N/P reducing pellets (solid vodka dosing)

[daveonbass]

it's the TLF 550, which from what I can tell has the same size fittings as the 150. The way my stuff is set up now I don't know how to easily run my reactor and skimmer off the one pump, except for "inline."

[DJREEF]

Originally Posted by chippypah

Do you still run with deep sand bed filter, or should this be removed.
Cheers
Pete

There's no reason why you couldn't use a DSB with this.

DJ

[DJREEF]

Originally Posted by daveonbass

well I feel like an idiot. I always say that in this hobby you get what you pay for. I wanted to get better flow through my reactor, so I upped from a MJ 1200 to a Queit One 3000. I got it cause the name implies that it is going to not make much noise, and because it pushes a lot of water, so I was hoping that I could use it and dial it back a little and get the best flow for my beads.

But it's a cheap pump...and from what I can tell it's just a piece of crap. Nothing but worthless junk.

This is HANDS DOWN the LOUDEST pump I have ever heard...ever...yes, ever. I've heard pump that were out of the water (that are not supposed to be), and pumps running dry, and those have been more silent than this worthless pump. It's SUPER loud. Man I can not stop saying just how loud it is...I'm so friggin disappointed.

To add insult to injury, it's a lousy pump...it only made the pellets more slightly better than the MJ 1200. So for the cost of the pump (about 50) plus shipping...plus the time it tok to take apart my old set up and re-plumb the new pump into it...and use the last bits of proper sized hose for it...all in all I'm furious that I bought this piece of junk.

Now I have no flow, casue the pump is crap, so my pellets and skimmer (run off the same pump) are now out of use...yes, OFF. Because I had to desrtoy the old set up's hose to get it off and use a little of it to act as a sleeveto get the new (bigger) hose to fit on the TLF reactor valve....so now that it's destroyed...I have to wait till I can get back to a hardware store and get more tubing...JUST to put it BACK THE WAY IT WAS...

I'm worse off now...

I hate this pump...with an epic passion...

I'm ashamed to even sell it to anyone, to try to make some money back. It's brand new, but I'm too ashamed to sell it and be associated with such poor quality...

Completely and utterly unsatisfied with this brand...

I should have paid more money for a real pump...not this cheap, pathetic, worthless pump.

I've read where there's bad 'batches' of these things floating around.

DJ

[Yogre]

Originally Posted by SimonSKL

I have the same problem with flow rates unmatched. This is how I solved the problem. I used a 1" PVC Tee and slightly enlarged the inside diameter of one end to 1 3/8" to fit over the inlet of the skimmer. I then used a reducer at the top so I can insert the 1/2" hose from the pellet reactor. This way, most if not all of the output from the pellet reactor will be pulled into the reactor. If the flow from the pellet reactor is off, the skimmer will still pull the water in from the sump.

That's a really nice idea, thanks for that! Right now I've got my reactor plumbed into my refugium. I have a couple of non-photosynthetic gorgonians and sponges that I'm hoping may benefit from the reactor's output (probably a vain hope but what the hey). If that doesn't work out I'll put together a setup like yours.

[stevedola]

started using the pellets thursday on my 60g cube mixed reef. seeing the results on the 90g I had to set it up on the 60. I have 300ml in a brs dual chamber reactor run by a rio 600. The flow is enough for now but may need to up grade the pump down the line. Ive noticed a clearer water and excellent polyp extension on the sps. this tank doesnt have algea, dinos, or cyano however my sps seem to have tips that burn here and there so I was thinking it may have higher trates. NPs will take care of it and hopefully increase growth+color.

[recife111]

I thought there was a patent on these pellets? Just noticed that there are many types of bio pellets around now and pricing is substantially different.

[Daniel Reef]

The patent is for the unique biodegradable polymer used by NP. If another manufacturer comes up with a different biodegradable polymer than that patented by NP, then they can market it for the same purpose. The other pellets sold either by WM or Shapelock are different.

[Daniel Reef]

The Shapelock website says that "ShapeLock is a super strong plastic similar to Nylon or Polypropylene in toughness."

[Daniel Reef]

Warner Marine says that "the polymer used [EcoBAK] is not Polycaprolactone (PCL) that has been in use in other products like Instant Ocean’s Natural Nitrate Reducer but another form of biodegradable polymer that shares the same characteristics and completely different than the polymer used in NP Biopellets."

[Yogre]

Shapelock is polycaprolactone, isn't it? I think I remember Randy saying it was. The NP pellets may be the same thing. In any event I don't think the patent would affect Shapelock as it's not marketed as an aquarium NO3 reducer, but rather a moldable modeling plastic.

Disclaimer: I'm not a patent attorney, and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

I'm currently running 1 liter of the NP Biopellets in a Geo 22" reactor, but they've only been in for 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to being able to share my results.

[Yogre]

Originally Posted by Daniel Reef

Warner Marine says that "the polymer used [EcoBAK] is not Polycaprolactone (PCL) that has been in use in other products like Instant Ocean’s Natural Nitrate Reducer but another form of biodegradable polymer that shares the same characteristics and completely different than the polymer used in NP Biopellets."

Daniel, your link doesn't work. Looks like the censor-bot ***'d out the website's name.

[Daniel Reef]

The main website name is [link removed]

[bertoni]

If a name is on the censored list, don't post it.

