the official ECOBAK thread...

Hi, Jon.

I have a 29g reef tank with an 11g sump (holding 7 gallons of water). I currently do not have any livestock, other than the cuc ans a hermit crab. I run the Hydor slim skim protein skimmer (rated for 35g), which produces great skimmate. I purchased 500ml (I know I don't need nearly this much, but with shipping, it was cheaper than buying the smaller amount from a hobby retailer) of WM ULNS pellets off of Amazon. I plan to run 150-175ml of pellets in a diy reactor (300ml chamber), fed by my return pump. For future livestock, I will have a few small fish (probably 2 yellow stripe clingfish and 1 red stripe goby).

Is my skimmer sufficient to run WM pellets as a low-bioload mixed reef?

Is it ok to have the reactor running off the return pump? The return line with 'T' off, and the reactor will have its own line going back to the sump.

 

Well as with many things in this hobby, the benefits between a good solid skimmer and a better skimmer are probably minimal. You may consistently run .03 instead of .02ppm...

My skimmer recommendation is to find an energy efficient minimal footprint design with a pump that is well matched to the body and neck dimensions.

 

Hello,

I think you're fine. Run approx 100ml and see how it goes. If it's low bio-load the skimmer should still be able to keep up. But on second thought, that Hydor is decent for what it is... you should be fine! Let us know in a couple months!

 

Thanks!

How much should I start with? You said 100 to start?

 

I'd start with 100ml and add another 100ml in 2-3 weeks.

 

Awesome. Thanks for the help.

I jut need to purchase some Microbacter 7 (forgot to get it when I ordered the pellets).

 

Hey Jon,

I have been using ecobak pellets for over a year on my 90g, which was a 4 year mature tank. I did nothing special when I started using these, just slowly added over time. Now, I am about to upgrade to a 150g and will be using all new sand and rock. I will be starting with new pellets since I've taken mine offline during transition.

My question is do I have to do anything special when using pellets with a brand new system? Should I add MB7? How much pellets should I put in my reactor during cycling period?

 

i would be interested in this product also

 

Hi Jon,

I have been running EcoBak now on my 125 gal system since Feb of last year and have not had any issues and have been very pleased. Just the other day my pellets started to clump and stick together and then float to the top of my reactor. Now they are producing a ton of clear slime that is my sump and growing on the main display glass. Its is a lot of slime. I removed about 1 pound of it, litterly. Any ideas why this just started to happen?

Thanks, Rick

 

It sounds like you have a sudden influx of organic waste in your water. The pellets are responding to an increase in their food source. The rapid growth of bacteria on the pellets is the cause of the slime, etc. You should look for a dead fish or other source of organic waste.