running bio pellets

G

Gilbert

Member
Hi everyone. So i decided to run bio pellets in a cpr mini reactor. But I've been reading a lot about were your parameters need to be when running bio pellets. Some say that higher alk will burn sps tips and others say that they have run bio pellets with success even tough alk is at 8 or higher. Other just prefer running at natural sea level.
As low as 7. What do you guys feel is right? And what salt are you using?
 
I would check out/post in the biopellet method thread. But I have always run my alk between 8.5 and 9.5 with biopellets with no issues. The general recommendation is ~7 though. Every tank is different.

I use instant ocean and salinity salt (depending on whether I get water from aquapros or new fish) or crystal seas on the rare occasion I make it myself. The real key to BP on my opinion is to add them slooooowly. Like 1/4 of the amount at a time monthly until you reach te level you need. That and use amino acids or feed heavily to keep enough nutrients in the water for coral to be happy.
 
I Started with 1/3 of a cup for a 55g. That frag i got from you is doing great Ted, the base is changing color from brown to purple. Beginning to look like a bonsai.
 
I've been on pellets for about a year. I shoot for high sevens, low eights for my alk. Other than that, I run about a cup and a half of pellets for 275 or so gallons of water.
 
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That may be a little much to start with. I keep my alk under 8 as i have killed my sps in the past when my alk got to 10
 
1/3 of a cup (~79ml) is a perfect start. It's a little under half of what your total rec. dose is. Personally I would add another 1/3 cup in a month and use that as your dose. A little under mfgr. recommended dose is usually sufficient for BP, and it's better to be under than over.
 
I just started a bp a week ago. My max should b 125 ml of bp but I'm only going up to 100ml. I started off with 50 ml and will b adding 25 ml for 2 month till I get to 100ml. I had great sucess with them in my last tank so I'm hoping in this tank also
 
You can do whatever you want, but I wouldn't even run half of the recommended amount. I use BRS pellets and I run about 1.5 cups for about 275 gallons of water. BRS recommends one cup for every fifty gallons, so that would mean I should run about 5.5 cups. NO WAY! A 500ml bag of pellets have lasted me one full year. My nitrates are always 1 ppm or less, and I have big fish and feed heavily. I also only do water changes every six weeks. I've heard horror stories of tanks being stripped completely of nutrients and sps dying. Why would you ever need to take that risk when you can accomplish the goal (lower nitrates and PO4 somewhat) and reduce risk with much less than recommended? Every tank is different, but that's how I see it.

Sidenote: I do run GFO to control PO4. The pellets have not gotten my PO4 to where it needs to be and maybe this has something to do with the small amount of pellets I run?
 
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