NPX-Xtra Beads BETA testing thread!

[Tom R]

My current system is 450G. I have been using ZEOvit for the last 2 + years.
I decided to go off the ZEOvit system last October mainly because of its cost. Since the end of January my tank has experienced a number of issues.

I decided to use NP BioPellets to control both nitrates and phosphates in my system as one of the problems since discontinuing ZEOvit was a breakout of algae.

On April 10 I added 1000 ml of NP pellets, I wanted to ramp up the use of BioPellets over a 3 month period.

I decided to convert my 3 liter ZEOvit reactor into a fluidized pallet reactor. I added a mesh mode to the upper and lower lids of the ZEOvit reactor. My ZEOvit reactor uses a Sedra KSP2500 pump and with 1000 ml of pellets about 2/3 of the pellets would tumble. The Sedra 2500 was not strong enough to tumble all of the pellets in the 6 inch wide reactor.

On May the 25 I added another 550 ml of the original pallets. The Sedra 2500 was unable to tumble the pellets at this point. As I had a Mag 7 sitting on the shelf, I swapped out the Sedra 2500 for the Mag 7. This now tumbled the pellets very well. Today I added another 625 ml of the new smaller pellets to the reactor and they are tumbling very nicely.

As I have been experiencing a Cyno outbreak since introducing the pellets I have been dosing 45 ml of Brightwells MB7 a week and this is slowly reducing the Cyno Bacteria in my tanks. To dose the MB7 I shut off both the Pellet reactor and my Skimmer. I then add 45 ml of the MB7 to the Pellet reactor and stir it up. I then let the Pellet reactor sit for a couple of hours with the pellets covered in a mix of water and the 45 ml of MB7. I then turn on the pellet reactor and about 6 hours later I turn on the skimmer.

Since starting the NP Pellets I have see an improvement in my tanks overall condition.

I will update this thread as time goes on with my tanks improvement.

Tom R

[lastlight]

I received my pellets today and promptly got the TLF reactor online. It's hanging off the back of my 34g Solana and I put about half the 550mL bag into it. The MJ1200 was way too much flow so I currently have an MJ600 on there and it's tumbling extremely well. Much more turbulent in the bottom third of the pellet suspension but the top is boiling nice and smoothly. Kien mentioned they get heavier and I may need the MJ1200 later...I'll wait and see.

One comment I have about the setup is it's super loud. That's got nothing to do with the quality of the product but more to do with the reactor's location. Being out in the open you can hear the pellets all tumbling against the reactor tube and it's quite loud. If these work out I will explore the possibility of relocating the reactor to inside the stand but I'm not sure an MJ1200 has enough pressure to flow down 3 feet, through the media and back up 3 feet. Any opinions?

I have never tested phosphates or nitrates and the elos test kits I have are about a year old.

PO4 - 0.1
NO3 - 0.2

I do build a green film on the glass over the span of a few days and a couple of my rocks have a very thin green film/hue to them so I suspect my values are higher than this? I have done 5g weekly changes since setting this tank up and my bioload is light but I think I'd better buy new kits and verify.

So other than param changes what can I expect to see once these kick in? Improved growth and colour is what I've been hearing.

Will report more as I see/measure it. Thanks O.C. for the chance to test these.

[lastlight]

Here is a quick video showing my tumbling. The video doesn't convey how loud it is but I can hear these things rattling and pinging off the reactor cylinder upstairs in bed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LT1v_OR_Ac

Reducing flow makes it quieter but still not great but I have no valve yet can only pinch the hose.

I should note that I did Kevin's 'red coral mod' and simply took out the bottom red plate so water just exits the tube. Maybe that is related to the noise I'm not sure?

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

Originally Posted by lastlight

Here is a quick video showing my tumbling. The video doesn't convey how loud it is but I can hear these things rattling and pinging off the reactor cylinder upstairs in bed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LT1v_OR_Ac

Reducing flow makes it quieter but still not great but I have no valve yet can only pinch the hose.

I should note that I did Kevin's 'red coral mod' and simply took out the bottom red plate so water just exits the tube. Maybe that is related to the noise I'm not sure?

WOW, you are not kidding! You have some major flow, so far we are hearing very positive results as to how well these beads tumble because of the size and shape! These Extra Beads are more dense and weigh more in comparison to the larger beads.

I almost guarantee you that the noise you are experiencing is due to removing the bottom plate, the water is pounding the beads against the bottom plastic of your TLF like a drum nstead of rising up through them.

O.C.

[lastlight]

Ok Kien pointed out the sound may be from the pellets being forced into the bottom of the reactor plate. Putting my ear up to it this appears to be the case so I'm going to put the bottom red plate back in and get me some of that mesh so they don't contact the bottom.

I realize I'm brainstorming online but hey it might help someone lol!

[lastlight]

Alright just me again. I took the same filter floss mesh I use in the back of my tank to filter my water and sliced it thinner. Trick was finding the right thickness and wrapping it around the bottom plate which i put back in. This keeps it from flipping up and flow favoring one side. Running silently and with a much gentler tumble on my MJ600 still.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

After several days of clogging up with mulm, I rinsed off some of the mulm and the rest of these new pellets are tumbling very well in my unmodded Lifeguard Fluidized Sandbed Filter.

Anthony

[Delphinus]

Pellets arrived on Monday but have not had a chance to get them online until tonight.

The test tank is a 40g semi-cube that houses a pair of clowns, two gigantea carpets, two rose BTA's, a mottled leatherjacket/filefish, a smattering of assorted corals and 3 clams. Due to a bit of neglect on my part (seriously overdue for a waterchange), and a higher than average bioload for this size tank (mysis daily for the fish and 'nems) the parameters have crept up a little and there's a small patch of cyano on the right side glass.

The beads are much smaller than what those who used the first round of pellets available are used to. I called the old ones lentils - these are more like hemp hearts (for you health food fanatics) or maybe slightly larger than sesame seeds. Oh - I know a good comparison - bird seed. This stuff is the same consistency as the seeds I used to feed my budgies I had as a kid.

Anyhow, I added the full 550l to a TLF 150 phosban reactor. The sponges are replaced with quilting mesh pinned to the red plates with zap straps. The feed pump is a MJ12 powerhead.

The MJ12 is too much at full bore (the entire column of pellets slams into the top of the reactor) but seems to be perfect throttled back by valve at around somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 open.

I can't hear any noise from the pellets that Brett was having so I wonder if it was the configuration after all. The only thing is I have two skimmers in vicinity and a couple loud pumps anyhow so I probably wouldn't really notice anyhow if the tumbling gave a rattling sound.

So day 1 params -
NO3 (Elos) - 1.0ppm
PO4 (D-D) - 0.06 P

[GMGQ]

Hi Guys,

Very different flow rates from lastnight's video and deputy1234's video.

I heard that if there's too much flow, the bacteria will just get blown out. Too little flow and the mulm will cause clumping.

Can someone at OC please advise which flow rate is optimal?

Should all the pellets in the reactor tumble? Or do you just need to visually see the pellets come up one side, and down the other side, so that they are constantly cycling around the reactor?

Thanks!
Gary

[Gooly001]

Hi,

We've had good success with about 300-350 gph going inside the reactor. The pellets should have a nice GENTLE tumble.

Thanks

Paul