Turn bio pellet reactor off or keep on??????

[lluv24]

Hi reefers, I've been running bio pellets for almost a year. My water is spot on but my coralline algae is disappearing and red cyno stays on the sand bed. I just took the bio pellet reactor off the system. Did I do the right thing??????? I'm just so tired off the cyno

:headwally:

[cherubfish pair]

I doubt your pellets are to blame. You must have dirty sand. Stir you sand often or better yet, get some sand dwelling inverts to do it.

[chris1292]

I took mine off and tank looked better. Only reason I took it off was reading all the horror stories. I also had a problem with coraline algea and sps color until I took it off. I removed a little at a time and i did it slow

[lluv24]

I stir the sand all the time. I also have sand sifting star fish and some other snails. I just want the cyno to go away and the coralline to come back;-(

[keithhays]

Seems like a good idea, but carbon dosing in general should probably stay in the tool kit as nitrate will return as the cyano is going away. I would probably go with something you can measure more accurately.

[lluv24]

So get rid of the bio pellets and go with a dosing pump?

[kien]

have you thought about using chemiclean? I had a stubborn patch of cyano on my sandbed for a while but then nuked it with a treatment of chemiclean. hasn't been back since. Easy peasy.

p.s. I've been running biopellets for 3 years.

[keithhays]

So get rid of the bio pellets and go with a dosing pump?

...or manual dosing. I actually prefer manual dosing because of the nature of the carbon dosing. It keeps you much more in tune with what's happening in the tank. I have never believed that experimental methods should be set and forget until it is measurable and predictable. Carbon dosing isn't quite there yet.

[lluv24]

Ok so my only problem is the cyno. If I take the bio pellets off should the cyno go away??

[keithhays]

Ok so my only problem is the cyno. If I take the bio pellets off should the cyno go away??

Extra fuel can make the environment more susceptible to cyano, but taking it away alone won't likely get rid of it. You will likely have to go to more extreme methods. Once you remove the super charged fuel for growing bacteria, you will have to make sure the others are low as well, but don't confuse food that is good for growing algae for the food that is good for growing bacteria. Cyano has evolved to grow particularly well in low nutrient, high co2 environment. Your best bet is to run Kalk (higher ph, lower co2) and try chemi-clean a couple times. If that combination doesn't do it, then I would go with an antibiotic like erythromycin. The antibiotic can have radically different affects in different tanks because we all have different combinations of bacteria running our tanks. The only thing for certain is that antibiotics are designed to cause a reaction that kills bacteria which is what you are trying to do. There is always the possibility that you could seriously harm your biofilter in process.

[lluv24]

Just so I'm clear do u recommend taking the pellets off?

[keithhays]

Just so I'm clear do u recommend taking the pellets off?

I recommend that you stop all forms of food that can be used by the bacteria that you can which would include the biopellets. It is specifically designed to feed bacteria and you are trying to get rid of bacteria. Its more important that you understand why you are doing something rather than just doing it, I could just be some nut making up things, right. :)

[cap032]

Just so I'm clear do u recommend taking the pellets off?

If you took them off yesterday and decide to put them back on, make sure you clean them and the reactor very well first. You will essentially be starting over. Sitting for that long with no water movement/oxygen has killed the bacteria within the reactor. Putting it back on now could cause major issues without a good cleaning.

[lluv24]

Ok I'm going to keep the reactor off and see how my tank reacts. And thanks cap032 I just got done cleaning the reactor. Anymore input would be great. I'm glad we have places like this.

[cap032]

Ok I'm going to keep the reactor off and see how my tank reacts. And thanks cap032 I just got done cleaning the reactor. Anymore input would be great. I'm glad we have places like this.

Be sure to clean the pellets good as well, if you plan to reuse them. If you skim pretty dry, it might help to skim a little wetter if you put the pellets back on line.

[lluv24]

Thanks for the info. Hey what should I be doing know since the reactor is off my system? Maybe use it as another gfo reactor