Bio pellet help! (1 Viewer)

[amarin]

I'm don't consider myself new to this beautiful hobby, I think! But after having my system running for almost two years now, I decided to start running a biopellet reactor. But what I don't understand is that I started five days ago, and everything seem fine. But now I'm on the sixth day and all my coral seem to be really unhappy. I'm afraid that with my goal of lowering nitrates and phosphates levels, my system could crash!!!!! 90 gal, ph 8.4, salinity 1.025, phosphates 2.0, nitrites 0, nitrates 20, ammonia is 0.

 

[Diesel]

You sure you Phos are 2.0 and your nitrattes are 20??
On another note bio pellets can be really tricky and yes you can crash your system easily.

 

[steveb]

What is your alk? How long has your phosphate been at 2?

you are feeding the output of the reactor to a skimmer?

 

[Loverboy19]

How much bio pellets are you using? I used quarter of the recommended dosage for first 4 weeks and gradually add little by little every two weeks. Bio pellets are tricky and if you are not careful with them you can crash the system pretty quick.

On the other hand if your PO4 is really 2.0 and your NO3 is 20, your tank is in trouble. I never let my tank PO4 above 0.05 and nitrates above 5ppm.

 

[MontroseReef]

if something is not looking right, take it offline before its too late. I used to have a jungle looking tank until I started running bio-pellets. Some have luck with it, just not me.

 

[amarin]

My phosphates are 2.0 and nitrates are at 20. These levels have been this way for only a few months now, but is the main cause of why my coral and fish are not growing. So I think! I started with half of the reccomended dose of biopellets, and the output is on the the skimmer inlet.

 

[Loverboy19]

If your PO4 and NO3 has been high for few months, that is the reason why the corals are not happy? When the last time you change the water of your tank?

 

[amarin]

I change my water once a week, and use nothing but ro water. And my coral were happy as can be, the reason I started to run the pellets was because of the levels. Not because of my coral.

 

[Diesel]

I would recheck your phos and nitrate with a different brand tester than you using right now.
2.0 and 20 are really high.
Oh one more thing ditch the bio-pellet reactor.
Go old school gfo and a good skimmer + WC.