So after reading all this, I'm still not clear on what people are running to get the TLF 150 unit to churn properly.

From what I can gather you:

-Use an MJ1200
-Remove the bottom plate
-Remove BOTH pieces of foam
-Run full flow

My plan (since I have just ~35 gal of water volume) is to run around half a litre of pellets with this setup in the hopes that it'll churn nicely.

To get the TLF 150 reactor to work with the biopellets this is what i would do,
-remove the foams
-keep the top and bottom plate in
-mesh mod both plates and add the pellets in
-Get a MJ1200
-TLF ballvalve 1/2" on the input of the reactor (this allows you to fine tune the tumble to your liking) i run mine on full blast.

for a 35g tank i would just use 125mls worth of biopellets but you can go up to 250mls if you want.

That is what i do with my biopellet setup using TLF150 and it tumbles nicely. heres a video of it.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...h_IMGP6978.jpg

Ok, cool. Thanks for the video.

Ummmm talk to me about this "mesh mod" -do you have this material ? Maybe I can add enough to mod my reactor and ship it with my pellet order ?

Mesh can be found here!

http://www.oceaniccorals.com/store/i...&productId=361

It's not so much a "mod" per se as it is a sponge replacement using quilting mesh available at any craft store. You cut a 2 circles of it and replace the sponges with it. I think I paid 58 cents for a 18" square at Michael's (seriously, 58 cents .. less than a dollar anyhow. I felt like an idiot putting it on debit, but in my defense, who really carries cash anymore?... I vaguely remember having had cash once ... but I think it was before I had kids.)

Anyhow, Michael's for sure, but apparently you can get it just about anywhere (Walmart, craft stores, etc.) I think O.C. can also set you up. Edit: I see they beat me to the post. Yeah, you can get it from O.C. (... but then again, Michael's has girls working there and if you haul in your kids into the store with you, you can pretend they are flirting with you because you have kids, instead of just saying "tee hee! Look at the bald loser with 2 kids trying to buy 58-cent quilting mesh on debit". It's the best action I've had in years! I still got it bay-bee, I still got it!!)

Using the quilting mesh and a MJ1200 powerhead, you can run easily up to 600-750ml of pellets in a TLF Phosban/150 reactor without issue. I have about that in mine for a month now and it's still tumbling like crazy and I have not had to shake it or anything in all that time. I have my valve full open, I keep the valve because sometimes it easier to start the pellets tumbling properly by slowly opening it as opposed to an "instant on" type thing, which sometimes just slams the pellets in one single mass into the top of the reactor.

ok, mother in law is a quilter so that'll be easy.

Sooo.....from this I should infer that the stock foam clogs ? Running without the foam, the pellets abrade and then fit through the holes in the plates ?

So now all I need are the pellets I ordered (hint-hint...Ian ?)
:lol:

The sponges are kind of a combo of restricting flow just enough, and clogging up. I couldn't get good tumbling in the TLF150 with even just one sponge in it.

i took the sponges out. went to wal-mart to the craft section and picked up some plastic needle point stuff works great. no flow problems.

So can someone look at my little 30 sec vid and tell me if the pellets are tumbling enough.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...h_100_3259.jpg

Looks good to me :biggrin: