BioPellet Reactor Help

[Ed Kaz]

I am installing a Reef Octopus BioChurn 120r Biopellet reactor. According to the instructions the output is to be placed at the input of the protein skimmer. I was thinking... is it possible (and has anyone done this) to add a "T"-fitting to the input of the protein skimmer and eliminate the need for a feed pump into the reactor to push water thru? So the the flow thru the reactor is provided by the suction of the input of the protein skimmer? And maybe to add a valve to control flow on output of reactor. The recommend flow thru the reactor is 270-530gph.The skimmer I have is a ETSS downdraft which is supplied by a Iwaki mag drive (WMD-40RLT).

The reason I am trying this is I cannot get my Sulphur reactor working (over 9 months watching this thing drip and testing not lowering any nitrates ever < Korallin S-series Sulphur BioDenitrator>) even trying to seed it with Microbacter 7? Nitrates consistent 95... Phosphates .1. (been dumping Phosphate- E @15ml a day to keep it at .1. Which is probably not good long term hence the biopellet reactor.

Also instructions state that one should NOT use a UV sterilizer or a Ozone generator. Is this true?

Thanks for any help

 

[blaxsun]

The consensus seems to be that there's no impact (at least for UV; not sure about ozone).

 

[Saltyanimals]

I am installing a Reef Octopus BioChurn 120r Biopellet reactor. According to the instructions the output is to be placed at the input of the protein skimmer. I was thinking... is it possible (and has anyone done this) to add a "T"-fitting to the input of the protein skimmer and eliminate the need for a feed pump into the reactor to push water thru? So the the flow thru the reactor is provided by the suction of the input of the protein skimmer? And maybe to add a valve to control flow on output of reactor. The recommend flow thru the reactor is 270-530gph.The skimmer I have is a ETSS downdraft which is supplied by a Iwaki mag drive (WMD-40RLT).

The reason I am trying this is I cannot get my Sulphur reactor working (over 9 months watching this thing drip and testing not lowering any nitrates ever < Korallin S-series Sulphur BioDenitrator>) even trying to seed it with Microbacter 7? Nitrates consistent 95... Phosphates .1. (been dumping Phosphate- E @15ml a day to keep it at .1. Which is probably not good long term hence the biopellet reactor.

Also instructions state that one should NOT use a UV sterilizer or a Ozone generator. Is this true?

Thanks for any help

Interesting thought. You likely may not have enough suction force to tumble the biopellets if you're relying on the suction from the skimmer solely to draw from reactor into skimmer. I learned that good healthy tumble from a MJ1200 pushing into the reactor may eventually clump up where I need to physically breakup. Less forceful drawing force may be much less thus clump more quickly.

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

I don't think the suction force would be enough. I do know that some people with recirculating skimmers use 1 pump to go through the reactor and feed the skimmer.

On another note. I would love to see and ETSS still kicking. That is one awesome old-school skimmer.

 

[Ed Kaz]

Interesting thought. You likely may not have enough suction force to tumble the biopellets if you're relying on the suction from the skimmer solely to draw from reactor into skimmer. I learned that good healthy tumble from a MJ1200 pushing into the reactor may eventually clump up where I need to physically breakup. Less forceful drawing force may be much less thus clump more quickly.

Thanks for the reply...

The Reef Octopus BioChurn 120r Biopellet reactor has a re-circulating pump just to tumble the pellets. A separate pump is needed to supply output flow to/from reactor... "This reactor would require a feed pump to supply aquarium water to the reactor. They recommend a pump between 270 and 530gph. The sicce syncra silent 2.0 would be a good choice as its up to 568gph and has an adjustable inlet on the pump to adjust the flow." Since I have a downdraft protein skimmer I thought this would be a good idea to keep the output of the reactor feeding the in-feed of the skimmer?

 

[Saltyanimals]

Thanks for the reply...

