High Tide Aquatics

Biopellets

I finally gave up on BioPellets after running them for a couple of years in a few different tanks. I was very reluctant to give them up. For the most part, they were an easy form of carbon dosing and my nitrates and phosphates were very low: 0.0 NO3 and 0.03 PO4. Adding them to an existing tank meant dealing with a cyno bloom. This was not an issue for my tanks, but could be a big problem for sensitive stony corals. This can be mitigated by starting out with a small amount and adding to it over time.

That aside, the reason I gave up was bacterial blooms (white cloudy water). It only happened a few times, but once I got a bloom, the biopellets seemed to feed it and it would not go away without a lot of aggressive water changes and finally a UV filter. If nitrates again become an issue, I may add one back, but if I get a bloom, I will quickly turn on the UV filter and remove the biopellets.
 
I've been running biopellets in my nano for about a year and a half. I started carbon dosing with vodka and vinegar, but moved to the biopellets shortly after. I've never had a problem with bacteria blooms, but I run only enough to keep my nitrates down, not nearly what is recommended for my tank.
 
IMO the risks outweigh the benefits when it comes to biopellets, and as far as I am aware there has been no controlled experiment to show whether they work as promised.

@pixelpixi have you looked into sulfur denitrators? From what I've seen they require less maintenance and has less potential to result in catastrophe.
 
I'm of the believer that less is more. I'm all for minimizing variables in my aquaria adventures. If I can do without it, I'll do without it. :)
 
I recently looked into gfo vs biopellet systems. I decided to build an algae scrubber. Cheaper to set up, no maintenance cost if you plumb it into your overflow (i opted for a maxi jet 1200) and it seems to be the most natural way to do it.
 
grizfyrfyter said:
I recently looked into gfo vs biopellet systems. I decided to build an algae scrubber. Cheaper to set up, no maintenance cost if you plumb it into your overflow (i opted for a maxi jet 1200) and it seems to be the most natural way to do it.
Click to expand...

Woohoo, another scrubber!
IMO: If your problem is specifically Nitrates, nothing better.
 
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. (and sorry for being MIA). I did end up trying them and my nitrates are lower but I'm dealing with some cyano. I might think about setting up an algae scrubber or using chaeto instead. One issue I've always had with algal based solutions, though, is that once they become sufficiently effective the algae is then too deprived of nutrients and dies. Is there a solution to that?
 
pixelpixi said:
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. (and sorry for being MIA). I did end up trying them and my nitrates are lower but I'm dealing with some cyano. I might think about setting up an algae scrubber or using chaeto instead. One issue I've always had with algal based solutions, though, is that once they become sufficiently effective the algae is then too deprived of nutrients and dies. Is there a solution to that?
Click to expand...
Algae scrubbers are cleaned weekly, so will grow fast/slow according to nitrates. No issue with die-off.
However, algae scrubbers are great at Nitrates, not phosphates. They help, but no miracle cure there.
Big GFO reactor...
 
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