I made it better: BioPellet BRS reactor mod!

Thats good to hear Mike!

 

Do you ever shut the reactor off for any reason? Like during water changes? If so, what's the max amount of time you could shut it off?

 

Ive wondered about that too in the past but if its like a few hours, it shouldnt affect anything...

 

What do you do? Like during water changes? Ever had them clump after restarting them if you have shut them off?

 

I have been running the modified reactor with pellets for around 2 months now on my 150 FOWLR. My nitrates have dropped from 80 to around 35. They dropped quickly and the red slime algae I had did die off and the red hair algae I have is dying off too. However, I cannot get it much below the 35 mark.

So today I decided to add another 1/2 cup of pellets. I originally had 1.5 cups and did see the level drop. So I am probably back to 1.5 or 1.75 cups.

A couple of notes. When I took it apart to add the pellets, I stired it up putting the cap back on so I did not wedge pellets into the pvc (tried to get pellets floating in the water instead of sitting on bottom when I pushed the PVC down into it). Well, bunch of gook stirred up in it. I hooked it up and saw some in the display. I turned it off. But before I turned it off, it looked like water was coming from the top as if the PVC was clogged at the bottom. I disconnected, wound up stirring it up more trying to get the PVC pipe down into it and not clogging it (I am not running any cap).

Before I hooked it up, I did put a filter sock over the end to catch any junk. I wound up disconnecting it and putting it together 3 or 4 times because it still looked like the water was coming in from the top of the PVC pipe. The PVC pipe is snug to the reactor top, but I guess if the pipe is clogged at the bottom, the water will try to escape where it can such as where the PVC pipe connects to the reactor top.

After he last try of putting the cap on, although the tumble was not great and it looked like water was coming from the top oppose to all through the bottom of the PVC, I let it be.

So, I decided to grab another reactor top and make another 9" PVC pipe for it. I heated it up and got it on snug (snugger than the one I am running). I think for this one, I am going to silicone it on.

Well, I went back to look at the reactor, and the tumble was good now and very apparent water was now going down the PVC pipe as it should. So maybe it was clogged a bit and worked itself out. I think I am still going to silicone a second one and give it a try.

Now I went to remove the filter sock. Wow, a lot of gook. It does not smell. Almost looks like the pellets in a paste format. I wonder if this was clogging it or not. Also wonder if it is better that it is out of the reactor instead of in it.

I also wound up removing he MAG3 and hooking up my MAG5.

As far as the bacteria dying off when you remove the cap, I am not sure. I will test my parameters again today and next weekend. I guess if nitrates are up, some of the bacteria on the pellets did die off or was removed with the gook.

Mike

 

Interesting mike would love to hear what happens. Another option instead of silicone is to use Teflon tape. That stuff is awesome.

 

I am going to try this mod out onmy BRS biopellet reactor bc the current way it works I absolutely HATE HATE HATE it.... it gets clogged and stops tumbling every like 7-10 days! I can't wait to try this out.


I also have the BRS dual reactor which i think sucks as well.... I run GFO and Carbon in it obviously. I am wondering if i separate the dual reactor and run them individually with two ball valves (i have spares) and do this mod will it work?

 

Yeah I am using the biopellet mod on a dual reactor i split. I have a picture step by step thread on here on how i separated them.

 

ingtar, I saw your build thread where you split the dual reactor. I jsut ordered new parts nd separated it. Anyways.... how dow this set up work for you with the GFO and the GAC? Or do you recommend some form of a sponge to keep the media from going everywhere kinda liek BRS suggests you do in their ****ty stock set up?

 

I haven't been running GFO for a while but I run carbon and RAN GFOwith the stock setups, just powered on their own manifold off the return.