Can I Benefit from Bio Pellets?

[d2mini]

I have a LifeReef berlin sump with reactors, including a bio pellet reactor.
My Nitrates are .5 or less and my P04 is low, too.

So would there be any benefit to my reef to running a little bio pellets?

[bertoni]

Maybe. You could try it, if you're interested. They might provide food for sponges and other filter feeders, as well as reducing the dissolved nutrient levels. I'd expect coral coloration to change, maybe for the better or maybe for the worst.

[d2mini]

Providing food would be good.
I have a lot of sponges in the tank that could definitely use more food.
What do you think would be a good amount to test the waters with, for a 200g display and another 150g in frag tank, mangrove tank, refugium and sump?

[bertoni]

That's a fairly large system, but I'd still probably start with ¼ cup or so. It's very easy to add more, and I think building up slowly is safer, personally.

[Coelli]

I've been wondering this too... I have more phosphate issues than nitrate, but overall wondering if there are other benefits.

[d2mini]

I've been wondering this too... I have more phosphate issues than nitrate, but overall wondering if there are other benefits.

Yeah, I try not to just throw random things at my tank, especially when everything is going well.
I just have the reactor and the media sitting here and it's no big deal to hook it up since the system came with it.
So if I can benefit at all from it, I don't mind giving it a try.
But I don't want to hurt anything, either. So I've been hesitant.


www.everydayreef.com

[downbeach]

I found it difficult to keep both a refugium and BP's running at the same time. My Chaeto stopped growing, and after a period of time started to die off. At first I thought it might be the lamps in the PC fixture over the fuge, so I replaced them to no avail, added an Iron supplement...no dice. I think there just weren't enough N's and P's to go around. Ultimately I just removed the chaeto, and added a larger skimmer to accommodate the additional load of the BP reactor, and plumbed the effluent of the reactor into the skimmer's intake.

[heathlindner25]

In my opinion you need a good amount of nitrates and phosphates in your system before you start any carbon dosing.

[Spar]

I found it difficult to keep both a refugium and BP's running at the same time. My Chaeto stopped growing, and after a period of time started to die off. At first I thought it might be the lamps in the PC fixture over the fuge, so I replaced them to no avail, added an Iron supplement...no dice. I think there just weren't enough N's and P's to go around. Ultimately I just removed the chaeto, and added a larger skimmer to accommodate the additional load of the BP reactor, and plumbed the effluent of the reactor into the skimmer's intake.

i had the same experience. refugiums really should keep up with your nitrates and phosphates just fine on their own unless you are way overstocked and/or overfeeding.

i chose to ditch the BP's and keep the fuge though.

[Reefvet]

So would there be any benefit to my reef to running a little bio pellets?

No.

The potential for you to throw everything out of balance with BPs that aren't needed is pretty high.

[drtrash]

I'm running both and was thinking of taking the bp off line, ha trouble growing cheato and don't have large bio load. Originally fuge could not keep up, now tank is too clean. Balanced ecosystem is not easy and takes time. Initially I was not aware the bp pulls more nitrates than phosphates and fuge can't gow without N so trial and error

[rburns24]

No.

The potential for you to throw everything out of balance with BPs that aren't needed is pretty high.

+1.
I think ReefVet hit the nail on the head.

http://images.aquaticlog.com/aquarium/aquarium3921.png (http://www.aquaticlog.com/aquariums/rburns24/2)

[Spar]

No.

The potential for you to throw everything out of balance with BPs that aren't needed is pretty high.

i blame my first year of woes with my setup on BPs. i thought having 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate was a good thing, when in reality it is awful. the parameters just need to be low, but not zero. BPs will likely get you to zero, especially if running a fuge concurrently.

[lviva003]

I was think of running bio pellets since i have a high bio load? I do not have a sump. Would you guys recommended?

[oseymour]

That's a fairly large system, but I'd still probably start with ¼ cup or so.

I have a 70 gallon system and I started with a little less than a full cup. I only started about 10 days. Was it too much too soon?

