Weigh in with your experiences with biopellets or vodka dosing

[Bblinks]

Originally Posted by Parker

I've used both with success, I found the bio pellets the better option for me only from a time investment standpoint. You really can forget about biopellets and let the do their thing.

Parker, do you by chance dose any bacteria source? I am adding zeobak so it doesn;t case a monstrain of bacteria. Also when you are running the pellets, do you also use a phosphate absorbing material like rowaphos or do you soley rely on the pellets?

[ScubaSteve]

Originally Posted by Bblinks

Parker, do you by chance dose any bacteria source? I am adding zeobak so it doesn;t case a monstrain of bacteria. Also when you are running the pellets, do you also use a phosphate absorbing material like rowaphos or do you soley rely on the pellets?

Ya, I've been tossing this idea around too. I already dose MB7 too help with the new set up and so I was considering keeping that going with whatever carbon source. I think some of the big reasons why ULNS fail is the development of bacterial monocultures.

I've also been debating having my TLF reactor run rowaphos or GFO forthe phosphates. I know people recommend not doing this so that there are phosphates to support the bacteria, but I don't think, at least from what I've been reading, that the bacteria handles enough of the phosphates.

[Parker]

Originally Posted by Bblinks

Parker, do you by chance dose any bacteria source? I am adding zeobak so it doesn;t case a monstrain of bacteria. Also when you are running the pellets, do you also use a phosphate absorbing material like rowaphos or do you soley rely on the pellets?

For the moment I'm running BP's alone, but I have been considering suplementing them. No phosphate removing material either, last night my No3 was 2.5 and Phos was 0. I feed pretty heavy and I don't rinse the food before dumping it into the tank.

[Baldy]

I have been using biopellets in my 75g for over 6 months now. I dont have a heavy load either fish or corals, but they have kept nitrates and phosphates undetectable on my test kits. just dont make the bonehead mistake i made about a month ago and replace all the biopellets. from what ive been told you just top them off every so often. i didnt have the cloudy water like some get, but cyano definately took hold.

[untamed]

I did extensive vodka, sugar and vinegar dosing and never saw any significant change to anything. I ended up at a dose size well over the suggested maximum.

[ScubaSteve]

Originally Posted by untamed

I did extensive vodka, sugar and vinegar dosing and never saw any significant change to anything. I ended up at a dose size well over the suggested maximum.

Was your tank relatively "old" at the time you started dosing?

[Lampshade]

I use biopellets, only one of the vertex bag things in my 150gal tank, so less than half of the recommended amount. Any time I notice that algae is getting abnormally high, I'll add a shot of vodka for me, and then another one for the tank. Seems to keep everything pretty happy so far. No bleaching, lots of sps. My only complaint is that after I vodka dose, the tank gets cyno for a week or 2. Which apparently is because pellets remove nitrate/phosphates at a 16:1 ratio, so when you use vodka and nuke your nitrates, you end up with extra phosphates. Clears up after I stop dosing, so never worry about it too much. And by some, it's very little, only one birdsnest style rock that is impossible to get good flow to. Overall, very happy, seems to be a nice buffer in the tank, I wouldn't rely on it to be a 1 stop fix all your problem magic device, but it certainly helps stabilize my tank. I'm running them in a TLF 550 reactor with a MJ1200 pump and about 12' of hose, so not much turnover at all.

edit: I should add, that i overfeed, change filter socks weekly, and have my skimmer set at an extremely dry skim. I read less than 5ppm nitrates at any given time. I had a HA outbreak awhile ago, thought it was pellets until I found a 3"+ snail dead behind some rocks, took it out and everything balanced out shortly after.

[Spiny]

I can't exactly vouch for the benefits of vodka as I don't even remember the colors I had before I started dosing, however both my nitrates and phosphates are very low and I have not had a single negative effect from dosing vodka. You can try (ramp up slowly if you do) and if you dont like it you can always stop

[Baldy]

I use npx bioplastics in a tlf 150 reactor, and I find a mj1200 to not be enough flow even wide open. When I move it to my new sump, I'll be hooking it up to a mag 5

[Lampshade]

It's not really the mj1200 with not enough flow, if you look at the inlet of the reactor it's a VERY small opening, there's a spot in there where it's down to 1/4". I went to a 550 thinking that would help, but they have the same thing. Havn't seen mods on hoe to fix it, but i've debated running a drill through there.
I also get pellet build up in the inlet and outlet corners, something to look for. when the pump shuts off i have backflow that pull them into the inlet corners, and they get stuck there.

Only reason i say it's not the MJ is because i've seen the MJ on a proper biopellet reactor and they where stirring like crazy.