Bio-pellet Reactors: whats good whats bad

[kien]

There are a bunch of people, myself included, who run GFO with bioPellets. For me the biopellets remove nitrates just fine, and do an OK job with phosphates but not stellar. I supplement the phosphate removal by running GFO as well. I use two Vertex UF-20 reactors for pellets and a TLF 150 for GFO. Two years running now.

[kobelka]

@ the Grizz,
I am going to put a tlf 150 with biopellets online and wondered if you could post a quick explanation of the mod you have done to make it work well?
Thanks

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by kobelka

@ the Grizz,
I am going to put a tlf 150 with biopellets online and wondered if you could post a quick explanation of the mod you have done to make it work well?
Thanks

It a simple round plastic mesh that I found at Michleas, they are about 4" round with small square holes. Take out the foam and replace it with 2 of these mesh circles, bottom and top where the foam should be ( you have to cut them to fit ). And for flow for an example: in my NextReef MR1 recommended flow was 1200 gph but it was not enough for 1000 ml of pellets so I have a 2500 gph pump feeding it. I believe I used a MJ1200 on my TLF and had a great tumble and never had it clog on me.

[Bblinks]

Originally Posted by kobelka

@ the Grizz,
I am going to put a tlf 150 with biopellets online and wondered if you could post a quick explanation of the mod you have done to make it work well?
Thanks

Get rid of the foam and get the kit to modify your reactor here:
http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/tf...n+Reactor.html
or mesh from Michaels will work too, I just hate the fake flower smell in that place.

[Lampshade]

+1 on the kit if you're using a TLF. My TLF 500 started clumping up after a year so i modded it by taking out the bottom plate, and putting the downspout against the side so that the pellets would "roll" inside the reactor. Works great. Here's a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9oOnUT5mHM

[sphelps]

Anyone have experience with the BRS reactor or similar type they can share?
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/...t-reactor.html

[chris121277]

Sorry don't mean to hi-jack here.....but I'm about to put pellets on line tonight.....and wondered what everyone recommended to start out with......ei, I was thinking of starting with 250ml on a 130 gal system

Is there an optimal ml per gal for starting out with?

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by chris121277

Sorry don't mean to hi-jack here.....but I'm about to put pellets on line tonight.....and wondered what everyone recommended to start out with......ei, I was thinking of starting with 250ml on a 130 gal system

Is there an optimal ml per gal for starting out with?

Start with 1/3 recommended amount, wait a few months add some more and so on until you are up to what you want. I run 1000 ml of pellets in my MR1 until there are only a few inches left then dump in another 1000 ml.