biopellet question

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 12, 2014

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing!

Feltman · Dec 19, 2014

So after doing a bit more research I do have another question I feel you might be able to help with randy. In regards to recirculating biopellet reactors since u can turn the return down to almost nothing and still keep pellets moving do u run into other risks such as oxygen depletion inside the reactor since it's my understanding that the bacteria the pellets make can have an effect even if small on your tanks oxygen supply? Also is it possible this bacteria could actually run the risk of dieing before reaching the tank? Or am I reading this wrong? Also seeing as u can control the supply independently of internal reactor flow does this allow u to control the effects more closely to vodka and vinegar dosing and if not why not? Really trying to understand the true difference between pellets n vodka. What makes vodka easier to regulate? As far as I could tell before it was u needed the flow through the reactor to tumble the pellets so u couldn't turn them down. Does the recirculating design fix this issue or simply create others? Or am i completely misled on the entire concept?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 19, 2014

A recirculating design does allow some control, but not as much as soluble organic dosing.

More flow, for example, only helps if the nitrate is the limiting factor, rather than the pellet surface area. At the other extreme, too low if flow might risk hydrogen sulfide formation.

Feltman · Dec 19, 2014

Is there anyway to test monitor(possible orp) or watch for this?

eagle · Dec 19, 2014

I tried to experiment with the effluent and orp. At first I though it would work as my orp was lower coming out of the reactor. Now it seems to have leveled out and the orp out is the same as my tank water. I'm not sure what was going on. Maybe there was less oxygen available when the reactor was first put online and now that everything leveled out and nitrates are 0 it's not as depleted.

Feltman · Dec 19, 2014

I've been playing around with the idea of converting a calcium reactor to a biopellet reactor. So I would be able to put an orp probe in the pH probe spot if it would help.

eagle · Dec 19, 2014

Let me know how it goes

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 19, 2014

ORP is not a good way to control the flow, but would be a good way to prevent hydrogen sulfide formation.

eagle · Dec 19, 2014

Just from my experience with biopellets I'm not running as much gfo as I used too for sure. On a 75 gallon tank with a light load I'm mixing 2 parts GAC to 1 part GFO in my BRS reactor. I only run about 6 inches of media in it with the sponges. My phosphates stay 0 to .03. I have noticed that ORP "seems" to follow my organic load fairly well. When my ORP is around 420 my Hanna shows phosphates in the .03 to .05 range. When its in the 460-470 range I show 0 to .01 on Hanna. I've been trying to watch the trends in ORP and testing to see how accurate it may be. But like Randy has said ORP has a lot of different variables to it. It's probably good for showing if something has died in the tank but I'm not sure yet with the smaller fluctuations.