biopellet schooling please

[04charedcompg]

Ive been teetering on the idea of adding biopellets to my system and ive read good and bad things about them, like product in our hobby. Just curious if anyone uses it, how they use it, why they use it, and any advice will be greatly appreciated!

[slapshot]

I still use them, love them, would not run a system without them. They have cut my water changes in half. My corals are happier then ever and the growth rate is way faster. Probably due to the extra feedings.

You have to start sloooooow and build up to the suggested amount. You will have to feed your corals more. The problems seem to be with people using too many too fast or having issues with phosphate/nitrate balance.

[binford4000]

Originally Posted by slapshot

I still use them, love them, would not run a system without them. They have cut my water changes in half. My corals are happier then ever and the growth rate is way faster. Probably due to the extra feedings.

You have to start sloooooow and build up to the suggested amount. You will have to feed your corals more. The problems seem to be with people using too many too fast or having issues with phosphate/nitrate balance.

This is great advice.Most people who've had negative responses to bio pellete's forget to explain that they rushed it or change the flow and experience a drag or slow down in the effects.Bio pellete's are a solid carbon form(They use PHA) that provides food for bacteria that thrive on No3 and No2.It takes about six to eight weeks for the bacteria to fully develop so many reefers assume adding more is better because they're not getting the results they wanted as quickly as they wanted.Doing this very slowly will pay dividens in the long run.It's close to the same thing as doaseing vodka but much less work.I am going to do a review and document bio pellet's installation.progress with results and my version of implamenation this week in the review forum.Feel free to follow along if it helps.Just think,if I crash the wifes tank you'll know exactly what not to do LOL

[04charedcompg]

Originally Posted by binford4000

This is great advice.Most people who've had negative responses to bio pellete's forget to explain that they rushed it or change the flow and experience a drag or slow down in the effects.Bio pellete's are a solid carbon form(They use PHA) that provides food for bacteria that thrive on No3 and No2.It takes about six to eight weeks for the bacteria to fully develop so many reefers assume adding more is better because they're not getting the results they wanted as quickly as they wanted.Doing this very slowly will pay dividens in the long run.It's close to the same thing as doaseing vodka but much less work.I am going to do a review and document bio pellet's installation.progress with results and my version of implamenation this week in the review forum.Feel free to follow along if it helps.Just think,if I crash the wifes tank you'll know exactly what not to do LOL

haha im sure she would love that! haha great info thanks guys!! how do you know when its time to add more when you start up the system slowly??

[binford4000]

I am planning to add the media in 3rd's of the total recomended amount.In hence I'll start with one third of the recomended amount and evry two weeks if the the No3 has stalled I'll add the next 3rd.It will take six weeks to get the reactor fully loaded.Slow and easy,she's alittle touchy feely about her tank.She has some corals that I bought her the first year we met 20 + years ago.It should go good tho and I have tought myself to sleep with one eye open in case it goes badly LOL

[slapshot]

Originally Posted by 04charedcompg

haha im sure she would love that! haha great info thanks guys!! how do you know when its time to add more when you start up the system slowly??

If you watch your PH, it will drop 24 to 48 hours after the installation of the pellets. When it recovers (about 36 to 48 hours later) then you can add more. I divided mine up into 6 additions. I took three weeks to add all 6.

[04charedcompg]

Originally Posted by slapshot

If you watch your PH, it will drop 24 to 48 hours after the installation of the pellets. When it recovers (about 36 to 48 hours later) then you can add more. I divided mine up into 6 additions. I took three weeks to add all 6.

man thank you guys so much for your advice!! so no one has anything negative to say about biopellets???

[creefer]

I'm looking forward to hearing more about this. Also will follow Binford's thread.

[04charedcompg]

how often do you change the pellets? i know like with gfo there is no definite answer on that question, i didnt know if biopellets were the same?

[slapshot]

They dissolve or rather get consumed by the bacteria. When they get too small you add more.