GFO vs BIOPELLETS

Mike Arnold · Jul 15, 2016

I'm thinking about modifying my BRS GFO Reactor on my 75 gallon tank with 36 gallon sump, and replacing the GFO with Bio Pellets.

My tank has been established for 7 months and the GFO seems to be doing its job; hanna phosphate checker measures p04 at 0.0

I'm just looking to reduce cost and maintenance. Can someone help me to understand better if there are any additional benefits for going with bio pellets? Will it do as good as or better job than GFO, or are we talking apples and oranges?

It is my understanding that GFO is better at reducing phosphates than nitrates; will bio pellets be more efficient at reducing both phosphates and nitrates?

scfurse77 · Jul 15, 2016

I'll be following this post as i am interested in the same thing. From the little reading I've done on this subject it seems like GFO is strictly used for phosphates and Bio Pellets are leaned more towards Nitrates. Seems like most people run both.

jsker · Jul 15, 2016

Unless you nitrates are high I would leave it alone right now. You do need a little Po4's in the system between 2-3 ppm to grow corals and 3 to 5 ppm on nitrates. I run aquaforest phosphate minus which is less then most GFO's and I still run a small amount of bio pellets. I feed heavy, and I was running into a lot of green hair algae so I decided to run the bio pellets instead of carbon. What I have read most still run GFO with the bio pellets. I have been running the pellets for about a month now and like the results. My green hair algae is almost non existent.

As far as expense the pellets I use were $70 for a liter and have to be replenished with the pellets dissipate.

redfishbluefish · Jul 15, 2016

GFO does nothing for nitrates. Biopellets are actually a food for bacteria, and the bacteria, in the process of growing and multiplying, consume both nitrates and phosphates.....somewhere in the Redfield ratio...but that could be argued. As they overly multiply, they get sloughed off the pellets and picked by your skimmer....so the N and P are now exported from your system. I never did a cost comparison, but I just paid 160 smackaroos at BRS for a gallon of pellets.

scfurse77 · Jul 15, 2016

redfishbluefish said:
GFO does nothing for nitrates. Biopellets are actually a food for bacteria, and the bacteria, in the process of growing a multiplying, consume both nitrates and phosphates.....somewhere in the Redfield ratio...but that could be argued. As they overly multiply, they get sloughed off the pellets and picked by your skimmer....so the N and P are now exported from your system. I never did a cost comparison, but I just paid 160 smackaroos at BRS for a gallon of pellets.

So are you running BP, GFO and carbon? anything else?

redfishbluefish · Jul 15, 2016

I run biopellets and carbon.....no GFO. Use to before the biopellets, but not any more.

scfurse77 · Jul 15, 2016

redfishbluefish said:
I run biopellets and carbon.....no GFO. Use to before the biopellets, but not any more.

So when you switched to BP from GFO did you just do a straight swap. Or did you keep the GFO in your tank for awhile to let your tank adjust? Also did you dose any bacteria boosters or anything like ZEObak?

Breakthecycle2 · Jul 15, 2016

I run biopellets and ROWAPHOS

Mike Arnold · Jul 15, 2016

I'm currently running about 2 cups of ROX 0.8 in a bag in my sump, I'm thinking about replacing the GFO in the reactor with the carbon and then adding the BRS Bio Pellet reactor slightly modified to support 2 cups of pellets.

The bacteria created by the pellets should take care of both nitrates and phosphates; I don't currently have a problem with either, but I just want to get a head start.

thoughts?

thanks for all the help so far

Orly20 · Mar 2, 2017

Any updates?

Hemlawk · Mar 2, 2017

I'm new so I don't know if I need anything for my nano 20g, but I bought Seachem Matrix. It was recommended by another nano reefer. I'm not sure if that stuff is considered either. I'm just afraid to get green algae and other undesirables ...

wkscott · Mar 2, 2017

Hemlawk said:
I'm new so I don't know if I need anything for my nano 20g, but I bought Seachem Matrix. It was recommended by another nano reefer. I'm not sure if that stuff is considered either. I'm just afraid to get green algae and other undesirables ...

Matrix isn't either. The inert granules allow for a large area for bacterial colonization. With low flow of water through it, your nitrate levels should diminish.

Hemlawk · Mar 2, 2017

wkscott said:
Matrix isn't either. The inert granules allow for a large area for bacterial colonization. With low flow of water through it, your nitrate levels should diminish.

Thanks bud. That explains a lot. Question, should I run the Matrix and a media?

wkscott · Mar 2, 2017

Hemlawk said:
Thanks bud. That explains a lot. Question, should I run the Matrix and a media?

I have 4 liters of Matrix AND I use biopellets. But this is in a 90g tank. In a 20g, regular larger water changes should be able to keep the nitrates down.