading of 2 for nitrate.
- The pellets have an effluent reading of zero (specifically, "under-range" on the meter, which means <1.0).

[nlreefguy]

but how are your corals doing? In your opinion is the mulm from the biopellets significant as a food source for the corals?

[banditpowdercoat]

How much tumbling do you have in the Phos reactor? And did you use the top foam? I have mine fed off my return pump, so am not sure about the flow. They tumble inside. Any more flow and 'm afraid the pellets would float out the reactors top plate holes and into the sump. Which probably wouldnt hurt, as have a screen on pump intake that is to fine for them to fit through LOL

[Chin_Lee]

Tony - any noticeable difference in PE on your SPS or LPS? I'm starting to ponder the use of this........

[Pescador]

Originally Posted by banditpowdercoat

How much tumbling do you have in the Phos reactor? And did you use the top foam? I have mine fed off my return pump, so am not sure about the flow. They tumble inside. Any more flow and 'm afraid the pellets would float out the reactors top plate holes and into the sump. Which probably wouldnt hurt, as have a screen on pump intake that is to fine for them to fit through LOL

So I've joined the club as well, thanks to a very piggy puffer in my 220. I'm running 2 litres in a converted CA reactor.
It's got a screen of that plastic needle point stuff and 2 layers of Enkamat that seems to work pretty well and not plug up.
But how much flow do you need to tumble this stuff? There's an Eheim 1048 on it now that just barely wakes it up.

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

Originally Posted by Pescador

So I've joined the club as well, thanks to a very piggy puffer in my 220. I'm running 2 litres in a converted CA reactor.
It's got a screen of that plastic needle point stuff and 2 layers of Enkamat that seems to work pretty well and not plug up.
But how much flow do you need to tumble this stuff? There's an Eheim 1048 on it now that just barely wakes it up.

All of the Pellets should be churning and moving in the reactor, more flow the better. My pellets are turning and flowing around my reactor with heavy flow. Pellets that are just tumbling on the top is not enough flow.

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by nlreefguy

but how are your corals doing? In your opinion is the mulm from the biopellets significant as a food source for the corals?

I'm not sure. The mulm that gets released is fairly sizeable, unfortunately I don't have anything that eats large things right now - just some photosynthetic gorgonians for the most part.

However, some of the fish go nuts over it, in particular my lavender tang seems to love it.

Originally Posted by banditpowdercoat

How much tumbling do you have in the Phos reactor? And did you use the top foam? I have mine fed off my return pump, so am not sure about the flow. They tumble inside. Any more flow and 'm afraid the pellets would float out the reactors top plate holes and into the sump. Which probably wouldnt hurt, as have a screen on pump intake that is to fine for them to fit through LOL

I played with the flow so that there was just the slightest bit of tumbling. I actually thought at first it might be better not to have too much tumbling but it started to clump together, so now I think some slight tumbling throughout might be better. I'll try to take a video of it maybe.

I replaced the top foam of the reactor with a single layer of Enkamat. It seems to stop at least 99% of the escapees. If I didn't already have the Enkamat I would have sliced the foam in half like Kien did with his.

Originally Posted by Chin_Lee

Tony - any noticeable difference in PE on your SPS or LPS? I'm starting to ponder the use of this........

I can't really say. All I have are gorgonians and zoanthids in this tank (and clams). I have a pair of butterflies that were slowly turning the tank into a FOWLR so everything else got moved into my frag tank until I decide what to do with the butterflies.

Originally Posted by Pescador

So I've joined the club as well, thanks to a very piggy puffer in my 220. I'm running 2 litres in a converted CA reactor.
It's got a screen of that plastic needle point stuff and 2 layers of Enkamat that seems to work pretty well and not plug up.
But how much flow do you need to tumble this stuff? There's an Eheim 1048 on it now that just barely wakes it up.

I found it wouldn't tumble in the zeovit reactor but then I was agitating that thing manually. The wider diameter of the circle probably means it would need a step up in pump driving it to tumble it..

[Reefer Rob]

Looks like the pellets work great for reducing nutrients, and safer than carbon dosing. I'm wondering if there's any use for this in a system that already has low nutrients.

I know it produces bacteria that provides food for corals, but won't live rock be doing essentially the same thing? Bacteria-plankton should be sloughing off the rock in the same manner, it's just not as obvious.

Still on the fence... but this looks very interesting.

[Chin_Lee]

What are you guys using on the TLF reactors to get these thing tumbling? MJ1200?

[banditpowdercoat]

Originally Posted by Chin_Lee

What are you guys using on the TLF reactors to get these thing tumbling? MJ1200?

I've just T'd off my Sump return. A Little Giant 4