The Reef Octopus BioChurn 120r Biopellet reactor has a re-circulating pump just to tumble the pellets. A separate pump is needed to supply output flow to/from reactor... "This reactor would require a feed pump to supply aquarium water to the reactor. They recommend a pump between 270 and 530gph. The sicce syncra silent 2.0 would be a good choice as its up to 568gph and has an adjustable inlet on the pump to adjust the flow." Since I have a downdraft protein skimmer I thought this would be a good idea to keep the output of the reactor feeding the in-feed of the skimmer?

I think you might be on to something due to the internal recycling pump. My call out earlier was clumping, but you can unclog by giving it a blast with the internal recirculating pump. Pro tip that I just picked up recently from another reefer here: Put a mini glass cleaner inside the reactor and use that to break up chunks. =) May not be an issue if you can blast it.

The suction drawing force may be just enough to get the mulm out of the reactor and safely into your skimmer. Since there is a reactor flow to tank pH correlation, a slower reactor exit may help mitigate tank pH impact as well. Winner winner chicken dinner.

I would be curious to see your pH charts before the reactor.. and 2 months after the pellets mature and is working 100%. I got a huge pH tax. =(

 

[JJT]

I am installing a Reef Octopus BioChurn 120r Biopellet reactor. According to the instructions the output is to be placed at the input of the protein skimmer. I was thinking... is it possible (and has anyone done this) to add a "T"-fitting to the input of the protein skimmer and eliminate the need for a feed pump into the reactor to push water thru? So the the flow thru the reactor is provided by the suction of the input of the protein skimmer? And maybe to add a valve to control flow on output of reactor. The recommend flow thru the reactor is 270-530gph.The skimmer I have is a ETSS downdraft which is supplied by a Iwaki mag drive (WMD-40RLT).

The reason I am trying this is I cannot get my Sulphur reactor working (over 9 months watching this thing drip and testing not lowering any nitrates ever < Korallin S-series Sulphur BioDenitrator>) even trying to seed it with Microbacter 7? Nitrates consistent 95... Phosphates .1. (been dumping Phosphate- E @15ml a day to keep it at .1. Which is probably not good long term hence the biopellet reactor.

Also instructions state that one should NOT use a UV sterilizer or a Ozone generator. Is this true?

Thanks for any help

Better yet, get a Lifereef venturi protein skimmer. I've been making these since 1993. When needle-wheel skimmers came out about 1998 I felt they were not as good as a true venturi, and I was right. Nitrate levels went up, so that sells you all the bio-pellet reactors and other nitrate reduction methods and costs. When the venturi skimmer era was going good there were very few nitrate issues. So much so that I discontinued making the Lifereef batch denitrifier. Many hobbyists that switched to needle-wheels went back to venturis because they immediately noticed the problems:
1. Difficult to adjust for a nice dry foam, or wet foam, you had a choice. Needle-wheels produce a more wet foam and more difficult to adjust because the foam has the same consistency top-to-bottom.
2. More solids buildup in the skimmer body, not a problem with true venturis.
3. Nitrate levels went up, it was a know fact that venturi skimmers reduced nitrates.
4. Have to take a needle-wheel skimmer apart to clean out the sludge, not so in a venturi skimmer.
5. Have to take the needle-wheel pump apart constantly to remove small particulates that get jammed in the pins, rods, mesh, twigs, whatever. Not so with standard water pumps.
6. More copepod/shrimp destruction since needle-wheel pumps shred air and also anything too large to pass through the maze of rods or pins or mesh.
You don't hear much about the true venturi skimmers and the problems that needle-wheels have compared to them because there are very few that make venturi skimmers. The old-timers that used to use a venturi skimmer and know what they could do rarely use a needle-wheel when they come back into the hobby.

