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

[liz]

So what you guys are saying is that I can run Zeolites in a phosban reactor with a MJ1200 instead of buying the Vertex reactor?

If so, that will save me some $$.

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by OceanicCorals

I would not suggest running the pellets on an off/on schedule. They need to be run 24/7 regardless of what is happening with your zeo. The pellets can start to go anoxic very quickly at the rate they use oxygen.

The pellets use up the dissolved oxygen so quickly and is exactly why the manufacturer suggests to point the out put of the reactor into the intake of the skimmer. The skimmer will then re-oxygenate the effluent.

Ian

K, I will run them continuously. Thanks.

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by liz

So what you guys are saying is that I can run Zeolites in a phosban reactor with a MJ1200 instead of buying the Vertex reactor?

If so, that will save me some $$.

You do need the reactor for the Zeolites, as they need to be tumbled 1-2 times daily. We are using fluidizers or phosban reactors for the NP BioPellets. They are much lighter and tumble quite easily using a MJ1200

[Coleus]

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

You do need the reactor for the Zeolites, as they need to be tumbled 1-2 times daily. We are using fluidizers or phosban reactors for the NP BioPellets. They are much lighter and tumble quite easily using a MJ1200

Anyone has a good result for just using NP BioPellets alone? I know Kien has but wonder anyone else has.

I am thinking of hooking this up with my TLF and the output will run right into my skimmer.

I really hate changing out Carbon and Rowa.

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

Originally Posted by Coleus

Anyone has a good result for just using NP BioPellets alone? I know Kien has but wonder anyone else has.

I am thinking of hooking this up with my TLF and the output will run right into my skimmer.

I really hate changing out Carbon and Rowa.

The pellets alone work great; however, you will still want to run carbon as the pellets alone will not make up for what carbon does. Carbon helps soak up impurities like chemicals, dyes, tannins, metals, odors, etc.

Ian

[Werbo]

I am planning on running 2 TLF reactors. One with carbon and the other with vodka pellets. Could one MJ1200 provide sufficent flow to accomplish this and still "tumble" the pellets?

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

Originally Posted by Tyler Werbowski

I am planning on running 2 TLF reactors. One with carbon and the other with vodka pellets. Could one MJ1200 provide sufficent flow to accomplish this and still "tumble" the pellets?

Depends on how much carbon and how much in pellets you plan to run. Daisy chained together with one MJ1200 might not cut it.

[RuGlu6]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Have you given the reactor a shake at all? What about the output sponge, is it clean or does it have white gunk in it?

thx for reply.

Yes shaking every day. Both sponges were thoroughly cleaned on Dec 30, now obviously some debris but still enough flow for pellets to tumble.
No white gunk/mulm at all.

Also i wanted to mention to you that in one of your posts you say that pellets covering the zeolites with bio film , "what if" hypothetically it is the other way around ... that it is zeolites covering the pellets?
Because in my case i have no zeolites and i see no white mulm/gunk...

At this point i am seriously questioning the pellets ability to reduce P or N, perhaps in case when they are combined with zeolites they provide food for bacteria that already exists on the surface of the zeorocks. But that alone would not justified the cost, there are a lot of bacteria food around and its not what we want from it.

Oh well, another "miracle" will see how it goes.
One thing i know that i will not be buying another bag of it any time soon.

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

Originally Posted by RuGlu6

thx for reply.

Yes shaking every day. Both sponges were thoroughly cleaned on Dec 30, now obviously some debris but still enough flow for pellets to tumble.
No white gunk/mulm at all.

Also i wanted to mention to you that in one of your posts you say that pellets covering the zeolites with bio film , "what if" hypothetically it is the other way around ... that it is zeolites covering the pellets?
Because in my case i have no zeolites and i see no white mulm/gunk...

At this point i am seriously questioning the pellets ability to reduce P or N, perhaps in case when they are combined with zeolites they provide food for bacteria that already exists on the surface of the zeorocks. But that alone would not justified the cost, there are a lot of bacteria food around and its not what we want from it.

Oh well, another miracle will see how it goes.
One thing i know that i will not be buying another bag of it any time soon.

You will not see the mulm in large quantities or at all if the pellets are tumbling aggressively as the bacterial mulm is constantly being abraded off the surface of the pellets. If the were just in passive flow you would likely see large amounts of the mulm being produced.

The easiest way to tell if they work is to test your tank for nitrates, phosphate etc. Then test the effluent from the pellet reactor...

Doing this test myself the effluent from the reactor has always been zero or close to it.

[hillbillyreefer]

I've been running it for 13 days. The tank with bryopsis, I'm not seeing any difference in. One of the other tanks that had alot of bubble algae, and cyano I'm seeing differences in. The bubble's are disappearing, and the cyano is getting worse,but not much. I'm not sure where the cyano came from but my urchin has been missing in action since just before the cyano showed up. I'd much rather deal with cyano than all the bubble algae so I'm happy. I don't test for phos or nitrates. I've got so much algae in these tanks nothing ever shows up, so I quit wasting my time.

The one major upside I'm seeing is polyp extension. My sps always had a bit of extension, but now it is unreal. A couple of the SPS now have noticeable growth on them. I've got 3 non photosynthetic gorgonians that really haven't ever grown, sometimes they're open most of the time they aren't. In the last week their polyps have been open full time, and new branches are sprouting everywhere. I haven't seen any improvement in the areas I was looking for help in, but the side effects are worth it to me.

I built my own reactors. I used 700 ml pop bottles, cut the bottoms off, covered them with plastic window screens secured with rubber bands. A hole was drilled in the cap so a power head (MJ1200 and Rio 600) friction fit through the hole. To keep the pellets out of the pump a small piece of screen was put over the threads and the cap screwed back on. Works really well. Cost was about twelve cents and 3 minutes of work.