BioPellets with Vodka Dosing - Your Thoughts

[kien]

The only thing that would bother me is the fact that I wouldn't know if one or the other method is working. Sure, both zeolites and pellets could be working, but because you run both there is truly no way of telling. It could be the zeolites stripping nutrients or it could be the pellets. In the end you don't know for sure, you just have to assume.

If all other parameters are fine and you truly are running an ULNS then then I would say you should look beyond just the removal of nutrients for your unsatisfactory SPS colours. As you have already done, lighting is one factor. The inclusion of certain nutrients is another factor in a very long list of others. Heck maybe how your SPS looks now is their natural state

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by kien

The only thing that would bother me is the fact that I wouldn't know if one or the other method is working. Sure, both zeolites and pellets could be working, but because you run both there is truly no way of telling. It could be the zeolites stripping nutrients or it could be the pellets. In the end you don't know for sure, you just have to assume.

If all other parameters are fine and you truly are running an ULNS then then I would say you should look beyond just the removal of nutrients for your unsatisfactory SPS colours. As you have already done, lighting is one factor. The inclusion of certain nutrients is another factor in a very long list of others. Heck maybe how your SPS looks now is their natural state

I agree 100% with you, and thought about removing... But Tony/Delphinus regretting removing his. So that is why, I may remove and nothing happens, and this was the case the first time I removed it. But that may not be the case the second time, so I am leaving it for now. Also I am basing this on the fact the both methods use different strains of bacteria and different methods. The Pellets basically keep the strains within the reactor and never populate within the reef itself, but the Zeo method releases them into the water columm and into the reef. Now could both interact with each other, well yes I think so, but I am not seeing any adverse affects. I wish there was more info/articles on this. But until I find some, I am experimenting I guess.

I hope the way they look isn't there natural state, cause they sure looked better when I bought them. Please don't tell me that!!! EWWWW Yuck!

I think maybe lighting and sandbed are factors here, thus the reason for some changes. And if not, both are still good changes.

Lets see what happens over the next month or so... Hopefully I keep seeing improvements as I am seeing now. And if I still am not happy, then I think I will look at the actual bulbs in the fixture.

Currently I run the original Hamilton Actinics with Ushio 10K bulbs. Maybe now or later I should look at changing them. What do you think? Maybe 14K in a good brand (what do you recommend?) in MH and doing something other than actinic T5HO (I only have 2X5foot T5HO), maybe a 10K there, or maybe a actinic in the back and 10K in the front. I have spent so much many on the past fixture expirementing I will take requests from you all on this. Don't want to own a storefront of bulbs that didn't work.