NPX-Xtra Beads BETA testing thread!

[pinhead]

I've been running the new style beads for almost a month and here are some observations:

-I never had problems with clumping or with any cloudiness or discharge from the reactor.

-I had the flow adjusted properly right from the beginning and the beads were tumbling as in the videos.

-I didn't add any bacterial suppliment and let they bacteria colonize the beads naturally.

- Nothing much happened for about 2 weeks and then I had a gradual appearance of cyano

- Cyano was pretty bad but controllable. I didn't siphon it out of the tank but instead stirred up the patches on the sand. It was limited only to the sandbed.

- I have noticed some changes over the last few days. I usually have to clean the glass with the magfloat once a week and really didn't need to this week. Cyano is declining and polyp extension on some of encrusting corals is more apparent.

- My test kits were pretty well expired, so I don't have any measured values for phosphated or nitrates.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the beads. If the Cyano fully disappears, I know it is a result of the reactor maturing because I haven't made any changes to the fish popluation or feeding patterns since I started the pellets.

[deputy1234]

When will the Xtra beads become available?

[lastlight]

I've got what appears to be this type of algae spreading all over now. Haven't been feeding much but then again the tunze 9002 skimmer is a piece of crap. I wonder if it's not skimming well enough to be using these pellets/beads?

From Melev's site: maidenhead algae

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

Originally Posted by lastlight

I've got what appears to be this type of algae spreading all over now. Haven't been feeding much but then again the tunze 9002 skimmer is a piece of crap. I wonder if it's not skimming well enough to be using these pellets/beads?

From Melev's site: maidenhead algae

Maiden Hair Algae!! That is actually considered a desirable Algae, very strange! There has been some cases of people experiencing limited issues with Algae and sometimes Cyano when implementing any type of PHA beads; however, nine times out of ten it can be attributed to an inefficient skimmer.

50% of the equation with the beads is the skimmer, without efficient skimming the metabolites, dead, and or overflow surplus of bacteria have no where to go but eventually settle back into the tank. Skimming must be a priority and be as wet as possible in order to accelerate the nutrient export.

Hope this helps!

[lastlight]

Wait so you mean I can frag and sell this algae? Best of all folks...it does great in areas not receiving much light!

Yeah my skimmer is junk. Tunze for the FAIL. I'll crank the air up more and try and skim wetter. It does great for a day then it can't push bubbles high enough to do its job. Frustrating.

Edit:

"This species is sensitive to high levels of nitrates"

Hmmm =) Speaks well for the beads maybe. I'll have to get pics to confirm this actually IS the same algae.

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

New NpX -Extra beads now available! Same price but new and improved! Available on website now and at various other retailers within a week.

[Delphinus]

So, tonight I've decided to temporarily suspend use of NPX-Xtra pellets on my tank.

The nitrate is down, the phosphate is down, that part is great. But what has me puzzled and a little troubled is the bleaching now going on in my tank among the two carpets, my green bubble coral, and the acan's. It all started roughly two weeks ago and has been getting steadily more noticeable every day. The coincidence in timing with the pellets is unfortunately very difficult to ignore.

The one thing that might set my tank apart from others is the fact that I dosed kalk at night to maintain Ca/Alk levels, so I have to wonder if it could be interference with the kalk that could be the issue.

So for now I've turned off the pellets and turned off the kalk as well just to see if I can reverse that trend. My two gigantea carpets are more important to me than the PO4/NO3 numbers so I'm really hoping that this can be fixed.

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

Originally Posted by deputy1234

When will the Xtra beads become available?

The Extra Beads will be available starting Wednesday this week in limited quantities until our large order arrives from the manufacturer.

Retailers can order the Extra Beads any time but will not ship until Wednesday.

Thanks!

[Tom R]

I've been running the new style beads since April and here is an update and some observations:

- I never had problems with clumping or with any cloudiness or discharge from the reactor.

- I am using a converted ZEOvit reactor and have had the flow adjusted properly right from the beginning with the beads were tumbling as in the videos.

- I have added MB7 bacterial supplement to help the bacteria colonize the beads.

- I have had quite the outbreak of Cyano and Bryopsis in my frag system. It has not shown itself in my main display tanks only the frag system.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Never saw any HA or cyano in my tank after adding the pellets.

Stinkiest skimmate my ER250 has ever produced. Now I have to clean it before it fills up or Irene complains about the smell. I also have to clean the skimmer cup in the middle of the night or it stinks up the house.

Have seen better polyp extension on my sps compared to before.

Still need to clean the glass a couple of times a week (was hoping that it would be reduced to only once a week).

Just retested the Nitrates and it used to be literally off the charts and now its reading 10-25 ppm which is probably the lowest its ever been since the tank was first set up years ago. I have a very, very heavily stocked 210g (lots of big, hungry fish - over 10 tangs including an 8" Vlamingi and I feed alot - several times a day including full sheet of Nori and 3-4 feedings of pellets & squirt of frozen foods), so any reduction in NO3 is amazing.

Similar reduction in PO4. Was also off the charts prior to adding the pellets but now at 1ppm (yeah, still high, but way better than before) without any water changes since early June.

Originally, the 550ml did nothing probably due to a number of factors including not enough pellets for the bioload/tank size and inadequate tumbling with the poor flow and mulm clogging up the Fluidized sand bed filter. There is now 1000ml + of pellets in the container and tumbles well as long as I shake it once a week or so (still a bit of mulm production).

With the positive results, I will probably rinse out and add some more pellets to the FSB filter.

Haven't done any water changes since before the swap meet so all the reduction in nutrients must be due to the pellets.

So, to summarize:

Added more pellets mid-June
Got the pellets to tumble better (after the swap meet - cleaned out the filter and flow increased).
Nitrates dropped from off the charts to 10-25ppm (vast improvement)
Phosphates dropped from off the charts to 1ppm (vast improvement)
No water changes since early June
Very high bioload on large sps/lps heavy 210g with 75g sump
Using a ER250 skimmer

My corals have gotten used to growing up in high nutrient waters so now they'll have to get used to med. nutrient waters.

For all the local or visiting reefers who saw the 210g reef during the swap meet, yes, my sps have fortunately adapted to less (far less) than the pristine water conditions all the books and experts claim they need. Your tanks should have better water quality so most of the frags from my tank should thrive in yours.

Anthony