Trying Warner Marine Ecobak. Tips?
 

I have two TLF reactors running. One has carbon. The other nothing.

I have been considering using NPX Bioplastics/Biopellets. The cost seems easy to take and the usage seems simple.

Can anyone shed any light? Used them? Good or bad?

NPX:

http://www.twolittlefishies.com/tlf_...html?lang_id=1

Also considered the Warner Marine EcoBak Pellets:

http://www.warnermarine.com/indexsite.html



I don't want to go Zeo. Not interested in the cost factor involved.

Thanks for any advice.

Patrick

I'd also like to know, seems like a media reactor version of the Natural Nitrate reducer polymer balls.

Zeovit is completely different.

Just thought I'd insert that in there before the thread got too far ahead.

Quick search....

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...ght=biopellets

Steve

I have been running them for over a year now & have noticed no ill affects. The main thing is to run them properly, start slow with 1/4 of the recommended amount, start to increase them after a month & make sure you have good flow or they will goo up really fast & cause you nothing but problems.

I would recommend the Vertec Bio Pellets over anything else though.

I would not buy the Two Little Fishies product, the bio-plastics are not the most effective bio pellet media from what I have read. I was the first to import the Plastics to Canada and others like Vertex and SWC followed suit with the exact same source. I would stick to the Vertex or original "NP" brand if possible as both are the same. Alternatively I have 1kg of the pellets available bulk for $20 if you are near Langley.

PS. I started the "NPX" brand name, TLF pellets are not the same product as the original "NPX" pellets.

:wink:

I'm not the type to go for snake oils, and I am never the first person on the wagon!

I would suggest Prodibio for nutrient reduction. Just the Bioptim and Biodigest which can be bought separately or together in a pack called BioClean. You will use up twice as many Bioptim as Biodigest. You dose the vials once every 2 weeks which takes about 1.5 minutes, and you can't overdose.

I started off with the 6 vials packs to try out the product which makes each vial about $4.15 each. My tank is 90 gallons and I have to use 3 vials every 2 weeks. Now I started buying the 30 vial packs which makes each vial $2 each, and in my case $12/month to dose. That's pretty cheap. :D They have nano packs (which cost the same as the regular packs, and since you can't overdose you may as well use the regular ones...that's what I do on my nano), and they also have PRO packs which are for large reefs so a person doesn't have to dose a whack of vials, and also to keep cost down.

I just dosed my 4th dose yesterday, and the results are quite impressive. Right now is one of the few times where both SPS and LPS are equally happy in my tank. It is always either too clean for the LPS to be happy or too dirty for the SPS to be happy.

I have heard/seen some very mixed reviews of the Biopellets. I would not use them on my tank.

Has the prodibio helped you with your bubble algae Myka

The Valonia issue has been resolved for awhile now, so I'm not sure Prodibio's affect on it. I would say my best plan of attack for the Valonia was adding 6 Emerald Crabs to the tank and using bulbs of higher Kelvin.

I don't want to be a jerk here...but,

Can you tell me the exact list of ingredients in all the Prodibio products?

Without providing the ingredients you can't in good faith call Biopellets Snake Oil while in the same breath promote another system for which no ingredients lists are provided by the manufacturer.

"snake oil is a term used to describe commercial cryptographic methods and products which are considered bogus"

I didn't mean to call any particular product snake oil. Would it have helped if I split that paragraph into two? I will go rearrange my post so it reads better.

You won't find ingredient lists in many reef products; Zeovit, Fauna Marin, Prodibio, SeaChem stuff like Coral Vitalizer, Kent products, oh the list goes on. Snake oil doesn't necessarily refer to a lack of a list of ingredients.

Biopellets work, there's no disputing that. There are some variables surrounding the use of pellets that no doubt have an affect on its success rate. I can personally say that they are working fine for me and I'm glad I don't have to make regular payments to Prodibio or Zeo or anything like them. This hobby is expensive enough as it is without having to pump money into supplements like a crack habit just to keep it looking vibrant. Biopellets are simple, a good reactor and pump, a couple of bags of pellets, and you don't have to look at it for another six months! The cost is minimal, and you can pull the reactor without worrying about a tank crash (I've tried it).

