No More Bio-Pellets!!!

[InADream]

It has been 9 months since I began using bio-pellets, and tonight was the night that I took them offline. I have had them in a TLF 150 reactor slightly tumbling without any issues since day one. Well after I got home from work today, the entire reactor was a solid brick.

I decided instead of cleaning and starting them back up again, it was time to stop using them all together. I am going to start vinegar dosing in the morning and will see how that goes.

Other than a slight case of cyano, they have been perfect.

What should I be aware of?

Are there downsides to stopping the pellets and going without?

Are there pros to stopping the pellets?

Looking for some advice from anyone that has stopped the pellets and what they went through..

Thanks

[Nicholas41]

Good luck on it Dan. Thanks again for the help with my reactors. I'll have to follow up with you to see how the dosing goes! GL

[oresto]

I used biopellets for a year and i didnt have and algae of any kind. I had a perfect white sugar fine sand white bed.I decided to use gfo just to give it a try. After stopping the Bio pellets i started to develop brown Cyano all over my sand bed. After a fee months i purchased a second reactor to run io Pellets and gfo simotaneously

[rogergolf66]

Originally Posted by oresto

I used biopellets for a year and i didnt have and algae of any kind. I had a perfect white sugar fine sand white bed.I decided to use gfo just to give it a try. After stopping the Bio pellets i started to develop brown Cyano all over my sand bed. After a fee months i purchased a second reactor to run io Pellets and gfo simotaneously

If u stop pellets and no vinager or vodka I would say that is normal, but since u r going to dose a carbon source after u dial in the right amount I think u will be fine.

[funkman262]

I recently started running biopellets in a TLF 150. A lot of people who use this reactor seem to have the same problem that you did. The problem with the TLF reactor is that it has a flat bottom. The water is going to choose the path of least resistance causing one side to get very little flow. I actually just modded mine last night to have a cone bottom. That allows more even tumbling throughout the reactor without having to increase flow. If you decide to run biopellets again, I would suggest that you look into this mod.

[rogergolf66]

Post info or link to mod please

[InADream]

Nick,

I hope you are on your way with the bio-pellets, they worked great except for them freezing up. I may order a piece of acrylic and rebuild the reactor. Ill keep you posted.

Oresto,

One of the biggest things that I have read and experienced is that once your tank has a the pellets up and running if you stop the nutrients will build up and cause the algae. Did you ever get it under control?

Roger,

I am hoping that is the case, I started vinegar on Tuesday and so far my skimmer is pulling the smelliest and nastiest skimmate. I hope it continues, and the cyano dissipates.

On a side note, I should have paid more attention yesterday at FAOIS, I was there when John was drilling your tank. I don't know if you noticed I was the guy John was evaluating to make sure I can give blood tomorrow, LOL.
John did a great job drilling your tank...

Michael,

I agree with Roger can you post some pics or a link to mod the reactor. I am thinking about ordering some acrylic and making a recirc reactor, and running the pellets again. I will see how the vinegar and whether the cyano subsides.


Another side note, I picked up a Hannah Checker yesterday and my phosphates are at .07, running GFO now and hoping to get them down to .03 and see if it helps the algae issues...

I wonder if I can build a triple reactor and have it all plumbed to run properly. Has anyone seen anything like this..

Thanks


Dan