Brandon link said:
[quote author=Salty Cracker link=topic=3274.msg27224#msg27224 date=1349712934]
[quote author=davesolo29 link=topic=3274.msg27202#msg27202 date=1349674400]
[quote author=Salty Cracker link=topic=3274.msg27201#msg27201 date=1349673824]
$172 is a lot for something that just tumbles pellets. A phosban canister would work just as well...
True.. but a TLF 550 phosban is $75 and a MJ powerhead ranges from $20-$40. So for an extra few bucks you get the cone style which if anything like skimmers is a bit better. Not to mention the nice clean look.
[/quote]
Good point, I have a vertex dedicated unit, probably cost me the same after adding the powerhead. That said, I am totally against the inside-the-cylinder style pumps...hard to clean and the cord is usually at a really bad angle. Just food for thought...
I'm STILL on my first batch of pellets that came with the unit over a year ago. I'll grab another pack from BRS in the new bulk buy (next week?). I'll add maybe a cup a week to the existing setup, instead of just filling the cylinder. As with anything, you really should start small and slow. Like reeffreak said, be
very careful with an existing tank. I know when I set mine up I didn't dump all the pellets in, I added SLOWLY over a month or so. Very few to start...
[/quote]
so thats the answer, start small and keep going up? just want to clarify cuz i plan on adding them to my 6 month old setup as well...
[/quote]
Yes, since it's 'food' for the bacteria, you don't want an abundant food supply before there is enough bacteria to consumer it, or a bloom in something else that finds the pellets tasty... I believe I put in less than a cup when I started it, and then added a cup or less per week until the whole pack was in. I didn't notice any blooms of any sort from the pellets. Plus, ORP, PH, ALK etc were not affected. PO4 stayed fairly high for quite a while too (2-3 months) and I kind of thought it wasn't doing anything, but now with constant readings of 0.00 I figure it's doing something.