 

[Ed Kaz]

Better yet, get a Lifereef venturi protein skimmer. I've been making these since 1993. When needle-wheel skimmers came out about 1998 I felt they were not as good as a true venturi, and I was right. Nitrate levels went up, so that sells you all the bio-pellet reactors and other nitrate reduction methods and costs. When the venturi skimmer era was going good there were very few nitrate issues. So much so that I discontinued making the Lifereef batch denitrifier. Many hobbyists that switched to needle-wheels went back to venturis because they immediately noticed the problems:
1. Difficult to adjust for a nice dry foam, or wet foam, you had a choice. Needle-wheels produce a more wet foam and more difficult to adjust because the foam has the same consistency top-to-bottom.
2. More solids buildup in the skimmer body, not a problem with true venturis.
3. Nitrate levels went up, it was a know fact that venturi skimmers reduced nitrates.
4. Have to take a needle-wheel skimmer apart to clean out the sludge, not so in a venturi skimmer.
5. Have to take the needle-wheel pump apart constantly to remove small particulates that get jammed in the pins, rods, mesh, twigs, whatever. Not so with standard water pumps.
6. More copepod/shrimp destruction since needle-wheel pumps shred air and also anything too large to pass through the maze of rods or pins or mesh.
You don't hear much about the true venturi skimmers and the problems that needle-wheels have compared to them because there are very few that make venturi skimmers. The old-timers that used to use a venturi skimmer and know what they could do rarely use a needle-wheel when they come back into the hobby.

The skimmer I have is a ETSS downdraft... Why would I change this out???

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

For better explanation and videos check out Reef Dynamics and there re circulating bio pellet reactor and what they did with coupling it to a skimmer.

Bio Pellets, LA Fishguys Episode 107 pt 2

 

[Ed Kaz]

For better explanation and videos check out Reef Dynamics and there re circulating bio pellet reactor and what they did with coupling it to a skimmer.

Bio Pellets, LA Fishguys Episode 107 pt 2

I will check it out...Thanks

 

[Saltyanimals]

For better explanation and videos check out Reef Dynamics and there re circulating bio pellet reactor and what they did with coupling it to a skimmer.

Bio Pellets, LA Fishguys Episode 107 pt 2

Man that was a blast from the past. I remember seeing that video many years ago. Video production has come a long way since recording a video from your breakfast table in a tank top. lol. Content is still relevant which is key.

@Ed Kaz Did you ever get your BPs going to report back on your pH impact? I can now tell that my biopellet may be clogging up when I see a jump in pH. That shows how much my tank pH is impacted by the pellets. I hit 8.15 ph for the first time yesterday (8.05 is my normal high) and sure enough the pellets still had flow through it, but not much tumbling going on. I blasted mine to clear up and now I'll expect some fluctuations over the next couple days while it settles back down to the normal range.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

The skimmer I have is a ETSS downdraft... Why would I change this out???

which model is it. Iwaki 40 might not be enough pump. I run 2 iwaki 70s on mine. I modified my etss1100 to a dual Beckett and it performs better and is easier to dial in. But I also have mostly beckett mrc , I agree never nitrate issues with tall venturis. I’ve got a shorter life reef too and have used their 6 footer. Jeff makes excellent skimmers for sure

 

[Ed Kaz]

Man that was a blast from the past. I remember seeing that video many years ago. Video production has come a long way since recording a video from your breakfast table in a tank top. lol. Content is still relevant which is key.

@Ed Kaz Did you ever get your BPs going to report back on your pH impact? I can now tell that my biopellet may be clogging up when I see a jump in pH. That shows how much my tank pH is impacted by the pellets. I hit 8.15 ph for the first time yesterday (8.05 is my normal high) and sure enough the pellets still had flow through it, but not much tumbling going on. I blasted mine to clear up and now I'll expect some fluctuations over the next couple days while it settles back down to the normal range.

I never got a chance to hook it up...(was away with work) Going to try to get time next week... Also is it true that the output from the biopellet reactor deposits a film over everything in the tank?

