N/P Reducing Pellets ("Solid Vodka") - "Wow" ... 3 month update - Page 36

Lance · #**351** 03-23-2010, 05:25 PM

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

Red Coral Aquariums · #**352** 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 · #**353** 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 · #**354** 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 · #**355** 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 · #**356** 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 · #**357** 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.

Borderjumper · #**358** 03-23-2010, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chin_Lee

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.

my pellets didnt gunk together at all and tumbled very nicely as soon as I cleaned out the hoses. Corals and fish all look ok.. just the water is v ery slightly cloudy. I will do a water change tonight and hope everything is settled by morning.

Delphinus · #**359** 03-23-2010, 11:14 PM

I have had several tank "whiteout blizzard" conditions as a result of pellets clogging. It is unsettling to see, but the tank inhabitants didn't seem to care (actually my fish seem to eat the "snowflakes"). My skimmer seems to pull it out and the water is clear within a couple hours. Also I have a filter sock - one thing since adding the pellets is I have to clean out my filter sock way more often, so I'm pretty sure it's pulling the stuff out too.

It seems to not take very long after the pellets have settled for the mulm to accumulate to "biblical plague of locusts" levels. Seems very important to make sure that lines, sponges and meshes aren't clogging up and finding the right combination of reactor, pump and/or reactor mods so that they are always churning.

OceanicCorals-Ian- · #**360** 03-23-2010, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borderjumper

my pellets didnt gunk together at all and tumbled very nicely as soon as I cleaned out the hoses. Corals and fish all look ok.. just the water is v ery slightly cloudy. I will do a water change tonight and hope everything is settled by morning.

No need for a water change, the skimmer will pull out the bacteria (mulm) which is harmless.