25 gallons of disaster

Like most things they are completely safe IMO when used correctly.

 

The manufacture does not state that the incorrect use of the product could result in the loss of livestock. That does not mean the product is not safe.

 

Im not a user of pellets, but I will be using them in the future. The main reason I didnt want to is because I wanted to see other reefers use them and the success or lack of that follows. If you look at gcarrol's tank its plain to see that they work for their intended purpose. Listen to his words whenever he posts. The veterans on this site know what they are talking about.

As for the tank the thread was started for, there are many changes to be made. However, keep in mind that all the criticism here is meant to beneficial. No one's tanks became beautiful overnight and lots of mistakes are made in most builds. If you are looking for help you came to the right place.

 

yes i will admit to user error. using them was my error. and not having an oxygen test kit and testing that regularly.

user error is very easy with pellets.

 

First thing's First......gcarrol is a Him?..... Dang, I clearly mistook that name....Sorry Bro......{second thing's second....That eel is making wayyyy too much poop in just 15 gallons of water.......Third thing and I'm done ranting, you seem to have a major liking to salt water tanks. With that said, I'd stop what I was doing and listen our moderators, as they have been entrusted, amongst all other great advisers here at 3reef, to keep us all on track. They have been doing this for a while, and have seen many well kept systems. You seem to be motivated, so I feel you'll make the right choices for the future of your tank. Personally, I think if the money is right, you should invest in something larger. In my opinion you'll be happier. GL

 

i find it funny how certain people choose to attack me for my opinion. and are not even mentioning the fact you should not use bio fuel with pellets, nor should you be using a phosphate remover till the nitrates are at 0 or at least near 0
which i believe the starter of this thread stated they were using

no one is also mentioning the depletion of certain elements in the tank that should be dosed while using pellets.

guess its more fun putting others down for their opinion and facts of what happened to them . but not really giving any info to help the thread starter.

goodnight gentlemen

 

I'm impressed at how conscientious you are in trying to get your tank healthy and running well. Many people offered lots of helpful advice and I hope you don't feel overwhelmed.

Maybe a short recap would help with all of this:

1. Get the water levels where they should be---more water dilutes bad stuff (ie: nitrates). Also, do you have chaeto in your sump (sorry if you said that earlier). Chaeto is an awesome macroalgae that absorbs nitrates and perhaps the best thing about it is, it's a natural way to clean up your water.

2. See if your LFS can take your eel. I apologize for missing that in my original response. I agree with the others that not only is it going to seriously outgrow your tank but it may well be one of the reasons your nitrates are so high. Algae and nitrates are the bane of reefing existence! You need to find out where the nitrates are coming from so you can aggressively tackle it---knock those darn things out and get your reading to zero.

3. Quit using all of the unnecessary additives. To reiterate, you sound like you're a very dedicated reefer which is why you're doing all of this. A lot of it though, well, you just don't need it so don't spend the money. I believe that sometimes we add so much stuff that the water chemistry is always out of whack. Supplement what is essential and stay away from some of the other stuff. The important things you need to focus on are
1) salinity (make sure you're topping off enough to keep it consistent), 2) ph,
3) temperature, 4) alkalinity, 5) calcium, 6) magnesium, 7) phosphates and 8) nitrates.

4. How is the flow in your tank? Is the water turbulent at the top and is water moving well throughout your tank?

5. Try to keep up a very disciplined maintenance of your system. Do solid 10% water changes every week. Ensure that your new water is well mixed, thoroughly aerated, and the temperature, salinity, and ph match the tank water.

6. I don't know enough about bio pellet reactors to say anything.

You're tank is going to be great! Just be patient and keep learning.

If I've forgotten something I'll return and edit.

 

There are a lot of good things that when used incorrectly can cause problems. It's why you have to research properly and thoroughly. Carbon also can do more harm than good if not changed enough, along with RO/DI filters. Sand beds that aren't stirred and are the wrong depth, adding dry or live rock can as well, etc.

 

@ Pink....

I wasn't attacking you or your methods, in fact, I felt you brought spot on insight to the problem. I see how what I wrote could be seen as so, but believe me, this poster needs all of our help, and I'm sorry if it looks as if I'm downing anyone, I did say "amongst all other great advisers here at 3reef" and that wasn't meant as an insult. Everyone who has posted so far has had an honest opinion. It's taken Samuel's tank about a year to get to this stage, and it's not going to be fixed over night.
Sorry P, I'll choose my words better next time.

 

+1 Very well put! Let's face it, this is a difficult hobby and it takes a lot of time to become knowledgeable. I remember learning that you can create new surfaces on carbon (reactivate parts of it) by putting the bag it's in, in between your hands and vigorously rubbing/rolling it back 'n forth.

But you're so right. Carbon only has so much life in it; TDS meters are your friend; sand beds are simply evil (j/k). It's just lots and lots of information and it takes time to understand it. And beware, even the most experienced people run into bad and/or mysterious problems.