Bio Pellet Film?????

Chrisz · Apr 21, 2013

Any one out there using bio pellets get a nasty white film on their glass? I started my reactor back on February 2013 ever since then I have a thin white film on my glass that is very hard to get off the glass is this normal?

Tylermacdonald15 · Apr 21, 2013

I tried bio pellets for a while but could never get them to work, they always made problems. I tried 4 different reactors and none worked with the bio pellets. I switched to GFO and carbon and it keeps my water crystal clear. And if your tank isn't over stocked a water change every few weeks should keep the nitrates at close to zero.

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Chrisz · Apr 21, 2013

My Phosphate and nitrate keeps creeping up on me, I was running GFO and carbon prior to switching to the bio pellets. My GFO was getting exhausted too quickly, it was getting too expensive and a pain in the bottom to keep switching out the GFO in my reactor.

I am not sure what is causing my Phosphate and nitrate problem, I am thinking it is my rock work collecting detritus. My problems seem to have started about the time I cleaned out my sump, I removed all the aragonite and mess of hair allege out of the sump. Maybe it is my two Tangs eating and constantly pooping????

My Phosphate is at .08 and my nitrate is at .025, it seems to be staying there but I am doing 20 gallon water changes every week and my tank probably has 100 gallons of water in the system.

Anyway I am not sure what to do about the white film, I am not sure if it is coming from the bio pellets.

Tylermacdonald15 · Apr 21, 2013

Make sure your RoDi is working properly and make sure you don't over feed. I had phosphate problems and I figured out a lot of it was coming from the food. When feeding frozen make sure to strain the food before dumping it in. If you don't strain it all that milky cloudy water that comes from the food is just making nitrates and phosphates. I'm not sure about the white film in your glass. If it wasn't there before you started bio pellets I would say that's your problem.

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Chrisz · Apr 21, 2013

My TDS is reading 0 but it has been a year since the last filter change. I feed one cube of frozen strained food a day + 1/2 sheet of sea weed for the tangs is that too much?

Tylermacdonald15 · Apr 21, 2013

If it is reading 0 TDS you may want to check your tds meter. The Di resin might need changed. You are really the one that needs to judge how much to feed. Watch your fish when feeding and make sure there is little going into the rock work. If there is, cut back on the amount of food. And also make sure you have a good size clean up crew to clean up any scraps that do make it into the rocks. You might want to try the GFO again. Try using small amounts and changing it out daily. Eventually you will catch up with the phosphates and you will only need to change out the GFO every few weeks. I have a bulk reef supply GFO reactor and it is super easy to change out media.

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asmashling · Apr 23, 2013

the film comes from an over population of the bacteria - its the same principal like with vodka/vinegar. Reduce the amoun of pellets by 25% or maybe 50% that will solve the problem.

i am not from Fauna Marin but can tell you that Fauna Marins Pellet Reactor is working perfect - not just for me but for more then 100 people in germany.. NO3 will drop before PO4 will do.

http://www.faunamarin.de/en/technic/reaktoren/
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W01AFB6eUF0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W01AFB6eUF0

[/URL]

Chrisz · Apr 29, 2013

OK I think I found my phosphate problem, I tested my new batch of saltwater Nitrate 0.0 phosphate .08. All this time I have been dumping more phosphate in to my tank, so what filter do I replace in my r/o system to fix my Phosphate problem? Or do you think it is my Reef Crystals?

slapshot · Apr 29, 2013

Doubt it is the salt. I'd try testing your treat kit. Take a sample to a friend or LFS. I'm not sure r/o removes phosphates? That's a good question. Are you on city water? That seems high to even be drinking.

Eric B · Apr 29, 2013

You can also run the water out of the biopellet reactor into the skimmer intake and it solves the film issue you described as the skimmer removes it from water.

Chrisz · May 1, 2013

I have well water and I am running it through a RO system. I do have the skimmer intake running out to the skimmer, I may need to add an elbow to point it more directly into the skimmer. My skimmer has been skimming double what it was prior to adding the bio-pellets, I think it is working.

mike007 · May 1, 2013

I carbon dose my tank and i do get a white film on glass. Probaly caused by a algae bloom. That means that it is working. And yes overfeeding will cause algae problems. You have to figure out how much to feed to keep levels in check. Phosphates will also cause algae.

shellynjason · May 5, 2013

Chrisz said:
OK I think I found my phosphate problem, I tested my new batch of saltwater Nitrate 0.0 phosphate .08. All this time I have been dumping more phosphate in to my tank, so what filter do I replace in my r/o system to fix my Phosphate problem? Or do you think it is my Reef Crystals?

You can create a 5 gallon bucket of RO/DI water and test for p04 if it reads zero then mix in the salt and test again in a few hours. Then you will know if it is the ro water or the salt.

I bought two boxes of salt from a company and had zero po4 from my salt mixed water on the first box. Then this second box I noticed some film of stuff after 24 hours of the mix in the brute. I then tested my mix and had phospates, so I did the test I just mentioned and sure enough there is something wrong with my second batch of salt. I even did another test a week later using just a clean 5 gallon bucket so i could rule out the brute container, cleaned the powerhead and heater super good and still found p04 after a few hours in the salt mixed water. So it is not unheard of.