Refugium with chaeto or bio-pellet reactor

[reefaddik]

Here is a couple pics of my refugium set up in my basement below my display. It's the way to go hands down.

[hfp75]

Do both... put the refugium before the pellet reactor. that way there is nutrients for the algaes (from the nutrient rich return tank water)... then run it through a biopellet reactor and aim the return from the reactor to the intake of the skimmer. DONE!

This way you will have some chaeto/caulerpa and all the critters that are good - not practical to export all the nutrients this way but a few. Use the Pellet reactor to get rid of the bulk of the nutrients... probably leaving a bit of PO4 and then in the last chamber run a small pump 300 gph through a TLF150 with Rowa (just gate it back for the right flow)..... your return water (to the tank) should be very clean....

Start with 1/2 of what is recommended for the biopellets and see what happens to your nutrient levels (give it a few weeks for bacteria to grow).... remember that some NO3 and PO4 is not bad.... I keep my NO3 @ < 10 (average 5) and my PO4 at <.1

I am using this method... everything is happy and I dont need to fuss with dosing anything.... super easy and simple - reactor is always running. Bacteria grows & dies off of the pellets as nutrients allow, it is like a shock absorber.... and you don't need to mess with it.... it just runs - with vodka and sugar you are always messing with the dosing and it can be a PITA...

Just my opinion....

[trilinearmipmap]

Biopellets = flavour of the week a few years ago. I have read enough tales of disaster with biopellets. Might work for some, too complicated and expensive for me.

The combination of skimmer + fuge has worked well for years for many including myself. Multiple benefits of a system like this. Low to no cost. Less potential for disaster. Pods = extra benefit.

To keep a reef long term you need a low maintenance low-worry solution. Due to extreme workload I have not even looked in my bucket fuge for several months. A couple of days ago removed a huge clump (1/2) of the chaeto. Takes care of itself.

Anyway just my opinion.

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by trilinearmipmap

Biopellets = flavour of the week a few years ago. I have read enough tales of disaster with biopellets. Might work for some, too complicated and expensive for me.

The combination of skimmer + fuge has worked well for years for many including myself. Multiple benefits of a system like this. Low to no cost. Less potential for disaster. Pods = extra benefit.

To keep a reef long term you need a low maintenance low-worry solution. Due to extreme workload I have not even looked in my bucket fuge for several months. A couple of days ago removed a huge clump (1/2) of the chaeto. Takes care of itself.

Anyway just my opinion.

Macro algae= poor form of nutrient export

Bacteria = efficient form of nutrient export


Biopellets is just another form of carbon dosing for any one to say its a flavor of the month obviously do not understand how it works , or hasnt been Around since that month ......it's not a magical plastic that can turn on you in a heart beat its a biological process involving bacteria and with a little chemistry is easily maintained


Some of the greatest reef minds in the world acknowledge bacteria as
THE most important part of a ecosystem , so why wouldn't anyone want to expand their knowledge on what they can do and put them to work?


It's hard......actually no it's not lol set up a doser and follow a routine it's actually pretty easy and there's no guess work unlike growing algae or putting your hopes into a skimmer alone (I assume you read the skimmer thread right as it also happened in that month)

A successful reef can happen many ways but there is always room for improvement


We advance in this hobby year after year and while some people will tell you the earth is flat and to just take their word for it ....or.....you can go out and find the facts your self and maybe you'll discover the world isn't so flat after all

[Aquattro]

My opinion is choose neither, until such time as you determine you need something. Keep in mind, that pic you posted was not the result of choosing a bio-pellet option. It's careful husbandry tied to lighting, flow, feeding, stocking,etc. You need to get it all right to get that tank. If you find a couple months in that you can't control nutrients, then look at options to deal with it. Carbon dosing is a good option.

[Masonjames]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

My opinion is choose neither, until such time as you determine you need something. Keep in mind, that pic you posted was not the result of choosing a bio-pellet option. It's careful husbandry tied to lighting, flow, feeding, stocking,etc. You need to get it all right to get that tank. If you find a couple months in that you can't control nutrients, then look at options to deal with it. Carbon dosing is a good option.

I agree with brad. I myself would tell you to first focus your attention, time and ivestments into the system on implementing and understanding sound husbandry practices prior to doing anything else. Do your due diligence with your husbandry choices and responsibilities and you will be so far ahead of the game. There are many tools a person can implement to aid in success but if you can retrain your idea of thought to that of you are the most effective tool at your disposal and invest into becoming so, questions like these you may be able to answer for yourself without even having to ask yourself. As Denny pointed out, bacterial processes are the foundation of a working system. Understand it at its core and learn to be able to control and tweak those proccesses first with your husbandry practices and choices. Then you can look for further tools to help aid you as you feel you need. Get the basics right first, and everything will fall into place. No amount of equipment, media, dosing etc will ensure success. But everyone who invests in sound husbandry practices and all that this entitles will most certainly be successful. And an individual's ideals of there dream tank becomes a much more realistic opportunity. You are your tanks key to success, or you are your tanks shortcoming, despite any equip, dosing, etc etc.

That is a beautiful tank to aspire towards : )

[The Guy]

I'm running a CPR medium sized HOB refugium on a 33 gallon nano tank, got live rock rubble and hydroton balls in the bottom couple of inches and cheato for pods to grow in. I have one male scooter blennie in the tank so he gets all the pods produced. I have no sump on this system and am using an Eheim classic 2217 canister filter filled with Eheim media mixed with hydroton balls as my bio filtration. My skimmer is a Fluval Sea in tank and is collecting nice dark skimate, which is surprizing me as I have never had much luck with these intank units before this one. I got it as part of a trade for some frags and thought I would try it, surprize works great.