USING BIO PELLETS - Page 6

Reefpins10 · #51 03-10-2011, 08:53 PM

Thank you Ottoman, I will keep in check with DKH. It has been a few hours after setting up now, I am still seeing the pellets attached around the body inside the tube and are attaching to each other, even I let the pump flow maximum to 400GPH. I took the whole thing out and stired them, but as long as I run the reactor , they attached to the tube again and some of them even were floating to the top. Good thing I put a mesh there. I am not sure what to do next if they are still clumping like that.
WHAT DID I DO WRONG

Reefpins10 · #52 03-10-2011, 09:19 PM

My tank has too much algae, now they have attached to my cleaner shrimp's tentacles and his/her body

I was surprised when my husband showed it to me.

Ross · #53 03-10-2011, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefpins10

Thank you Ottoman, I will keep in check with DKH. It has been a few hours after setting up now, I am still seeing the pellets attached around the body inside the tube and are attaching to each other, even I let the pump flow maximum to 400GPH. I took the whole thing out and stired them, but as long as I run the reactor , they attached to the tube again and some of them even were floating to the top. Good thing I put a mesh there. I am not sure what to do next if they are still clumping like that.
WHAT DID I DO WRONG

Not to hijack, but why do the pellets have to tumble?
What negative will come from them clumping together.

Reefpins10 · #54 03-10-2011, 09:33 PM

Sorry Ross, I am not an expert about these pellets compared to lots of people here. Yah, I want to know it too

Jackie · #55 03-10-2011, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross

Not to hijack, but why do the pellets have to tumble?
What negative will come from them clumping together.

I guess it give more surface area for bacteria to grow.
I used Rowaphos for about 2 months and my brown algea did not come back.

Lampshade · #56 03-11-2011, 12:02 AM

Apparently clumping pellets can create toxins bad for the tank (I forget the name, it's in the FAQ's i believe.) The clumping can be very bad, you want to keep all of them moving.

Reefpins10 · #57 03-11-2011, 12:21 AM

I am hoping nothing serious happens to my first born sps tank, don't want any burning tips on corals as asylumdown quoted.

kien · #58 03-11-2011, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross

Not to hijack, but why do the pellets have to tumble?
What negative will come from them clumping together.

To add to previous explanations, also for the pellets to be effective it is important to have good flow through and around all of the pellets. If they clump you end up restricting that flow. Clumping also hinders the shedding and releasing of pellet mulm which is important too.

Reefpins10 · #59 03-11-2011, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefpins10

Thank you Ottoman, I will keep in check with DKH. It has been a few hours after setting up now, I am still seeing the pellets attached around the body inside the tube and are attaching to each other, even I let the pump flow maximum to 400GPH. I took the whole thing out and stired them, but as long as I run the reactor , they attached to the tube again and some of them even were floating to the top. Good thing I put a mesh there. I am not sure what to do next if they are still clumping like that.
WHAT DID I DO WRONG

Since running from the morning to now, the pellets are still clinging to the reactor like this. HELP ME PLEASE !

kien · #60 03-11-2011, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefpins10

Thank you Ottoman, I will keep in check with DKH. It has been a few hours after setting up now, I am still seeing the pellets attached around the body inside the tube and are attaching to each other, even I let the pump flow maximum to 400GPH. I took the whole thing out and stired them, but as long as I run the reactor , they attached to the tube again and some of them even were floating to the top. Good thing I put a mesh there. I am not sure what to do next if they are still clumping like that.
WHAT DID I DO WRONG

If they are clumping you have a combination of too many pellets with too much flow. You have to either cut back the number of pellets or cut back on the flow.

What I do whenever I start up my reactor with new pellets is to first completely shut off the feed valve so that very little flow (not enough to even move a pellet) is getting into the reactor chamber. Then, while the feed pump is on I slowly turn on the valve to slowly feed the reactor with pumped water. I do this slowly, very very slowly until I see the pellets just barely move. You'll see the water bubbling up through the chamber moving the pellets as it travels up and then out the top. I start with just the top of the pellets just barely moving, then adjust the flow up slowly from there to my desired tumblage (i just made up that word but I like it). I know I've put too much pellet into my chamber if while doing this the pellets clump at the top before I could get them to tumble at the top. I take pellets out and repeat the process.

it also helps to soak the pellets over night.