New reactor design for bio pellets reactor

[kien]

I push my dual Vertex UF-20s with 1000gph and like you, mine clogs over time too. However, the clogging is not due to the mulm. My reactor plate holes at the top (and bottom sometimes) clogs with all sorts of sponges and other organisms that thrive in the reactor A thorough cleaning is just part of the maintenance schedule for me.

[Coleus]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

Sorry, but I missed what brand pellet reactor you have? Mine is the Vertex UF-20 using a Mag 5 pump, but also running through my chiller. It has 3/4 diameter tubing, so can handle quite a bit of flow. It is tall, and takes a very small footprint, which I like, too.

I replaced (as recommended for bio pellets) the top and bottom foam screens with mesh. If I left the foam ones in place, for sure they would clog. When I fill it with 1000 ml pellets, it is tumbling about 2 inches below the top, but not high enough to stick to the mesh screen and clog.

I do wash the pellets in warm water and soak over night first before adding to the reactor. I started off very slowly, though, and took about a month or more, before I filled it up to the top. And I use that MB7 as mentioned before.

But, no, have never had them clog, and always tumbled nicely, even after a few power outages (up to 6 hours), they always started up fine. And I don't have any mulm anywhere, in my tank, or sump. I also feed the output of my reactor to the input of my skimmer.

I use vertex pellets and Deltec fr 509 reactor with MJ 1200. I soak my pellets over night too. Maybe i should plump the outlet right into my skimmer and share the same skimmer feeding pump.

Gonna try that and see. Thanks for sharing your experience

[Coleus]

Originally Posted by kien

I push my dual Vertex UF-20s with 1000gph and like you, mine clogs over time too. However, the clogging is not due to the mulm. My reactor plate holes at the top (and bottom sometimes) clogs with all sorts of sponges and other organisms that thrive in the reactor A thorough cleaning is just part of the maintenance schedule for me.

What Kien? You are back ? no wonder the weather is so freaking COLD today hahaha. You are right, not just the mulms but i all got all sort of organism got stuck and require cleaning which i HATE. Prefer set it and leave it way

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by kien

I push my dual Vertex UF-20s with 1000gph and like you, mine clogs over time too. However, the clogging is not due to the mulm. My reactor plate holes at the top (and bottom sometimes) clogs with all sorts of sponges and other organisms that thrive in the reactor A thorough cleaning is just part of the maintenance schedule for me.

That sounds like too much flow for the UF-20. My Mag 5 (spec is 500 gph) is probably running at about 3 or 400 gph, after going through my chiller.

Also, are you using a mesh at the top and bottom plates? Without those, my pellets would escape, and as mentioned before, the foam screens would clog. And the foam screens would also require a higher flow pump.

Also, what pellets are you using? I use the Vertex Probio Pellets. Haven't tried any others.

Like I said, mine takes no maintenance, other than adding pellets every 3 months, and no build up of stuff inside the reactor.

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by Coleus

I use vertex pellets and Deltec fr 509 reactor with MJ 1200. I soak my pellets over night too. Maybe i should plump the outlet right into my skimmer and share the same skimmer feeding pump.

Gonna try that and see. Thanks for sharing your experience

Not sure what kind of skimmer you have, but I have a needle wheel with air venturi input pump on mine, and would not want to mess with changing the input. I just have the outlet tubing from my reactor just close to my skimmer input. I think that is important, so the skimmer gets rid of any mulm.

I had a really dirty mature tank with very high nitrates and phosphates. It is amazing how clean it is now, algae all gone, and rocks nice and clean, and building coralline again on them. I am going to reset it in a couple months, but almost doesn't need it now after running this reactor. But I don't like my current sand bed, so am still going to do it.

My skimmer was also pulling a lot of really dark and very smelly skimmate, so it was doing its job, too.

[kien]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

That sounds like too much flow for the UF-20

For one UF-20, probably yes. I have two of them in series and the pump is dialed back a bit so it's not quite 1000gph.

[kien]

Originally Posted by Coleus

What Kien? You are back ? no wonder the weather is so freaking COLD today hahaha. You are right, not just the mulms but i all got all sort of organism got stuck and require cleaning which i HATE. Prefer set it and leave it way

yes I'm back and I brought the cold because it was just too damn hot in Florida

Stop being so lazy and suck it up butter cup!

[Coleus]

Originally Posted by kien

yes I'm back and I brought the cold because it was just too damn hot in Florida

Stop being so lazy and suck it up butter cup!

lol butter cup. Hmmm who has not changed the water for a month?... not me...

Looks like you had a great time in Florida, post more picts on facebook you lazy ass, welcome back to the COLD.

[Coleus]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

Not sure what kind of skimmer you have, but I have a needle wheel with air venturi input pump on mine, and would not want to mess with changing the input. I just have the outlet tubing from my reactor just close to my skimmer input. I think that is important, so the skimmer gets rid of any mulm.

I had a really dirty mature tank with very high nitrates and phosphates. It is amazing how clean it is now, algae all gone, and rocks nice and clean, and building coralline again on them. I am going to reset it in a couple months, but almost doesn't need it now after running this reactor. But I don't like my current sand bed, so am still going to do it.

My skimmer was also pulling a lot of really dark and very smelly skimmate, so it was doing its job, too.

I have BK 200 deluxe running, it does pull lots of dark brown skimmate but still get so much mulms or sponge in reactor, will try to move the outlet close to feeding pump and see if it helps

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by Coleus

I have BK 200 deluxe running, it does pull lots of dark brown skimmate but still get so much mulms or sponge in reactor, will try to move the outlet close to feeding pump and see if it helps

Are you using MB7? And how long have you been running your pellet reactor? I think it takes a while to build up the right kind of bacteria for the pellets to do their job, and not produce mulm. Are you by chance also dosing vodka? Have heard that produces a lot of mulm.