New reactor design for bio pellets reactor

[Coleus]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

I have never had mine clog, and never clean it. The only maintenance is to pour in more pellets when it gets low (about every 3 months).

If your reactor is tumbling properly, there is no mulm. All the bacteria stays with the pellets as they slowly dissolve. I've heard that tumbling too fast is not good either.

Also, I use MB7, which seeds the right bacteria for these pellets. And I have never had a cyano problem either, and I use the full 1000 ml bag for my 100 g tank. The trick, I think, is to ramp up slowly, and heavy use of MB7 initially.

any chance you can show us how your pellets tumble?

So i guess the key for success is fast flow and soaked pellets very well

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by Coleus

any chance you can show us how your pellets tumble?

So i guess the key for success is fast flow and soaked pellets very well

OK, will try to get a vid of it and post the You-tube link here.

[Coleus]

here is link to mine http://www.youtube.com/embed/UaEi5WkkMUg

I think the tumbling is ok but eventually it will clog because of the mulms. I am using MJ1200 pump right now but if i put a higher pump, the pellets get tossed to the top and clog right there or passed through the screen.

[Reef Pilot]

OK, here is mine. Sorry for the really crappy vid, though. Only had my BB available. That line in the middle is the water line in the sump, in case you were wondering. But it does show the amount of tumbling in my UF-20. It is only about half full now, and needs to be filled up again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU94i...QKxohK_Q4dg-E2

[Coleus]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

OK, here is mine. Sorry for the really crappy vid, though. Only had my BB available. That line in the middle is the water line in the sump, in case you were wondering. But it does show the amount of tumbling in my UF-20. It is only about half full now, and needs to be filled up again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU94i...QKxohK_Q4dg-E2

Ok i don't get it, mine pellets are tumbling similar to your but after a week or so, mulms start to get clogged at the top screen

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by Coleus

Ok i don't get it, mine pellets are tumbling similar to your but after a week or so, mulms start to get clogged at the top screen

Sorry, but I missed what brand pellet reactor you have? Mine is the Vertex UF-20 using a Mag 5 pump, but also running through my chiller. It has 3/4 diameter tubing, so can handle quite a bit of flow. It is tall, and takes a very small footprint, which I like, too.

I replaced (as recommended for bio pellets) the top and bottom foam screens with mesh. If I left the foam ones in place, for sure they would clog. When I fill it with 1000 ml pellets, it is tumbling about 2 inches below the top, but not high enough to stick to the mesh screen and clog.

I do wash the pellets in warm water and soak over night first before adding to the reactor. I started off very slowly, though, and took about a month or more, before I filled it up to the top. And I use that MB7 as mentioned before.

But, no, have never had them clog, and always tumbled nicely, even after a few power outages (up to 6 hours), they always started up fine. And I don't have any mulm anywhere, in my tank, or sump. I also feed the output of my reactor to the input of my skimmer.

[Coleus]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

Sorry, but I missed what brand pellet reactor you have? Mine is the Vertex UF-20 using a Mag 5 pump, but also running through my chiller. It has 3/4 diameter tubing, so can handle quite a bit of flow. It is tall, and takes a very small footprint, which I like, too.

I replaced (as recommended for bio pellets) the top and bottom foam screens with mesh. If I left the foam ones in place, for sure they would clog. When I fill it with 1000 ml pellets, it is tumbling about 2 inches below the top, but not high enough to stick to the mesh screen and clog.

I do wash the pellets in warm water and soak over night first before adding to the reactor. I started off very slowly, though, and took about a month or more, before I filled it up to the top. And I use that MB7 as mentioned before.

But, no, have never had them clog, and always tumbled nicely, even after a few power outages (up to 6 hours), they always started up fine. And I don't have any mulm anywhere, in my tank, or sump. I also feed the output of my reactor to the input of my skimmer.

I use vertex pellets and Deltec fr 509 reactor with MJ 1200. I soak my pellets over night too. Maybe i should plump the outlet right into my skimmer and share the same skimmer feeding pump.

Gonna try that and see. Thanks for sharing your experience

[kien]

I push my dual Vertex UF-20s with 1000gph and like you, mine clogs over time too. However, the clogging is not due to the mulm. My reactor plate holes at the top (and bottom sometimes) clogs with all sorts of sponges and other organisms that thrive in the reactor A thorough cleaning is just part of the maintenance schedule for me.

[Coleus]

Originally Posted by kien

I push my dual Vertex UF-20s with 1000gph and like you, mine clogs over time too. However, the clogging is not due to the mulm. My reactor plate holes at the top (and bottom sometimes) clogs with all sorts of sponges and other organisms that thrive in the reactor A thorough cleaning is just part of the maintenance schedule for me.

What Kien? You are back ? no wonder the weather is so freaking COLD today hahaha. You are right, not just the mulms but i all got all sort of organism got stuck and require cleaning which i HATE. Prefer set it and leave it way

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by kien

I push my dual Vertex UF-20s with 1000gph and like you, mine clogs over time too. However, the clogging is not due to the mulm. My reactor plate holes at the top (and bottom sometimes) clogs with all sorts of sponges and other organisms that thrive in the reactor A thorough cleaning is just part of the maintenance schedule for me.

That sounds like too much flow for the UF-20. My Mag 5 (spec is 500 gph) is probably running at about 3 or 400 gph, after going through my chiller.

Also, are you using a mesh at the top and bottom plates? Without those, my pellets would escape, and as mentioned before, the foam screens would clog. And the foam screens would also require a higher flow pump.

Also, what pellets are you using? I use the Vertex Probio Pellets. Haven't tried any others.

Like I said, mine takes no maintenance, other than adding pellets every 3 months, and no build up of stuff inside the reactor.