bio pellets...

Laura and Jim will be hosting the May meeting this Saturday the 12th and it will be the usual of food, drinks, raffle and fun.
 
Doors will be open at 6:00 pm for social talk and the meeting will start at 7:00.  Parking gets a little tight and the city says you can't park on 4th but there is a parking lot a block away.   Meeting is usually held in the backyard so feel free to bring your favorite lawn chair, weather permitting of course.

If you need address/directions, contact a club member.

Best if you park at Mini Mall (where the spaghetti establishment use to be)
 
You will get to see his new frag tank set up in the making.
 
Hope to see you there!

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[Ed]

Here is the belief..

    
 
 

 

Maintaining low nitrates is key to maintaining the best coral coloration, healthy fish and avoiding algae outbreaks. Fish foods and resulting waste eventually breaks down into nitrates. Aquarists primary method of dealing with nitrate removal is water changes but over the years we have developed a few ways to remove nitrates with equipment like refugiums, sulfur reactors and deep sandbeds. All of these methods work to various degrees but are often less efficient than we would like or the level of complexity, expense and maintenance is beyond what the average reefer would desire. BRS Bio Pellets are the latest in denitration technology and fairly easy  to implement. BRS Bio Pellets work by providing a solid carbon food source for the denitrifying bacteria. All you need to implement this is some  Bio Pellets, an inexpensive fluidized reactor and a pump.

Like many skeptics I want to hear from experience.    I have used Vodka as a carbon source.   I have use a form of bacteria to accellerate the process.  I used Brightwell Bacter 7 with carbon source Brightwell Reef Biofuel.   I have had good results.   I just want to see and hear different oppinions.

Please chime in with your experience.

[drstratton]

I have been following an experiment of N/P reducing pellets on RP.  The person doing the experiment has had different results on several tanks, it has been very interesting.  Too much for me to sum up, but here are a couple of links.



http://www.reefersparadise.com/smf/index.php?topic=1166.0


http://www.reefersparadise.com/smf/index.php?topic=1665.0

[Ed]

The little I gather is that you need someone with a algae issue to prove that this method is effective.   It does cause cloudy water for a few days.  I am thinking was this material washed with filtered water.    I want to see it and learn how effective it is for myself.

[Ed]

Ok, so from what I read above.  They should be introduced slowly, they can lower Ph.  They need time to be effective.   They should be used with as usual at least 10 percent or more water changes weekly, blowing off corals with powerhead or turkey baster, etc.  cleaning sand bed periodically, again reminded that corals eat detritus.    Like most things introduction should be slow to prevent rapid changes.

[drstratton]

That's what I was just going to post, and something else if I'm understanding it correctly, is that for the first few months it might be beneficial to use or continue to use some other type of phosphate remover, and I believe I read that you should continue to use carbon. 

As for the sand bed, from what I have read it should not be disturbed.  Here is a quote from the second link  "Take care of your sand bed. Studies have shown that even a one inch sand bed is capable of reducing nitrates if the flora and fauna in the top level is constantly maintained. This means reducing the number of carnivores that ravage the sand bed----nassarius snails, sand sifting stars, hermit crabs.".  I personally plan on having hermit crabs, snails, sand sifting Goby's, they are part of having a reef system!

[Ed]

sand sifting gobies do come with a price.    They are constantly stirring sand any thing in sand is usually in water column.    They also need to be trained to eat pellets, mysis, etc.   They are usually sifting sand for pods.   

[drstratton]

Maybe I will rethink that one then, thanks Ed!

[Ed]

I wanted to try Bio Pellets.    I do not think it would be a good idea on a newly established tank.    I have decided to use a pad with combination of GFO/carbon.   I always like to use carbon, the Granular feric Oxide will slow the growth of unwanted algae.