[jason2459]

We can only assume that shapelock is a PCL based or like product. Same as Warner Marine. Looks like neither manufacturer is going to come out and say what is in them. I believe someone was able to confirm Friendly Plastic's pellets are PCL based.

[mikebpeters]

This is an interestng progression for me. I have a 125 mixed reef with an extremely high bio load and an embarrassing level of nitrates. (I'm in the process of upgrading to a 290). I have 1,000ml of NP biopellets in a Vertex U15 being driven by an AC802 and they are tumbling very gently.

This has all been running for about 3 weeks now. I've seen cloudy water for a week and a cyano outbreak but I haven't seen any significant benefits yet . . . nitrates are still sky high and coral look about the same.

Anybody have any suggestions - I'm happy to keep waiting and watching in the mean time.

[tntneon]

Originally Posted by mikebpeters

This is an interestng progression for me. I have a 125 mixed reef with an extremely high bio load and an embarrassing level of nitrates. (I'm in the process of upgrading to a 290). I have 1,000ml of NP biopellets in a Vertex U15 being driven by an AC802 and they are tumbling very gently.

This has all been running for about 3 weeks now. I've seen cloudy water for a week and a cyano outbreak but I haven't seen any significant benefits yet . . . nitrates are still sky high and coral look about the same.

Anybody have any suggestions - I'm happy to keep waiting and watching in the mean time.

What kind of skimmer you are using ?

If you can try to dial your skimmer , to wet skimming (0.5 l of skimmate a day / 25 g of display).
this would normaly help the cloudiness , the bacteria are one thing but skimming them off is the most important !
if the cloudiness would stay , i would reduce any carbon dosing or pellets in the system.
although i never had any cloudiness in my tank , i did suffer some cyano a couple of month`s ago , now my tank is cyano / gha /nitrate and phosphate free.
In the weekend i dial my skimmer to wet skimming , by pouring in some fresh SW and increassing the level in the sump and in my skimmer , when i have to work in the week i`m to lazzy to add the 1l fresh SW and my skimmer goes very gently into dry skimming over that week , i still keep adding evaporated water with fresh osmosis water.

greetingzz tntneon

[Bzar]

Just a note on reactors. For the life of me I can't keep 700ish ml of biopellets tumbling in a BRS reactor. Depending on the flow setting it's either the top 2" middle 2" or bottom 2". Seems the reactor chamber is too small for this many pellets. I've tried everything to get the entire bed to tumble in the last month....bigger pumps, put it on it's side, etc, etc. Nothing can keep the bed moving for long. I suggest if you're going to use more than 500ml get a reactor with a bigger chamber.

[PSam]

Anyone notice an INCREASE in NO3 if pellets stop tumbling / get stuck in a mass?...

[DJREEF]

Originally Posted by PSam

Anyone notice an INCREASE in NO3 if pellets stop tumbling / get stuck in a mass?...

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed a real reduction in NO3 if the pellets continue tumbling. Sorry, I'm rapidly becoming a skeptic.

DJ

[PSam]

Originally Posted by DJREEF

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed a real reduction in NO3 if the pellets continue tumbling. Sorry, I'm rapidly becoming a skeptic.

Indeed.... I'm going to finish this bag, but have not seen any results that would make me want to buy more.

[Rwpdunne]

Originally Posted by DJREEF

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed a real reduction in NO3 if the pellets continue tumbling. Sorry, I'm rapidly becoming a skeptic.

DJ

Iam into my 6th week using the pellets and my nitrates have come down slowly they where 15ppm starting now there at 1.5ppm mesured on hanna meter

[DJREEF]

Now this is the type of stuff that I was looking for when I inquired as to results a couple of pages back. We need more folks to step forward, so we can learn conclusively whether or not these things actually work. People have been using the pellets now for 6 months +. My bet is that, for the majority, they don't live up to the hype. I want to be proven wrong.

DJ

[phaedrus1]

I'm into this 4 weeks. I was on a sulfur denitrator which reduced nitrates, but caused a whole other set of issues. What I am seeing is greater water clarity, fish color better, subjectively overall tank looks better. Testing wise I have had zero phosphates, and Nitrates around 2.5 to 5 ppm. Anytime I turned off the Sulfur Denitrator nitrates used to rapidly rise.. With 2L of pellets on a 230 gallon FOWLR I am seeing the nitrates hold / slowly decline. I will be adding another liter shortly. Personally I'm happy. The change is subtle in some ways but I see a marked improvement overall.
I will admit I am not using the tumbling pellet approach. I loaded the pellets into what was my sulfur denitrator, which recycles about 150 gal / hour. I turned up the output from it to ensure it is not anerobic, but that output is likely around 15 gallons / Hr. into a large skimmer. So I'm not on the usual model here. The pellets are not clogged by bacterial mulm, so I am not seeing an issue with flow in the pellets so far. It is obvious however that there is a white bacterial growth in the reactor. It was very obvious when I opened the reactor to go from 1L to 2L of pellets.

[Moser]

What's happening to pH in the tank and has anybody been monitoring it longer term?.
Is it chronically low and are people using air pumps?

Mo

[phaedrus1]

If you want to see PH drop.. try running a sulfur denitrator. I wanted to buy stock in a Kalkwasser supplier. I have not seen any real PH drops with the pellets.