Bio Pellet Reactor Help

Bearjohnson

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
RS Ambassador
I'm considering the idea of adding a bio-pellet reactor to the 125. My sump space is maxed to the max and I think my only option would be http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/space-saving-reef-octopus-biopellet-reactor.html.

The only glitch is where it would have to go in my sump leading to the question of does the reactor HAVE to be plumbed directly to the skimmer?

I know that would be the optimum way to run it but, could you get by without running it that way?
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
In looking at the rest of your system, it looks like you have everything rather well covered. So my first question is what do you hope to gain by adding a bio-pellet reactor? I suspect that even if you added it, the improvement you would get on your system would be marginal.
 

Bearjohnson

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RS Ambassador
All of my nasties are undetectable with the ATS running and yet I still get some cyano in the tank that has been there for months. It's not enough to get crazy over but enough to annoy me and could get out of hand real quick given the right conditions. A small patch on a pump or at the base of some SPS. Flow is not an issue because I have a ton of it.
 

Fishdad1

Member
Mine is plumbed directly into my skimmer. In the seven months or so of reefing I have never had cyano. Can't say that it has prevented it, could just be coincidence. Ironically I have read that people run into cyano issues when using bio pellet reactors. Probably has to do with the trate and phate ratio more then the reactor it self.
 

Mike Johnson

Well-Known Member
I'm kind of thinking like DaveK. Bio pellets assimilate nitrates and phosphates so they can then be removed via a protein skimmer. Red Slime doesn't doesn't rely on nitrates or phosphates for growth; Ocillatoria uses organic carbon, photosynthesis, and CO2 for growth. Like dissolved organics and algal plankton.

You said once that your protein skimmer was under rated for your system. In my opinion you would be better off spending your money on a more robust skimmer to remove the dissolved organics (fish poop and food remnants). And, of course, stepped up detritus removal.

Bio pellets are capable of completely stripping your system of phosphates and nitrates, which might cause more problems, and you're not having problems with either one.
 

PSU4ME

JoePa lives on!!!
Staff member
PREMIUM
All good advice above. I added one to mine cause I have sps and I want to feed more. About a month in and I'm seeing changes but I've added a new skimmer too so I don't know which one.

I plumb my Bp effluent close to my skimmer intake, 5". I think the key is to have it in the same compartment.
 

whippetguy

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
PREMIUM
+1 to Bryan's comment. I have both of my tanks running biopellets and simply have them in the same compartment as my skimmer intake and think that's enough.
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
... yet I still get some cyano in the tank that has been there for months. It's not enough to get crazy over ...

I would say that if the cyano isn't spreading, then don't worry about it. A reef system is an almost constant battle against the nuisance algaes (cyano included, even though strictly speaking it's not an algae). If these unwanted algaes are not growing out of hand, just keep scraping them off and removing then.

No matter what you do it's almost impossible to get rid of them all. Even if you do, it's real easy to get them back.

I think you'd be better off putting the money into other areas of your system. It's not that I have anything against bio-pellet reactors, but your system already has most of the basics. I think adding the bio-pellet reactor would only give you a marginal improvement at best.

Now if you didn't have an ATS and/or a refugium, then a bio-pellet reactor might do you a lot of good.
 
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