DIY biopellets

[Highland Reefer]

Most interesting. I figured it would be aragonite, but had to confirm. Gravel makes sense. I assume it's no longer tumbling but is an evenly dispersed mixture. Is this correct? Were any other configurations tested? For example, pellets followed by gravel or live rock rubble (downstream)?

 

The flow was determined by preventing too much bacterial growth to clog the reactor too quickly. You need enough flow to sluff off the bacteria biomases and not too much to prevent the biomasses from developing. I would start with slower flow and increase as needed. The biopelelts will still tumble to some degree and some of the pellets will escape to the top of the reactor, which did not cause problems.

 

They only experiemented with fine sand, medium sand & the 4-6 cm diameter gravel. The gravel work dramatically better than the sands.

[Highland Reefer]

Remember, though, it's PLA not PHA (or PHB). I was unable to have anybody sample me a few pounds of PHA, but I was able to get a couple of kilos of the PLA without too much difficulty. Since I had it lying around, I decided to give it a go.

 

My not seeing the biofilm is probably a combination of things, not the least of which are middle aged eyes!

 

 

From all the posts I have seen regarding all the biopellets available including the PCL, they all seem to work pretty much equally well.

 

If your reactor water flow is too high, this can cause problems. You can slow the flow up until the pellets start to stick together and then increase a bit to prevent the pellets from sticking together. If the pellets stick together, you got bacteria growing on them.

Edited November 29, 2010 by Highland Reefer

[Origami]

The flow was determined by preventing too much bacterial growth to clog the reactor too quickly. You need enough flow to sluff off the bacteria biomases and not too much to prevent the biomasses from developing. I would start with slower flow and increase as needed. The biopelelts will still tumble to some degree and some of the pellets will escape to the top of the reactor, which did not cause problems.

 

They only experiemented with fine sand, medium sand & the 4-6 cm diameter gravel. The gravel work dramatically better than the sands.

 

My flow is fairly slow. Just a slow, gentle tumble - enough to ensure that the reactor stays oxygenated with some pellet turnover. The reactor's only half full and has mechanisms in place to keep pellets from getting out too easily.

[Origami]

Have others reported on their use of PLA (Poly(lactic acid))? I know others here are using PCL (polycaprolactone) and PHA/PHB (polyhydroxyalkanoate / polyhydroxybutyrate). Well, maybe not PHB.

[Highland Reefer]

There are lengthy threads on RC for every biopellet manufacturer going in the Chemistry Forum. There does not seem to be any difference in the results achieved. All the product's individual threads do contain too many posts where the hobbyists experienced bacterial blooms when using the pellets in high nitrate systems. This is somewhat alarming to me, but the hobbyists that have experienced these bacterial blooms in the water coll um do not seem to have negative results. Blooms in the water column make me feel that the bio-polymers are getting into the water column to a large degree. For this reason, I believe the amount of biopellets one starts with should start at a fraction of the recommended rate and then increased slowly, especially if nitrate is high.

[Origami]

I'll have to get over there more often. And you need to stop by here more often! I'm sure that helping to moderate RC can keep you busy, though.

 

LOL. I see that you're busy answering questions on RC at this very moment!

[Highland Reefer]

Yep.

 

Watching the Colts game as well. I'm getting better at multi-tasking, but my wife has me outclassed by far.

[DaveS]

hey Justin, any updates on this?

[ctenophore]

Not really. I took down those two QTs. The pellets didn't do much, and I attribute this to the weak skimmer (CPR bakpak) that was on the tank. They did dissolve though, which suggests bacteria were consuming them.

[roni]

Bringing this thread to the top. I'm considering using these in the 70. I like the idea of lowering phosphate and nitrate at the same time as well as possible benefits from feeding filter feeders. Anyone have anything to report on these? Does anyone see a problem in running both carbon and the pellets in an old Midwest sulfur denitrifier (basically looks like a media reactor with an Eheim pump circulating)

[ctenophore]

Roni I think you'll want much faster throughput than what a recirculating sulfur denitrator is designed to allow. You don't want the pellets to be oxygen starved. The more flow the better over them, and not oxygen-poor recirculating flow, but fresh tank water ideally straight from an overflow box.

[Guest thefishman65]

Also don't mix with carbon or you will have to separate them later. The carbon has to be replaced the pellets (if they are like the rest) disintegrate.

[roni]

For those of you who have been doing this for a while, any updates?