Adding bio pellets to a display tank

[SkiCurtis]

I'm getting ready to set up my new equipment from the Avast build party(awesome idea,thanks).

I going to up- grade my set up by using one Mag drive 9.5 pump to drive the Avast Mutiniy 11 ozone reactor/Avast Mr18 carbon post filter and tee off for my bio pellets in a deltec reactor. bla bla So my question is do I just start running the pellets or Do I prep them in a 5 gallon bucket with some bacteria supplement? I saw Justin had a post a while back on this,but I'm not sure if much has changed. any help this would be great. oops tank is a 240 gallon with 50 gallon sump.

Thanks Curtis

[Guest thefishman65]

I think the current recommendation. Is rinse them RO/DI water and then let them sit for 24 hours (some may float otherwise). Then start with 1/3-1/2 the recommended amount and add the rest a couple weeks later. I think I would do it in four parts. This slow addition is supposed to keep a bacteria bloom from occurring. What are your level now?

[jason the filter freak]

Seems like you could use some cycle or something

[ridetheducati]

What are you current nitrate and phosphate levels?

[Der ABT]

If you seed them in a 5g bucket before hand things go alot quicker and usually the bloom happens in the bucket not the tank though you can put the bucket water in the tank if you want to.

 

i seeded mine for 5 days, not sure if you have to or not but it worked well with mine

 

just make sure you output goes directly to the sump intake

[jason the filter freak]

 

just make sure you output goes directly to the sump intake

 

Sorry to thread jack, you're saying the water should pass though the biopellet reactor before going into the sump?

[Der ABT]

woops, meant skimmer not sump. so just make sure the output goes into the skimmers intake.

[Guest thefishman65]

Thisis on reef central and is a good summary on bio pellets. Edited June 9, 2011 by thefishman65

[lowsingle]

I seeded mine in a small bucket (with leftover water from a water change) with bio-optium and bio-digest for a week or so. I then ran the reactor directly into the skimmer to remove as much of the bacteria as possible.....below is a picture of my DIY setup:

 

 

cheers,

Darren

[dakotasreef]

I have been running the pellets for a year now. When I initially put them in my reactor I did the 24 hour soak in ro water. Every time I top them off I do the same. I never had any type of bloom. I did only start with a 1/3 of the recommend amount. I added another 1/3 every 10 days.

 

Just my thoughts