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Innovative Marine Aquariums

NPX Bioplastics


Jennite

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I decided to buy some Biopellets and run them in a IM reactor to help lower nitrates and phosphates. I haven't started to run them and would like to know If there are any tips on using them and if anyone else runs biopellets and what thoughts they have on making a difference. I do run a Tunze 9001 protein skimmer which I've read is a must. I plan on using half the dosage to start and slowly increasing the amount to what is suggested. Just would like to know everyone's thoughts: both successful and disaster experiences. Thanks.

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A year ago, I ran NPX bioplastics in an IM reactor with a SCA301 skimmer for a while. I ended up taking it off b/c it seemed to be starving everything in my tank except a green cyano that I was dealing with at the time. On the bright-side, it worked real well in dropping my nitrates.

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I also run the NPX with an IM reactor and Ghost skimmer. Be careful to use about half of what they recommend or they will clump at the top. My nitrates and phosphates are at zero and the glass stays really clean. I also run purigen and Chemi-pure elite which is overkill but the tank looks great.

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So should I use a little more than half to prevent clumpomg. I also run purigen and chemipure elite. I just want to diminish phosphates for my sps corals.

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I decided to buy some Biopellets and run them in a IM reactor to help lower nitrates and phosphates. I haven't started to run them and would like to know If there are any tips on using them and if anyone else runs biopellets and what thoughts they have on making a difference. I do run a Tunze 9001 protein skimmer which I've read is a must. I plan on using half the dosage to start and slowly increasing the amount to what is suggested. Just would like to know everyone's thoughts: both successful and disaster experiences. Thanks.

 

Howdy,

 

I'm going to reply based on my experience with bio pellets.

 

So bio pellets provide a carbon source that "eats" phosphate and nitrate at a fairly fixed ratio known as the Redfield ratio. It's aprox 16 nitrates for every 1 phosphate. This is why many people run into an issue with pellets.

 

Using magic numbers here for an example ...

 

your tank might create 5 nitrates for every 1 phosphate. In the beginning lets say you start with 15 nitrates in the tank. This is dependent on fish load, feeding, rocks leaching, old detritus buildup, etc. When biopellets finally kick in they will drop nitrate to 0 quickly and phosphate will drop as well, but not as far (16:1). Once Nitrates are at 0 the biopellets are now only processing the 5 nitrates the tank produces a day, which is far below the 16:1 ratio so your phosphates will start to rise. Worse yet, the tank will be pale and starved due to the lack of nitrate and rising phosphate problems.

 

There are a lot of ways to solve this. First, you may have a tank and bioload balance that is actually producing a natural ratio of Nitrate to Phosphate, in which case biopellets works quite well. You can actually dose nitrates (CaNO3, KNO3, ...) to artificially raise nitrates to allow the pellets to reduce Phosphates. This is what I do.

 

Of course while it's more rare, you might experience a drop of Phosphates to 0 and then have rising nitrates. If either is limited the other will rise.

 

Consider this info as you start the pellets and observe the results. If you allow nitrates to drop too low your tank MAY suffer, or it may look great if you're lucky enough to achieve a good balance. :)

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I just want to diminish phosphates for my sps corals.

As Mark correctly points out, a bio-pellet reactor might lower phosphate a bit, but it will primarily lower nitrate. If your focus is on phosphate, a GFO reactor might serve you better.

 

Your goal shouldn't be undetectable phosphate. You should monitor and control the phosphate level (I try to keep it around 0.03ppm). You'll need a decent phosphate test kit to detect levels this low.

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Howdy,

 

I'm going to reply based on my experience with bio pellets.

 

So bio pellets provide a carbon source that "eats" phosphate and nitrate at a fairly fixed ratio known as the Redfield ratio. It's aprox 16 nitrates for every 1 phosphate. This is why many people run into an issue with pellets.

 

Using magic numbers here for an example ...

 

your tank might create 5 nitrates for every 1 phosphate. In the beginning lets say you start with 15 nitrates in the tank. This is dependent on fish load, feeding, rocks leaching, old detritus buildup, etc. When biopellets finally kick in they will drop nitrate to 0 quickly and phosphate will drop as well, but not as far (16:1). Once Nitrates are at 0 the biopellets are now only processing the 5 nitrates the tank produces a day, which is far below the 16:1 ratio so your phosphates will start to rise. Worse yet, the tank will be pale and starved due to the lack of nitrate and rising phosphate problems.

 

There are a lot of ways to solve this. First, you may have a tank and bioload balance that is actually producing a natural ratio of Nitrate to Phosphate, in which case biopellets works quite well. You can actually dose nitrates (CaNO3, KNO3, ...) to artificially raise nitrates to allow the pellets to reduce Phosphates. This is what I do.

 

Of course while it's more rare, you might experience a drop of Phosphates to 0 and then have rising nitrates. If either is limited the other will rise.

 

Consider this info as you start the pellets and observe the results. If you allow nitrates to drop too low your tank MAY suffer, or it may look great if you're lucky enough to achieve a good balance. :)

 

Wow! That was some good detailed information. As I start to run the reactor I will place close attention while testing for phosphates and nitrates and sees what element goes up and which one goes down. Thanks for the simple to understand info.

 

As Mark correctly points out, a bio-pellet reactor might lower phosphate a bit, but it will primarily lower nitrate. If your focus is on phosphate, a GFO reactor might serve you better.

 

Your goal shouldn't be undetectable phosphate. You should monitor and control the phosphate level (I try to keep it around 0.03ppm). You'll need a decent phosphate test kit to detect levels this low.

I tried the BRS GFO in the IM reactor that I am going to use for the biopellets. I doubled the sponges on both bottom and top of reactor. Made sure media tumbled gently. I did this before I went to bed and I wake up early (construction job), so I didn't get to observe the reactor until I got home from work. The GFO was getting out of the reactor. I couldn't pin point if it was from the top or bottom and the GFO was being picked up ihto my return pump and then blown right into the display. So I pulled the plug on the damn thing. Right now I have some GFO in a media bag located in the second chamber of my InTank media basket. I actually ordered a Hanna Checker to test for phosphates so I should be getting an accurate reading by this weekend.

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