Biopellets clumping

[rite_eh]

Hello,

I am running biopellets in a Vertex reactor fitted with the 'UF filter upgrade' plates (instead of using sponges). My pellets seem to clump after about a month of use. When they do I attempt to clean them, put them back in the reactor and top it up. I clean them via rinsing them with salt water.

They are tumbling pretty well and my return pump is feeding the reactor. I notice channeling in the reactor where the (poor) design of the vertex plates permit this. Eventually these areas clump and the pellets become stationary and white.

I can get them fairly clean but there is always some debris that will remain. This will accumulate in the reactor and the pellets begin to clump and the whole process starts again. Is there a better way to go about this? Can I safely discard these pellets, clean my reactor and fill it with new pellets or am I asking for trouble? Hopefully I can find a better reactor eventually as this is a tedious process.

My tank is a 72G with about 30-40 lbs of liverock. I am running the pellets as I have a minimal amount of rock and quite a bit of livestock. I am dosing 3-4ml of vodka daily as well (possibly unnecessary?). Some of the fish will be moving to my 180g which is currently being setup.

[tkeracer619]

Can you post a video of their tumbling? Sounds like they are not tumbling enough.

[rite_eh]

Thanks, I will do that. I need to get the reactor cleaned and back up and running, currently taking it apart to either clean the pellets or replace them based on recommendations.

[tkeracer619]

The gunk is likely bacteria. Which is what you want. But, you want it to be tumbled off and removed by your skimmer.

[antbreon]

so should the outlet of the media reactor be near the intake of the skimmer? i am just starting to use bio pellets.. and i have 2 media reactors daisy chained together using one pump..the first one got clogged and slowed the flow my bio pellets also clumped a little..i cleaned the screens and all is well now..but i have the outlet near the return pump ..not near the skimmer..

[tkeracer619]

Should be close to skimmer intake and needs to be on its own pump or independent feed off a manifold.

[antbreon]

i have a little giant #2 running through the chiller ..and through 2 two little fishes 150 reactors..1 w gfo ..and had some nitrate media in it as well it floats and didnt work out so well...then to the other reactor with the bio pellets..and out ..into the sump ..i have a #4 for circulation along with a couple wave makers.it is easy enough to have it dump near the skimmer..the bio pellets have been in about 2 weeks now.i should start to see some benefits soon..i only have about 100 ml of pellets in about 100 gal vol system to start..dont want to strip to fast.

[tkeracer619]

Bio pellets require a different flow rate then GFO.

Try to tee off the little giant prior to or after the chiller. You want to be able to get them tumbling aggressively. If that is not possible I would consider a second pump.