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

Delphinus · #1 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 · #2 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 · #3 03-23-2010, 04:57 PM

Video's are fine.

Lance · #4 03-23-2010, 05:25 PM

The Vertex UF-15 with an MJ 1200 tumbles the same, maybe a little harder.

Red Coral Aquariums · #5 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 · #6 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?

Red Coral Aquariums · #7 03-23-2010, 07:24 PM

I left the top red plate but the hard clear tubing that goes down to the bottom red plate kept coming off so I glued it into place and it seems to be working perfect.
Kevin

Chin_Lee · #8 03-23-2010, 09:02 PM

good idea on this mod Kevin. this should create enough direct flow to keep the pellets tumbling nicely.

Borderjumper · #9 03-23-2010, 09:27 PM

I woke up this morning with a cloudy tank. The pellets were barely moving. The hoses had started to plug again. After cleaning the hoses the pellets are tumbling again.

Anyone know if the cloudy is bad for my tank?

Chin_Lee · #10 03-23-2010, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borderjumper

I woke up this morning with a cloudy tank. The pellets were barely moving. The hoses had started to plug again. After cleaning the hoses the pellets are tumbling again.

Anyone know if the cloudy is bad for my tank?

same thing happened to my friend. his pellets stopped tumbling, got clumped together and all the hoses and holes got gunked up. He couldn't get the pellets to stop spitting out cloudy white stuff and it appeared some of his corals were reacting badly to it. finally we took it offline and had to wash all the pellets to get the gunk off them. apparently took a long time to clean them. They are now dried and i'll start them up again next week with the mod mentioned above.