biopellets and cyano treatment
 

I started biobeads (similar to biopellets) last week (in a nextreef modified reactor with a mag3 pump) :)
I was wondering... I have a lot of cyano in the tank... can I make a cyano treament or will it be a bad thing for the biobeads?
should I just suction out much of the cyano instead and wait to for the biobeads to activate?

thanks!

I've recently noticed that every time I top up my biopellets (add new ones) I get a little bit of cyano flare up. I just blast it off the rocks and it always clears up by itself within a week. I call it new pellet syndrome :biggrin:

I think that's sort of normal. The pellets are both a food source for bacteria and a growth medium for bacteria, so at first when introduced they are a food source for bacteria but the bacteria has to colonize the pellets. After colonized they should easily outcompete the cyano bacteria but it can take a couple weeks.

so the best thing to do is suction out the most cyano I can and leave the biobeads do the rest?

Yes, I think that's the best action plan. And remember cyanobacteria is a bacteria also so it may also use the biobeads as a food source. So start with a small amount of biobeads, increasing the amount slowly, and make sure no biobeads are leaking into the tank.

thanks

here's the pic of the biobeads reactor

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ADSREACTOR.jpg

the pic does not show it well, but biobeads are moving good inside ;)

I've had major algae problems since I started running pellets. I have a small system volume (~35 gal) but I'm only running ~200ml of pellets. It's not just cyano either, I've got diatoms and wicked hair algae as well.

I'm actually thinking of stopping the pellets until I can get the algae under control and then start back up with about 100ml and go from there.

Frustrating !

If you can, place the discharge from your pellet reactor near to the skimmer intake. (This is recommended by the makers of the pellets). Then, some of the effluent from the reactor will be immediatlely skimmed out of the water column.

I'd hear this but it didn't seem to make any sense to me ! (still doesn't). Unfortunately I don't have that option anyhow as the reactor is on the other end of the sump and I can't move it.

*sigh* one day I'll get a proper setup and things may get simpler.

Sure, it makes perfectly good sense. The pellets are supposed to lower the nutrients in your system. Instead of pumping the excess bacteria into the system, the skimmer takes it out. When the nutrient level is down to where you want it you can then use the bacteria as a food source for filter feeders.

I think it also has to do with the fact that nitrate consuming bacteria are anaerobic (usually as far as I know) and the skimmer also aerates the discharge water before it goes into your display.

Yes, that too. Good point Anthony.