[Spar]

I have a 70 gallon system and I started with a little less than a full cup. I only started about 10 days. Was it too much too soon?

just keep an eye out on NO3 and PO4. If they are zero, then you put too much in. and if it gets to zero very quickly, then it was too much too soon.

but 1 cup for a 70g does seem quite high.

what is your NO3 and PO4 at right now?

[bertoni]

I might take some of the bio-pellets out, but one cup might be fine if the tank doesn't show a bacterial bloom and the parameters don't drop too far.

[tmz]

A few thoughts:

In a tank with low nitrate and low phosphate there may be some benefit to very small doses of organic carbon ( say around 1 ml of 5% acetic acid vinegar per ten gallons or less or 1/8th that amount as 80 proof vodka ). It's difficult to get precision in the dose when using polymer pellets. The more complex polymer also has a longer pathway to acetate involving more steps and a variety of bacteria and byproducts. The soluble organics ethanol/vodka and vinegar are much simpler and have a short route to acetate.
The potential benefit is more organic carbon feeding more heteroptrophioc bacteria which can be used as food by many organisms and generally enrich the food web in the tank. IME experience many corals seem to do better with organic carbon dosing; particualry zoanthus .goniopora and some nps as well as sponges.

The potential downside is excessive organic carbon which can be harmful to corals . It's possible that without sufficient phosphate or nitrogen or other key elements in suffcicent quantity the bacteria would wane and a build up of organic C might occur.

So, personally I wouldn't use a pellet reactor but might try just a bit of acetic acid or ethanol for the potential food web benefit.

[oseymour]

I might take some of the bio-pellets out, but one cup might be fine if the tank doesn't show a bacterial bloom and the parameters don't drop too far.


It's been two weeks and nitrates haven't moved yet. I'm seeing a little cyano on the sand but that could be from me bumping up the light intensity recently.

I'll keep testing every couple of days. I'm using the BRS bulk bio pellets with a BRS reactor. The reactor exit is near the skimmer intake.

I did vodka dosing before and I was successful but it was a pain to remember to dose every day so I like the idea of using pellets.

[uwiik]

Biopellet is a really God given invention for me. Had endless issues and carbon dosing just simply does not work for me due to the amount of gravel and sand I use (commercial export facility). I use 75% of the recommended max dose (AIO pellets) and my nitrate and phospate always spot on exactly where I want it to be at 5 and 0.04.... Crazy growth and deep saturated color even under LED... The secret of running biopellet is to crank up the turnover really high and make sure every single pellets moves.

[SeargentSlice]

I would say use a Recirculating Biopellet Reactor if running them so you can try and control the nutrient levels a tad better. But if your corals are doing good I wouldn't change a thing Bro its gonna change your chemistry and balance and mabe not so much for the better. But only one way to find out if you cant resist the temptation to fiddle with your system .

[jason2459]

A few thoughts:

In a tank with low nitrate and low phosphate there may be some benefit to very small doses of organic carbon ( say around 1 ml of 5% acetic acid vinegar per ten gallons or less or 1/8th that amount as 80 proof vodka ). It's difficult to get precision in the dose when using polymer pellets. The more complex polymer also has a longer pathway to acetate involving more steps and a variety of bacteria and byproducts. The soluble organics ethanol/vodka and vinegar are much simpler and have a short route to acetate.
The potential benefit is more organic carbon feeding more heteroptrophioc bacteria which can be used as food by many organisms and generally enrich the food web in the tank. IME experience many corals seem to do better with organic carbon dosing; particualry zoanthus .goniopora and some nps as well as sponges.

The potential downside is excessive organic carbon which can be harmful to corals . It's possible that without sufficient phosphate or nitrogen or other key elements in suffcicent quantity the bacteria would wane and a build up of organic C might occur.

So, personally I wouldn't use a pellet reactor but might try just a bit of acetic acid or ethanol for the potential food web benefit.

Agree with all this and believe you'd find more benefit in smaller doses of vinegar or a mix of vinegar/vodka as well over biopellets. Particularly using the small doses as a base in a good food chain over using the carbon source(s) as a means to reduce unwanted nutrients which you don't have a problem with.