N/P Reducing Pellets ("Solid Vodka") - "Wow" ... 3 month update

Delphinus · #1 03-22-2010, 04:43 PM

It looked like somehow I was getting an air bubble trapped under the bottom sponge. I finally managed to get some quilting mesh a couple days ago, so I took the opportunity last night to replace the bottom sponge. Also I was running spongeless on the top already, but every so often the reactor would burp and I'd get a few pellets into the sump (and sometimes all the way up to the display tank) so I decided to put a top layer of the mesh in as well.

The MR-1 isn't as nice of a tumbler as the Vertex because of the bottom plate design (have now seen both reactors in action so have a fair basis of comparison). The MR-1 has a circular/slotted style openings and it seems that this causes an uneven upward flow whereas the phosban reactors and vertex have drilled bottom plates. I think this does make a difference so I think I will be at some point switching to a Vertex instead.

Rick - actually at some point I'd kinda like to see what the Deltecs look like in action as well. Maybe someday I could show up with a coffee or something? What's your favourite Timmie's concoction?

So.. anyhow, another update. I finally finished pulling the trigger on the zeolites last night, after removing them about 250ml at a time every couple of days for the last week. In the spirit of wanting to increase the pellets at the same time to compensate for any potential loss posed by the zeolites removal, I put my phosban reactor back on, so I can have two reactors running pellets now. I bought an Odyssea pump from Red Coral on Friday, put that on the MR-1, and switched over the MJ12 to the phosban. Only I took the sponges out of the phosban and put the mesh in there too. WOW, does that ever work awesome. Between the bottom plate difference and the sponge removal, the pellets are dancing like berserk in the little reactor.

So now running close to 2l total.

globaldesigns · #2 03-22-2010, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

It looked like somehow I was getting an air bubble trapped under the bottom sponge. I finally managed to get some quilting mesh a couple days ago, so I took the opportunity last night to replace the bottom sponge. Also I was running spongeless on the top already, but every so often the reactor would burp and I'd get a few pellets into the sump (and sometimes all the way up to the display tank) so I decided to put a top layer of the mesh in as well.

The MR-1 isn't as nice of a tumbler as the Vertex because of the bottom plate design (have now seen both reactors in action so have a fair basis of comparison). The MR-1 has a circular/slotted style openings and it seems that this causes an uneven upward flow whereas the phosban reactors and vertex have drilled bottom plates. I think this does make a difference so I think I will be at some point switching to a Vertex instead.

Rick - actually at some point I'd kinda like to see what the Deltecs look like in action as well. Maybe someday I could show up with a coffee or something? What's your favourite Timmie's concoction?

So.. anyhow, another update. I finally finished pulling the trigger on the zeolites last night, after removing them about 250ml at a time every couple of days for the last week. In the spirit of wanting to increase the pellets at the same time to compensate for any potential loss posed by the zeolites removal, I put my phosban reactor back on, so I can have two reactors running pellets now. I bought an Odyssea pump from Red Coral on Friday, put that on the MR-1, and switched over the MJ12 to the phosban. Only I took the sponges out of the phosban and put the mesh in there too. WOW, does that ever work awesome. Between the bottom plate difference and the sponge removal, the pellets are dancing like berserk in the little reactor.

So now running close to 2l total.

You can come over anytime, Yum, timmies Iced Cap. I work from home, so anytime will work.

Delphinus · #3 03-23-2010, 06:02 AM

Some videos of the pellets doing their thing in the two reactors.

blueyota · #4 03-23-2010, 03:23 PM

Thanks for that video Tony ...I have been trying to figure out a good rate for the tumbling but wasnt sure .....
what size of pump are you using for your reactors and are they daisy chained together???
Thanks
Shawn

banditpowdercoat · #5 03-23-2010, 03:32 PM

Ya, Mine tumbles like that too. I was running carbon in series, but it blocked flow to much. Need another pump I guess...

Delphinus · #6 03-23-2010, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueyota

Thanks for that video Tony ...I have been trying to figure out a good rate for the tumbling but wasnt sure .....
what size of pump are you using for your reactors and are they daisy chained together???
Thanks
Shawn

I am running them independently of one another.

The TLF150 (smaller reactor) is fed by a MJ1200 powerhead. When I first started this I ran the pellets in that reactor with a MJ12 pump but didn't get anywhere near that level of agitation with the pellets. The only thing that has changed is I took out the bottom sponge and replaced it with a piece of quilting mesh. I used 3 small zap straps to hold the quilting mesh to the bottom plate so it wouldn't move around.

The MR-1 reactor is fed by an Odyssea 500gph pump ($30 at Red Coral

). This same pump is feeding their Vertex reactor on their SPS tank. It is tumbling the pellets on their system quite nicely (more so than mine is). I think the difference is the bottom plate design, although it may also have to do with the fact that the MR-1 uses 3/8" tubing while the Vertex uses 1/2" PVC - so the Vertex will have faster flow capabilities with the same pump.

For what it's worth, I was running a MJ12 on the MR-1 up until this weekend, with a smaller pellet volume in there, and the tumbling was about the same. So given how many pellets you have in the reactor, the MJ12 powerhead can be an adequate pump to drive the pellets. I would guess the threshold to be around 500ml - 750ml of pellets.

Delphinus · #7 03-23-2010, 04:52 PM

Oh wow, can people actually SEE my videos? I just tried watching one from my work computer and it's so dark I can't see anything. It was not like that on my home laptop when I posted them last night.

Maybe I will try replacing the videos tonight using a spotlight to shine on the reactors to get a better quality video. Sorry folks!

The Codfather · #8 03-23-2010, 04:57 PM

Video's are fine.

Red Coral Aquariums · #9 03-23-2010, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

The TLF150 (smaller reactor) is fed by a MJ1200 powerhead. When I first started this I ran the pellets in that reactor with a MJ12 pump but didn't get anywhere near that level of agitation with the pellets. The only thing that has changed is I took out the bottom sponge and replaced it with a piece of quilting mesh. I used 3 small zap straps to hold the quilting mesh to the bottom plate so it wouldn't move around.

On our Zoanthid frag tanks I was running a TLF 150 with carbon and decided to try the Pellets in the TLF. I was having a tumbling problem with the TLF so I tried a mod that seems to work fine. I took out the sponges and the bottom red plate and glued the plastic tubing in and am blasting water from the pump straight to the bottom. It seems to be working perfect and a very easy mod if all you have is a TLF 150.
Kevin

Delphinus · #10 03-23-2010, 06:02 PM

Interesting. So it's just glued into the top plate or did you take out the top plate too?