Bio pellets

[Salty Cracker]

Just curious...

Ive got a vertex chamber running bio pellets for about a year now.  I had assumed that they would be 'used up' as bacteria used them as food, but they're still look the same as the day I added them.  Are they supposed to be just swapped out, left as is... ??

 

[Darryl_V]

Leave them ...the bacteria uses them as needed.  The have most likely gotten smaller but you just dont notice.  Keep an eye on the volume and add more when needed.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Okay, good to know, info on them is a little sketchy on the net, not really clear on how 'quick' they should be used up. 

 

[teebone110]

Okay, good to know, info on them is a little sketchy on the net, not really clear on how 'quick' they should be used up.

Hey Salty,

How's ur tank looking these days? Maybe you should post some pics.. it's gotta be time for an SPS growth update?

 

[Blob-79]

the fact they are lasting so long is a testament to the setup you have. they are obviously not tumbling too fast. keep in mind if your running other products like gfo(i know you love gfo)..the pellets have less work to do, therefore lasting longer

 

[Salty Cracker]

I do love my GFO. Funny story, when I switched from hi-cap to regular GFO, I experienced another bloom of dinos.  Nowhere near as bad, but it was definitely directly related. 

I should post some updates some time.  I had an urchin that had a nasty coral-killing mushroom growing on its back...burned a couple of holes in some lps before I figured out what was going on.  Other than that, no losses at all, in fact have brought a couple of totally browned out frags back to life.  Still not getting the colour some guys are getting, I do wonder if the spectrum on the LED's is not -quite- perfected yet, but growth is crazy.  I don't run air con in the daytime anymore, so there would be no way I could go back to MH... so it's a bit of a catch 22. 

 

[spyd]

I don't run air con in the daytime anymore, so there would be no way I could go back to MH... so it's a bit of a catch 22.

There's all ways T5 fixtures with built in fans. They run quite cool. Not as cool as an LED fixture but you can get some great colour from them.

 

[spyd]

I'm going to hijack the thread a little.... I am starting up my 180G tank soon. I am going to be running bio-pellets. I was just wondering what quantity I should start at with them? If my tank was running and had some livestock, I would start off with a small amount and slowly add more, however, this is a fresh tank with nothing in it. Should I just fill it up using 500ml / 100G or less?

 

[Darryl_V]

....load it up, it cant hurt anything.

I even used the full amount at once when starting mine.....no problem at all because NO3 and PO4 where pretty low already when I added them.

 

[pulpfiction1]

i agree,new setup,let it cycle with he tank,full load

 

[Salty Cracker]

A few shots of the tank.  Not sure it's because of the bio pellets, but it's growing well. 

Photos done with the daylight lights and the actinics on full. 

 

[pulpfiction1]

looks like a happy tank salty

 

[Salty Cracker]

Thanks, it's 99.9% "leave it alone" now.  I rarely even pick up corals that are knocked over.  The torch went over about a month ago, and is bigger than ever.  Frags that hit the substrate seem to encrust out faster than being on just a plug.  I only intervene when the paly's start taking over an area (I cover them with a sheet of putty).  clownfish started spawning about 2 weeks ago, or maybe sooner, just noticed at night by accident. 

dosing 2 part, plus adding in a bit of strontium and some seachem phyto once in a while. Otherwise direct feeding once or twice a week with some frozen shrimp.  I have to fight the monster brittle star off the corals when I feed, but otherwise it's easy pleasy.  Carbon, GFO and bio pellets run constantly, with gfo and carbon swapped out monthly. 

 

[teebone110]

Looking good man! 8)

 

[unibob]

Bio pellets

Looks awesome man! That red digitata I got from you is doing awesome. Same with the hairy mushroom. Palys haven't done anything yet but i think that's because snail keeps knocking the plug off rocks

 

[Salty Cracker]

Re: Bio pellets

Looks awesome man! That red digitata I got from you is doing awesome. Same with the hairy mushroom. Palys haven't done anything yet but i think that's because snail keeps knocking the plug off rocks

sweet jesus, the paly's are bullet proof.  I have a nice round rock with them you can have for free if you'd like.  No word of a lie I struggle to kill these things off (toxic), but I keep them because they look so cool in the actinics.  Honestly, once they take off, they TAKE OFF.  I'd rather that they stayed 'as is'.  I have a few of those hairy mushrooms plunked down in the midst of the paly's to see if they can compete. 

If the digi is doing well, you're doing okay.  I think a lot of guys here have had great luck with it, who knows it might all be from the same colony. 

 

[Darryl_V]

mine maybe?  I have fragged it quite a bit and it grows fast.....looks the same anyway.

 

[Salty Cracker]

mine maybe?  I have fragged it quite a bit and it grows fast.....looks the same anyway.

Probably, my favourite pieces came from you. Took forever to get the meteor shower in a place it was happy, but finally showing good growth.  Doesn't like much light at all. 

 

[teebone110]

here is a frag of the red digi, from the same colony about 6months ago.

I've had to cut it back about 3-4 times already

 

[Salty Cracker]

Yeah I've had to take a couple of branches and start them someplace else, since I see an impending war between the star polyps and the monti.  I've tried to keep them separate with putty strips, but both species grow like weeds!