3reef Community Bio Pellet Review

Your welcome but I couldn't do this alone so thanks to everyone who has participated so far. Heres my skimmate production in 5 days. Yuk!!!!

 

I just took a long look at each coral and I see noticeable growth is all corals. Tons of new branches as well as older branches growing taller. Colors in some sps that could only be easily noticed when actinics were on are now visible when all lights are on.

Coralline algae has taken off as well. I never had it grow on my back wall until this past week. I haven't decided if this is a pro or con yet though.

Skimmate production has really started to increase as well.

 

I think I'm going to pick up a reef octo biopel reactor.I've only heard good things about them.Is there any downside to just stopping it's use after you start?

 

I think Xmetal just picked up a Reef Octo. I don't think there would be any negative effects by stopping. Except of course your Nitrates and Phosphates would start to rise again.:-/

 

damn you phosphates and nitrates, you make this hobby a real pia sometimes lol.

 

It purchased mine from BRS, but a part came broken. The replacement will arrive on Wed. From what I saw without any use, it seems like a well built and thought out unit.

I agree with no negative affects, besides those from your trates and po4 increasing.

 

Thanks guys.

 

Tank water volume: 40 to 45 gallons

Filtration: sump,skimmer, gfo & carbon in reactor ... and of course now bio pellets

Lighting: 150 watt halide

Water Parameters: ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 10, calcium 500, mag 1300, salt 1.025

Fish/invert stock: overstocked

Feeding schedule: 2 to 3 times a day frozen foods

Additives being used: kalk, mag, aqua vitro fuel.

Types of corals in your system: softies, lps

Brand of BP's being used: ecobak

Type/brand BP Reactor: TLF tweaked phos 150 reactor not working out well, pellets clumping, with a 357 gph pump, ordered a aquamaxx bio pellet reactor

How much BP's are you using: 250ml

How long have you been using BP's: 6 weeks

Reason/reasons for using BP: nitrate reduction


so far i believe there is a slight nitrate reduction ...since my tank used to hover in the 15 to 20 nitrates range and at times go 30. lately nitrates seem to not move upwards and stay at around 10-15 even when a water change is due, i have been over feeding lately also try and get a new fish to eat and still nitrates are staying lower. down side i have seen, all my gonioporas are suffering. they stay retracted and their color has lightened. i also went threw 36 hours of cloudy water at about 4 weeks. also about that time started to get a brown film on my sand bed, not a lot but still i don't like it.



well yesterday 2/14/12 i removed the bio pellets after 2 days of fish breathing heavy some started to die, i believe the excess bacteria was eating up all the oxygen and made my tank oxygen deficient . i can't think of any other reason the fish started to have this issue. there were no signs of illness, i lost fish i had from the start up of my tank.
i checked my ammonia 0, nitrites 0 and nitrates 5 ...ph and so on, i was also having an algae growth on sand issue, nothing on rocks. but the stuff on the sand started to have bubbles on it. not good!
i was also dosing a probiotic bacteria. a brand i had not used before. i can't be sure what has caused this problem, but i feel chasing 0 nitrates is not worth losing fish over. i am back to running without bio pellets and will stay that way till i can figure out what happened and be sure it wasn't pellet related. i feel it was an issue of to much bacteria as i stated consuming up all the oxygen.

2/16/12 after hearing of reefmonkey also having fish gasping for air, i do believe the pellets is what caused the loss of my fish and will never use them again. anyone thinking of using them please research them they are uncontrolled and can cause major problems in your tank. if you tank is small as mine is keep away from them, things happen fast to small water volumes. i lost corals in the start and 5 fish at the end.

 

Tank water volume: 65gal display tank 40 gal sump/fuge

Filtration: asm g3 skimmer and a fuge. Filter sock

Lighting: 6 bulb t5 tek light 36 inch

Water Parameters: all good have problems with mag

Fish/invert stock:
lots
2 yellow tangs
3 bangi cardinals
4 blue green reef chromis
Stareie blenny?
Watchman goby
Chalk baslet
Flame angel


Feeding schedule: every day

Additives being used: phyto feast and no others just water changes for cal and mag


Types of corals in your system: most softies and some hards

Brand of BP's being used: tlf with little success switched to Ecoback and wow!

Type/brand BP Reactor: tlf

How much BP's are you using: tlf 150 half full

How long have you been using BP's: 5-6 months

Reason/reasons for using BP: phosphates and nitrates


Please share your experience with BP's: they could work better on the phosphates. But nothing is perfect. But other than that I recommend them!

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do you have any ideas on why the gonioporas would be suffering?