Biopellet reactors!....?

[Gonzo620]

So been thinking about starting one but would like to hear from people that have had personal experience with one or just basic knowledge of owning one so I can pick your brain. This is what I know or think I know. Media grows bacteria. Media tumbles causing old bacteria to fall off. Outlet near skimmer to remove said bacteria. And NO MORE WATERCHANGES! Lol not really.

I've been told or heard not not run gfo. I've been told or heard not to run carbon. I've been told I should dose bacteria in conjunction. Opinions and suggestions welcome.

[splix]

I've ran them in the past when I thought 0 nitrates was desirable. My tank hovers around 10 ppm nitrates now and its doing well so I quit running them months ago.

They're pretty safe for the most part as long as you follow a couple of strict rules.

 

1. When starting them, do like 1/4 - 1/5th the full amount you eventually need. If you start with 50% or just a lot in general, you'll bomb your tank. May not nuke it, but you'll bacteria bloom it and I dont think it's the benign type of blooms. Gradually add more over the next couple of weeks/months until you're up to your full running amount. They take like 4-6 weeks to actually kick in and start doing anything so keep that in mind when you're adding. Do NOT add like 20% on week 2, 20% on week 3, etc. Give your initial 25% starting amount about a month before you add another 25%.

 

2. Skim wet. I dont remember exactly what it is, but basically the exhaust from the bio reactor needs to go right into the skimmer. Some skimmers have adapters on the inlet for biopellet reactors, mine never did. I just had the bio reactor exhaust right next to the inlet of the skimmer, and I would skim pretty wet.

 

3. Keep them tumbling 24/7. If they stop for something like 8 hours and cool down, they're bad and can cause issues if you restart them. If you have a power outage and they've been off for a few hours, it's not worth the risk. Just toss them and start over. Also the smell will rank in your top 3 worst lifetime smells as well.

 

4. I dont run GFO anymore, but I've read to not run GFO with biopellets. You can run carbon though I believe. I've not had any issues with it.

 

Other than that, I wouldnt be dosing bacteria or anything abnormal. Be careful not to drop your nitrates too far too fast.

[Gonzo620]

I've ran them in the past when I thought 0 nitrates was desirable. My tank hovers around 10 ppm nitrates now and its doing well so I quit running them months ago.

They're pretty safe for the most part as long as you follow a couple of strict rules.

 

1. When starting them, do like 1/4 - 1/5th the full amount you eventually need. If you start with 50% or just a lot in general, you'll bomb your tank. May not nuke it, but you'll bacteria bloom it and I dont think it's the benign type of blooms. Gradually add more over the next couple of weeks/months until you're up to your full running amount. They take like 4-6 weeks to actually kick in and start doing anything so keep that in mind when you're adding. Do NOT add like 20% on week 2, 20% on week 3, etc. Give your initial 25% starting amount about a month before you add another 25%.

 

2. Skim wet. I dont remember exactly what it is, but basically the exhaust from the bio reactor needs to go right into the skimmer. Some skimmers have adapters on the inlet for biopellet reactors, mine never did. I just had the bio reactor exhaust right next to the inlet of the skimmer, and I would skim pretty wet.

 

3. Keep them tumbling 24/7. If they stop for something like 8 hours and cool down, they're bad and can cause issues if you restart them. If you have a power outage and they've been off for a few hours, it's not worth the risk. Just toss them and start over. Also the smell will rank in your top 3 worst lifetime smells as well.

 

4. I dont run GFO anymore, but I've read to not run GFO with biopellets. You can run carbon though I believe. I've not had any issues with it.

 

Other than that, I wouldnt be dosing bacteria or anything abnormal. Be careful not to drop your nitrates too far too fast.

I LOVE IT! So much information on the first reply.