Biopellets, Zeo, Fauna Marin, Prodibio, vodka dosing, GFO, carbon...all nutrient reduction. A person just has to pick what they prefer. Personally, I like the combo attack! :D

anyone using vinegar? what are your dose amounts?

What is this "biopellets" you guys speak?!? Sounds interesting...

Perhaps a sister-technology to this new LED thing I've seen a thread or two on?

It is the Vertec brand of NP pellets, the are just called Vertec Biopellets. They were recommended to me by Red Coral as a better product over the NP or NPX.

Oh.. Okay thanks. I heard that they were better than zeoVit pellets, is that true?

Almost as true as the fact that I'm never returning your fish trap :razz::razz::razz:.

Onnnn topic, why don't you fill it with GFO? At least that's proven to absorb phosphates, biopellets are like religion in the sense that there are way to many out there and they all claim to be the best.

Speaking of which I just received an order of vertex biopellets and reactors....

Steve

nutrient reduction
 

tried the biopellets seem to work then switched to vinegar dosing that worked too and finally switched to vodka dosing that worked even better. think the key word is doing it very gradually. never touch hard liquor so not tempted to gulp anything from bottle.

Only problem with Vodka/Sugar/Vinegar is you have to dose it every day, and if want to do something like take a vacation you are sort of screwed unless you have someone you can really really trust to dose for you. Biopellets require almost zero attention once they are set up.

On a side note I see Oceanic has a kick ass deal on the NPX pellets http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=77428

I turned off the biopellets reactor today. No bad results... more like no results at all hehe. Nitrates and phosphates were stable (~10 and 0.20). I could have added more, but I was worried that would raise the probability of a crash.

I switched to dose brightwell reef biofuel with a dosing pump I wrote to Chris Brightwell and he told me that I could dilute it in RO/DI water so now it's easier to dose small doses with the dosing pump. I like that I can adjust as I wih the amount of carbon I'm dosing to the system.

Dosing pumps are great. My parameters are stable and tank maintenance is so easy once everything is stable. I'm using FM Balling light for calcium and alk.

I use biopellets and vodka and I trust a peristaltic pump to dose vodka at 6.00 AM and 9.00 PM.

I haven't had any phos readings above zero in my tank since about a month after I first introduced them to my system. Now I have ROX in another reactor as well & I can't be happier with my clarity of water, just have to get my additives in check with a doser soon.

I am keeping the vodka for myself :biggrin:

Don't be greedy, share some with your fishtank.

How much Vodka are you dosing daily?

2 x 2ml doses per day, 90 gal system.

Have to share with the wife so the fish are going to have to do without :twised:

Poor fish:(

:lol: to many gallons of water to dose vodka here, 350+ and growing would cut into my supply :twised:

The pellets mentioned above unless something has changed are EXACTLY the same product as the NP brand and the NPX brand I started. All the product comes from the exact same factory/company and there is nothing proprietary about any of the brands other than the packaging "full stop". The company that produces the plastics actually holds all the patents on the process and finished product. Some brands do use PCL (Polycaprolactone) plastics and are sub standard compared to the PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) plastics associated with the brands listed below.

If people are looking for a quality brand I wold suggest to buy any of the following;

Vertex
NP
NPX while available.

It basically comes down to price for volume of product. I am not actively marketing the NPX brand anymore as I don't have the time and the market is flooded with many knock offs and similar/same product. I do have lots left and I do have it available in bulk for those looking for a killer deal.

Hope this clears up any confusion.
:biggrin:

I am going to try Warner marine ecobak.

Anyone have tips for starting. Follow guidelines on bottle? Half of recommended amount??

This is not a forum for vendor advertising Steve. You have a forum
For that.

Thank you.