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CHEMCHEF

PERMANOOB
Location
westbury ny
Rating - 100%
79   0   0
Well I decided that I had had enough with hair algae and cyano prblems. So I decided about 3 weeks ago to give bio pellets a go.
I figured. What is the worst that could happen?
So I don't know if this is the "worst" thing that could happpen. But to me it kinda sucks.
Here is the time line.
3.5 weeks ago. Added 130ml. bio pellets in a TLF reactor with sufficient flow to achieve a slow tumble.
First couple of days the water got slightly clearer. I thought to myself. Great so far.
About 7 days in. I notice my acans starting to look a little shrivled up.
10 days in I see first signs of STN/RTN on two SPS frags.
12 days in my light comes on and the all SPS starting to look a little washed out, colorwise.
Next day more tissue loss on sps.
That night. Took Bio Pellets offline,,, unplugged reactor and closed valve.
Two days later I decide it is time to resume Phos and carbon.
At this time I took the reactor off the tank and some thing smelled really,,Really,, REALLY,, BAD!!!
All I can say is the reactor water smelled like 10 cesspools were emptied onto my living room floor,,,,Hot Garbage,,,Dirty diaper filled with Indian food. Whatever you prefer. My wife and kids ran out of the house.
So I am back on Carbon and Phos and corals are not coming back too fast. Everything still looks pretty bad. Some SPS that were bright dark green are now , just north of grey (for example).
I have completely lost 4 SPS peices. 2 Acans,, another on its way out.
Orange monti went bald in 1 day.
By the way. ORA Green Birdsnest was the firt one to go. I noticed a little tissue loss and that was it. Bald the next day.
Blah Blah Blah.
The moral of the story here is. Sometimes it is better to just leave well enough,, Alone.
All params are good. I have been testing about every 3rd day since the problem.

Question is. What do I do now? I have done 3,, 5Gal. Water changes in the past 10 days. Wondering now if I should stop WC's for a while.
 
Last edited:
Location
Huntington
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
It sounds like there is something else at play here. Did you call the company and talk to them? There might have been a contaminated batch or something. That reaction doesn't sound right to me.

You can't test for everything and if the WCs are helping than I would continue with them for now and keep running carbon just to make sure that if there is some stray compound in there it will be removed.
 

Widdy

Moderator
Vendor
Rating - 100%
75   0   0
That night. Took Bio Pellets offline,,, unplugged reactor and closed valve.
Two days later I decide it is time to resume Phos and carbon.
At this time I took the reactor off the tank and some thing smelled really,,Really,, REALLY,, BAD!!!

In reading that, sounds like your turned off the reactor, left it idle for 2 days and then took it apart to get rid of it? If that's the case, the reactor went anoxic over those 2 days. Best of luck on your recovery...
 
R

reefmaniac

Guest
Rating - 100%
75   0   0
I lost a few SPS when I went with the pellets, Didn't lose any other corals, but my 3 Birdsnest went first as well. Never left the reactor sitting idle for any length of time.
 

jerl77

Advanced Reefer
Location
long island ny
Rating - 100%
100   0   0
I has really bad tnt when I ran them I read you have to keep your all low when running them so I said they are not in the real ocean so no more for me I dumbed them after losing 6 sps colonys.

Sent from my DROIDX using Reefs
 

NYreefNoob

Skimmer Freak
Location
poughquag, ny
Rating - 99.4%
168   1   0
jerl is carbon and phosban in the ocean also ?

some people say you need to run alk lower when running a ulns, but ive kept mine at 9 the whole time, whether is was sugar dosing,vodka, pellets
 

AlohaTropics

Advanced Reefer
Location
Long Island
Rating - 100%
48   0   0
Sorry to hear Chef. With the Biopellets, when using them on an established system, always start at 1/2 the dosage and slowly add more over the next few weeks. This creates much less of a shock to the chemistry of the system.

Also, even though it may have seemed to be tumbling okay in the TLF reactor, the flow and tumble changes very quickly over the course of a few days because the bacteria will start to clog. That is why we always recommend either the Vertex UF or the NextReef SMR1. These guys have very large ports for flow and do not get clogged. One of the biggest problems is once the TLF reactor gets a little clogged, you start to build up anaerobic bacteria that really messes things up.
 

NYreefNoob

Skimmer Freak
Location
poughquag, ny
Rating - 99.4%
168   1   0
One of the biggest problems is once the TLF reactor gets a little clogged, you start to build up anaerobic bacteria that really messes things up.
one of the biggest problems i have seen with the use of the pellets, if there is a 100 people that have issue's with the pellets 99 of them arent using the correct reactor
 
Location
Huntington
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
I haven't used the pellets yet myself and I wasn't aware of the potential clogging issue but it makes sense that that is where the issue is. This sounds a lot like using zeolite with a reactor (since they are essentially the same) so extra care should be taken when starting it's use in an established tank.

Of all the different medias for0 this type of filtration, I've heard the most positive feedback from the biopellets, so I wouldn't write them off just yet. Just let the tank recover for a little while then try again with a smaller volume of pellets.
 

NYreefNoob

Skimmer Freak
Location
poughquag, ny
Rating - 99.4%
168   1   0
think i have a few threads in reguards to the pellets and how i used them and what reactor, i also never suggest for people to use them, same as when i used vodka or sugar, i will take the time to explain what and how i am doing but i dont reccomend for others to use or try
 

jerl77

Advanced Reefer
Location
long island ny
Rating - 100%
100   0   0
Wow so no help? I
think i have a few threads in reguards to the pellets and how i used them and what reactor, i also never suggest for people to use them, same as when i used vodka or sugar, i will take the time to explain what and how i am doing but i dont reccomend for others to use or try



Sent from my DROIDX using Reefs
 

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