Biopellets or GFO?

I plan to use EcoBak on my system sometime this year. Iv heard nothing but great things with them. I plan to add very small amounts every 3-4 week until I reach MY desired nutrient reduction levels.

Last thing you want to do is go overboard and strip your tank too quickly of nutrients.

 

Study's are suggesting that dosing bacteria may not be as beneficial as the bacteria that already exists in out tank. Reason is that bacteria mutates very fast and those new mutations will be better at competing for the nutrients in your tank than any that you would dose. Not quite sure what to believe but it definitely makes sense to me.

If it helps I did not dose any bacteria to seed mine. I just don't see how it is necessary considering how fast Bacteria replicates.

 

Never read that before. Would love a link if you have one.
Having ran a Zeovit system for 5 years and dosing bacteria daily I never had a negative impact but again I'd love to get more information

Thanks
J

 

I'd like a look at the study, sounds interesting. I'm sure Dr. Tim's, for instance, is also mutating away while beng produced, so I'm curious if they mean the bacteria is mutating or selectively breeding its way into compatibility with each tank.

I expect though that constant additions from outside would still be beneficial in keeping the populations diverse as long as you don't add something harmful.

 

Check out the official Ecobak thread on this site. Along with the fact that it works well, that thread explains why many of us use only Ecobak.

 

You shouldn't need to add bacteria in an established tank, in order to "seed" the tank. There is tons of diversity already in an established system, your just giving more food to the bacteria there already. Whether there is some other benefit ot adding bacteria, i don't know, depends whats really in the bottle.

As far as P goes bacteria take up N and P in roughly a 10:1 ratio, for biomass. so, you will reduce N 10x faster than P. Also, some bacteria use N in order to derive chemical energy. So, this ratio in practice will be much,much higher, in other words, it could be 50:1 or 100:1 etc... Depending on circumstances. So, BP is very limited in it's ability to reduce P, as N limitations would occur eventually, if working properly and if you push it far enough to really have any significant effect on P. GFO removes P, much more efficiently....

 

In most cases this isn't necessary. Many do it and believe it helps ensure that the right mix of bacteria is there. But it's not a necessity.

 

Adding bacteria to seed a new tank, or provide food for corals, or diversify the bacterial population etc... Is one thing. However if we are talking about seeding pellets, it is not needed, unless perhapse if your adding the pellets to a new, unestablished tank. Even then, I doubt it, all you should need to colonize pellets is common garden variety heterotrophic bacteria, which exists really everywhere... Usually those who use pellets intend to skim the bacteria out anyways. Someone may want to use them to feed corals, that is the idea behind zeo abd for that zeo might make more sense, as there is a mechanism to deliver the bacteria, via a zeo reactor.. But really depends what you want to accomplish.

 

This is a great thread. I searched everywhere prior to starting Biopellets in how to start them and found very little
I am in the process of starting a new tank so that is why I have decided to supplement with bac.

 

I agree. I'm wondering if bio pellets would be a better supplement for a fuge rather than GFO, seeing how it reduces N at a more efficient rate than P. So, ideally GFO, Pellets and GAC. That is if I wanted to lose the fuge, which I'm now sure I do.