Bi Pellet Reactor... questions...

Ive been reading alot about biopellets lately, and Im thinking about getting a BP reactor in the near future. Ive read alot of horror stories about tank crashes and the BPs stripping tanks too fast etc etc. Is it not possible to run the reactor on a schedule to keep it from completely stripping the tank of nutrients? Maybe run it every other day? Or 3 days on, 3 days off? A very small amount of pellets just to keep nitrates in check instead of at zero? I want to try these, but dont want to spend the nig money on one of the reactors with the adjustable outflow. Has anyone tried just running it a few days a week? Or every other day?

 

I've never run mine yet, but from what I've read, I think that would cause the pellets to lump up or stick together, so I doubt it would work, but I'd wait for a pro that uses one to chime in about that. I think your best route of control would be to just add a very small amount.

 

yeah, i thought about the clumping, but it could just be moved to a 5 gallon bucket of sw and keep it moving. But not sure if the bacteria would live seeing as there isnt any nitrates to consume. OR im about to have 2 setups. Maybe run it for a week on one setup, then move it to the other for a week. Back and forth? Would be kind of pain, but would beat the crap out of weekly or bi weekly water changes IMO.

hoping someone has already tried running it at intervals.

 

You can run them 24 7 safely. Just add alittle bit more pellets every week.start with a small amount maybe 1/8th of what is recomended and add 1/8th every week or every other week.they shouldn't replace water changes though.they do help majorly with njtrient issues.as fasr as switching them on and off I don't recomend it for 2 reasons,clumping is one the other is the bacteria can go anaerobic and will do way more harm then good.switchingthem between 2 tanks may work if they have similar bioloads and filtration.but ur best bet is to do it like I said before

 

I advise reading the ecobak 3 reef thread jon warner had a lot of great advice. He is really helpful I believe a lot of the horror stories and problems come from reefer errors and not as much pellets, either adding the to fast to a mature tank, not a big enough skimmer, and things of that nature. Pure speculation but I have spent a lot of time reading about them and how people have used them and the equipment. So read up ask questions search multiple threads and get a quality reactor, I am using them and I will try to keep an update on them only time will tell. Good luck man