EcoBak

palvyre · Aug 7, 2012

If I decide to run a biopellet reactor, will connecting the reactor inline with my skimmer work out okay? I am running an external skimmer with a feed pump throttled back to about 500 gph. It goes through a 57-watt UV filter and then to the skimmer and back to the sump via a 2" drain. I was thinking of connecting the biopellet reactor in line before the UV filter.

palvyre · Aug 7, 2012

Also, not 100% sure I need it with the refuge in my sump, but wanting to try and improve my water quality in this tank as compared to my old 92 and be able to keep sps without nuisance algae problems. I like to have a bunch of fish and I feed a little heavy so ...

gmoney243 · Aug 7, 2012

I'm not sure why they say put the output into your skimmer. The pellets produce food for corals and other organisms. Just like any other carbon dosing which no one ever says dose into your skimmer area.

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Pappy · Aug 7, 2012

500 gph seems like a lot to got through a uv sterilizer...I was under the impression slower the better but not sure what the sterilizer recommends so sorry if I'm off base/off topic.

poolkeeper1 · Aug 7, 2012

gmoney243 said:
I'm not sure why they say put the output into your skimmer. The pellets produce food for corals and other organisms. Just like any other carbon dosing which no one ever says dose into your skimmer area.

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Not sure you got that correct Mike. The Reason the output of a Pellet reactor is directed towards the Skimmer intake is to keep as much of the byproducts of the pellets bacteria from entering the system.
Carbon dosing such as the addition of Vodka works in the whole system by providing a food source for bacteria that in turn consume byproducts of waste that eventually are removed by the skimmer. The pellets are designed to operate in a isolated area (reactor) and are not desired in the whole system, thus directing the flow from the reactor directly or close to the skimmer helps to keep it from the entire system. As far as providing food to coral or any thing else in the tank other than bacteria, I have not heard that ever mentioned before but could be wrong.
Having used both methods I think the reasoning for isolating the pellets in a reactor was to make the bacteria Dependant on nutrients in the water to keep them active. In other words when nutrients are high bacteria multiplies to keep up with demand and vice versa, This is IMO the advantage pellets have over Vodka or other carbon sources as with those there must be testing to determine how much to dose.

palvyre · Aug 7, 2012

Pappy said:
500 gph seems like a lot to got through a uv sterilizer...I was under the impression slower the better but not sure what the sterilizer recommends so sorry if I'm off base/off topic.

Depends on the power of the UV. I am running a 57 watt unit which is a beast.

http://www.aquaultraviolet.com/products/uvsterilizers/classic/57watt

I am running at half the manufacturers recommended flow rate for saltwater which should definitely be adequate.

palvyre · Aug 7, 2012

I had read that you should direct the output of a bio pellet reactor toward your skimmer, I just didn't know if that meant you could have it directly in line.

gmoney243 · Aug 7, 2012

I'm pretty sure that reef dynamics video explains about it being food. I could easily be wrong tho it happens every so often :banghead:

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poolkeeper1 · Aug 7, 2012

palvyre said:
I had read that you should direct the output of a bio pellet reactor toward your skimmer, I just didn't know if that meant you could have it directly in line.

Yes you can but some pump mfg Void the warranty if you do, Reason being it adds to buildup on the magnet on the impellar. It also messes with the tuning of some skimmers by doing so, I have directed it right into my skimmer with no adverse effects though.

Mike, I think RD was refeering to food for Bacteria in the Video, But it's been awhile since i viewed it.

Dowtish · Aug 7, 2012

I think that could work. You definitely would be decimating any and all bacteria coming off the pellets before they went into the system. But I honestly think that the reason people that run pellets all have amazing polyp extension on all their corals, especially SPS, is because of the bacteria that doesnt get skimmed out, and the corals are feeding on it. So, it would be interesting to see how your corals react to being that the water will be skimmed and zapped before going back into the DT.

palvyre · Aug 20, 2012

So I am getting a 2000 ml reactor from Atomic Reef with custom 3/4" inlet/outlet. Should I start out with the recommended cup/50 gallons of system volume or less? Also, anyone have experience with BRS pellets or am I better off going with EcoBAK?

SmyrnaReefer · Aug 20, 2012

start slow and add little by little...

Dowtish · Aug 20, 2012

Aquatic Critter carries EcoBak. I wouldnt use anything else. There are a lot of "pellets" on the market, but a lot of them are not pure.

here is a quote from Jon Warner:

Another interesting fact... the bio-polymer contained in ecoBAK ULNS Pellets is produced with a low temperature water extraction method. Competing products are produced using a Solvent based extraction method. For this reason, the bio-polymer in ecoBAK is pending FDA approval while the competing brands main ingredient can't be certified by the FDA.

People wonder why ecoBAK reviews are so much better than the reviews of the other brands...

I would start with 1/4 of the suggested amount and tumble slowly. wait 3 weeks and add another 1/4 and so on. Testing after 2 weeks, you should be able to watch your nitrates and phosphates drop.

palvyre · Aug 20, 2012

Since they will be inline with my skimmer I can't tumble too slowly, but I could dial it back a bit. Thanks for the advice, I'll pick up 500 mL to start and slowly ramp from there.

Dowtish · Aug 20, 2012

You DONT want to tumble to quickly. That is the worst thing you can do with bio pellets. Figure out a way to dial it back, or you could have issues. If you tumble too fast, you will have bacteria colonizing and feeding too much too fast, and it will strip your system so fast your corals will not appreciate it. Nothing good happens fast in this hobby. Even if it's wiping out nitrates and phosphates, if it happens too fast your corals wont like it.

palvyre · Aug 20, 2012

Reading Ecobak recommendations, looks like they only recommend 100 gph per liter of Ecobak. So thinking about putting this inline with my carbon/gfo reactor. Maybe I'll go through the reactor first and then through the second. I might pull the gfo out of the equation. May not need it with the Ecobak and fuge.