Video: Biopellets - What you need to know

[melev]

This week's video is up!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Great video!

 

[ReeferReefer]

Awesome to see you making videos again!

 

[melev]

Awesome to see you making videos again!

Who needs sleep anyway.

 

[ReeferReefer]

So I dont understand why you need to dose bacteria regularly when our tanks are full of denitrifying bacteria colonies in our tanks. Is the dosed bacteria different from the bacteria already existing in our aquariums? Is this dosing needed for other carbon sources as well?

 

[ReeferReefer]

Who needs sleep anyway.

Yeah, its obvious the work you put into these. Hopefully the videos help with your website traffic though! I would never have heard of you if I didnt start watching your youtube videos so at the very least its great marketing!

 

[melev]

So I dont understand why you need to dose bacteria regularly when our tanks are full of denitrifying bacteria colonies in our tanks. Is the dosed bacteria different from the bacteria already existing in our aquariums? Is this dosing needed for other carbon sources as well?

Biopellets need to be replenished with bacteria regularly. And the pellets themselves have to be topped off from time to time as they are depleted. That's simply how they work best.

Kind of like how we have pods in our reef, but we replenish pods with more from time to time. It upps the quantity. And adding bacteria can help avoid monocultures, I believe. Some biodiversity occurs because you have different bacterias ebbing and flowing in population size.

 

[melev]

Yeah, its obvious the work you put into these. Hopefully the videos help with your website traffic though! I would never have heard of you if I didnt start watching your youtube videos so at the very least its great marketing!

Nice to meet you, ReeferReefer. I've been publishing articles for nearly a decade. Ask any question in google and add melev to the end, and if I've addressed it, you'll find a link.

 

[ReeferReefer]

Nice to meet you, ReeferReefer. I've been publishing articles for nearly a decade. Ask any question in google and add melev to the end, and if I've addressed it, you'll find a link.

Thanks! I comment on your youtube videos but you are so popular over there its hard to get a minute lol. I have found your videos and website very helpful and am definitely considering getting a sump from you for next build. Keep up the good work, your tank is an inspiration!

 

[melev]

I try to reply to all comments. If I missed yours, I apologize.

 

[Coral Frenzy]

Great video Marc! Very informative.

 

[wangspeed]

I throw some skim mate into a cup with some old tank water to get new pellets going. Swirl when I remember, and then hey are ready to go in a few days. You can tell they are working because the skin mate odor is gone.

 

[rainmaker]

Great video I now know why my sand has been getting brown areas,going to try the biospheres and bacteria . Also liked your side sump so well I built one when I upgraded my sump.

 

[melev]

I throw some skim mate into a cup with some old tank water to get new pellets going. Swirl when I remember, and then hey are ready to go in a few days. You can tell they are working because the skin mate odor is gone.

What made you think to use waste? These aren't going through any kind of cycle. They are plastic media for bacteria to populate. I'd imagine the bacteria in Microbacter 7 isn't the same as the stuff growing in skimmate.

 

[wangspeed]

What made you think to use waste? These aren't going through any kind of cycle. They are plastic media for bacteria to populate. I'd imagine the bacteria in Microbacter 7 isn't the same as the stuff growing in skimmate.

The main goal is to soak the pellets. Getting them kickstarted with bacteria colonies is a plus. Waste that has N+P and pellets should get things going. Nitrifying bacteria is everywhere. Ask the scientists that try to keep them out of experiments

Many folks are successful without dosing added bacteria to BP. I personally did because I had leftover zeobak from my zeo days.

 

[melev]

Interesting.

 

[ParkPlace]

Great video! Your advice is always helpful.. Thanks for taking the time to help your fellow hobbyists.
I run a fish w/ invert system, so I feel it's very important to keep the nitrates low for the sake of the inverts.
I just wanted to share that I think sometimes we unnecessarily feel guilty for not doing things that we THINK we have to do because it's the current school of thought, even though our system may be running just fine. For example, I stopped using filter socks much to the dismay of my lfs. I now simply have a sponge filter to trap debri and it takes me about 3 mins to rinse it out in the hose once a week. I also haven't done a water change in over 9 months. My water parameters are perfect, my fish are happy, and I spend less time on maintenance. That's the goal right?

 

[ReeferReefer]

Is it worth it to run biopellets in a diy reactor? I have an extra tlf phosban 150 I could put some plastic sheets in. My main concern is that my skimmer isn't good enough to keep up with biopellets. Like you said in the video, it pulls out Tea not sludge.

 

[wangspeed]

The main goal is to soak the pellets. Getting them kickstarted with bacteria colonies is a plus. Waste that has N+P and pellets should get things going. Nitrifying bacteria is everywhere. Ask the scientists that try to keep them out of experiments

Many folks are successful without dosing added bacteria to BP. I personally did because I had leftover zeobak from my zeo days.

Oops. It's not nitrifying bacteria. Based on a quote from Dr Tim, it's likely some sort of bacillus bacteria. Which would be different from the nitrifying bacterias. Still though, it's found everywhere, whether we want it to be or not.

 

[jsker]

Very informative and filled in a few blanks