Bio pellets are peeling and clumpy

[reef93]

Originally Posted by wingedfish

If I'm not mistaken, any exposure to air or fresh water negates the entire point of biopellets. Imho they do not need to be tumbling, just need water flow to keep the bacteria supplied with what they need and too much tumbling acts like the rock tumbler you had as a kid and knocks off all the stuff your trying to grow. My pellets don't tumble. Every week or so I open the valve and give the reactor a shake to unclump and sluff some mulm to the skimmer. Don't forget the whole concept of pellets is to grow things on the surface and export to the skimmer or have it be food for the coral. How can this happen if the reactor is smashing them about in a vortex of boiling pellets?

What are the consequences of not tumbling? I believe they stick together (do to the mulm your trying to grow) untill water flow ceases and it goes anoxic. I don't know how long this takes as I've never seen it and I would imagine it has alot to do with bioload.

You were right, I don't know how my reactor gets a lot of air inside. After I let all the air out, it is tumble and no more clumpy, back to normal now . Thanks a lot.

And thanks Alang, from now on, once in a while I will rinse them just like you said. I didn't know we need to do so though.

And thanks all of you who were taking your time to help me here. Thank you.