 

[Ed Kaz]

which model is it. Iwaki 40 might not be enough pump. I run 2 iwaki 70s on mine. I modified my etss1100 to a dual Beckett and it performs better and is easier to dial in. But I also have mostly beckett mrc , I agree never nitrate issues with tall venturis. I’ve got a shorter life reef too and have used their 6 footer. Jeff makes excellent skimmers for sure

ETSS 600 XR Skimmer
Specifications Dimensions: 7 inches long x 10 inches wide x 24 inches tall Capacity: 100 to 300 gallons Recommended Pumps: Iwaki 40 or 55 RLT-Max, Blue Line 40 or 55 HD or similar Flow rate

 

[Saltyanimals]

I never got a chance to hook it up...(was away with work) Going to try to get time next week... Also is it true that the output from the biopellet reactor deposits a film over everything in the tank?

I'm only about 6 months in and I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. I did read about some folks experience this years back, but wasn't anything that I saw was concrete. Similarly some of those read any kind of carbon dosing could have a similar biofilm bacteria impact.

My BP effluent is directed towards the slimmer intake area, however I haven't gone beyond this and plumbed it directly to the skimmer intake as some folks have done. I speculate any major risk of this deposit all over the tank would be significantly reduced if one were to plumb it directly to the skimmer intake. i.e. It would be cleaned out whenever you have a major cleaning session of the skimmer. I try and do a deep citric acid soak and clean of my skimmer once a year. The BP in this regard might even be better since you can direct it to a cleanable device vs a broadcast over your tank.

So far my BP journey has been successful in maintaining my NO3 in a heavily stocked tank. The biggest draw back is the pH tax, but I might be there anyways with vinegar or NoPOX (special vinegar). I noticed the biggest control for this BP pH tax is the flow out of the reactor. More effluent flow = more pH tax. I got a whole 0.1 pH bump which is big when you consider the logarithmic pH scale when my effluent was not tumbling well.

This is why I asked for your experience to see if it aligns with my own.

 

[Ed Kaz]

I'm only about 6 months in and I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. I did read about some folks experience this years back, but wasn't anything that I saw was concrete. Similarly some of those read any kind of carbon dosing could have a similar biofilm bacteria impact.

My BP effluent is directed towards the slimmer intake area, however I haven't gone beyond this and plumbed it directly to the skimmer intake as some folks have done. I speculate any major risk of this deposit all over the tank would be significantly reduced if one were to plumb it directly to the skimmer intake. i.e. It would be cleaned out whenever you have a major cleaning session of the skimmer. I try and do a deep citric acid soak and clean of my skimmer once a year. The BP in this regard might even be better since you can direct it to a cleanable device vs a broadcast over your tank.

So far my BP journey has been successful in maintaining my NO3 in a heavily stocked tank. The biggest draw back is the pH tax, but I might be there anyways with vinegar or NoPOX (special vinegar). I noticed the biggest control for this BP pH tax is the flow out of the reactor. More effluent flow = more pH tax. I got a whole 0.1 pH bump which is big when you consider the logarithmic pH scale when my effluent was not tumbling well.

This is why I asked for your experience to see if it aligns with my own.

Thanks for the info... I am currently running a Korallin sulphur BioDenitrator for over a year which does very little to nothing! My nitrates are a consistent 85 and reactor putting out 75 no matter how slow I adjust drip rate. That is why I decided to switch over to a biopellet reactor. Also can't raise my PH higher than 7.8? Did the co2 test with outside air ... no change in PH (was thinking of a co2 scrubber) Tried a Kalk reactor BUT I can not run It because my Alk was around 12 (PH was 8.1) and of course the kalk raises it so I shut it down. I am unable to find out why my Alk is so high (currently running around 11dkh,Cal 480, Mag 1380, Phos .1 <dosing Phos-E 10ml every 2 day> and nitrates 85. Salt = instant ocean) and Alk does not drop not dosing anything?