Biopellets Clumping

[curiousphil]

Hey guys so I've been struggling with these biopellets ever since I introduced them at the start of October.  No matter what I try, they keep clumping on me! 

I've got 250 ml of the SWC pellets (http://www.bigalspets.ca/xtreme-np-reduction-bio-media-500-ml.html) in a TLF 550.  I started out powering them with a MJ1200, and for a couple of weeks they were tumbling really nicely.  Then the clumping started.  First shot at combating the clumps: shake the reactor every day.  Figured maybe I was experiencing a bacteria bloom and that once it passed the clumping would stop, but no dice.

Step two... modify the reactor!  Cut off the tip of a funnel, drilled holes into it every 45 degrees, stuck it into the bottom of the reactor tube.  This increased the flow for sure, and prevented clumping for a few days, but the clumping returned after a week or so.

Step three, last week.  Three months into the pellet experiment.  Put a new T into my return line and started powering the reactor off my Mag 18 with the ball valve on the reactor wide open.  All good for a few days, then... CLUMP!!!!

Save buying a new pump rated for say 800+ gph, and dedicating it to the reactor... or getting a totally new reactor that's MADE for pellets... I'm at my wits end.  Suggestions?  Who else is using a TLF 550 for pellets, and what do you power it with?

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

I'm just using a reef octopus bio pellet reactor  running off my main pump

 

[teebone110]

it shouldn't take much to make them tumble without clumping, I use very little flow through my modified elf 550 reactor.

Maybe look online at some other mods with a funnel?

I think Duke uses a water bottle and a MJ1200 and gets lots of tumble.

You shouldn't have to buy another pump, just tweak your design.

 

[curiousphil]

Now that I'm thinking about it, the Vertex reactor I use for GFO has a larger input fitting, 3/4 vs 1/2 inch... maybe it would get more flow and help keep the pellets from clumping....

I wonder what the water bottle mod is?  (or does he literally use a water bottle as the reactor??!!)

 

[Salty Cracker]

Maybe too much flow?  I just use a little NJ pump and have never had any clumping.  I don't know as if it really matters if they clump though, isn't it just a food source for bacteria?  Note that I have not really looked into it very closely.

 

[teebone110]

Now that I'm thinking about it, the Vertex reactor I use for GFO has a larger input fitting, 3/4 vs 1/2 inch... maybe it would get more flow and help keep the pellets from clumping....

I wonder what the water bottle mod is?  (or does he literally use a water bottle as the reactor??!!)

yes, he uses a water bottle. I think there is a vid of it somewhere?

 

[curiousphil]

Lol, I will have to find that!

 

[Reef Hero]

I'm not much help here Phil as I don't run pellets on my tank.....perhaps it is the brand of pellets you are using? Anyone use the same with no issues?


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[Poseidon]

Switch from a 550 to a 150, if you can.

I had the same
Prob with my 550, even with a mag 9.5 full throttle it clogged up,
What I did was cut
Off the entire bottom red screen so it's just a pipe, only then did they start tumbling consistently
It's still the mag 9.5, but it's only about half way open. So that did fix my prob.

New parts for the 550 if needed are cheap

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

here s the one i using    for a year now    no mods needed ..http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-octopus-biopellet-reactor.html

 

[curiousphil]

Those do look like nice reactors but I'd like to see if I can make this one work... though I guess I could always use a third reactor for carbon

Switch from a 550 to a 150, if you can.

I had the same
Prob with my 550, even with a mag 9.5 full throttle it clogged up,
What I did was cut
Off the entire bottom red screen so it's just a pipe, only then did they start tumbling consistently
It's still the mag 9.5, but it's only about half way open. So that did fix my prob.

New parts for the 550 if needed are cheap

Just a pipe on the bottom??  I am having a hard time envisioning this... does it go all they way to the bottom, with holes drilled in the side?  Or does it terminate just above the bottom plate?

 

[reeffreak]

Did you pre-soak the pellets for 24 hours before using then in the reactor ? If not thats why they are clumping together.

 

[Poseidon]

Those do look like nice reactors but I'd like to see if I can make this one work... though I guess I could always use a third reactor for carbon

[quote author=Poseidon link=topic=7333.msg75492#msg75492 date=1388783935]
Switch from a 550 to a 150, if you can.

I had the same
Prob with my 550, even with a mag 9.5 full throttle it clogged up,
What I did was cut
Off the entire bottom red screen so it's just a pipe, only then did they start tumbling consistently
It's still the mag 9.5, but it's only about half way open. So that did fix my prob.

New parts for the 550 if needed are cheap

Just a pipe on the bottom??  I am having a hard time envisioning this... does it go all they way to the bottom, with holes drilled in the side?  Or does it terminate just above the bottom plate?
[/quote]

its the exact same pipe you are using now, just super glue the rest of the assembly together so it doesnt fall out and cut the bottom plate off,
it doesnt rest on the bottom no, its just suspended a little bit off and due to the cone shaped bottom of the 550 the pellets can never rest or sit anywhere, there are always moving.

 

[curiousphil]

[quote author=curiousphil link=topic=7333.msg75495#msg75495 date=1388784590]
Those do look like nice reactors but I'd like to see if I can make this one work... though I guess I could always use a third reactor for carbon

[quote author=Poseidon link=topic=7333.msg75492#msg75492 date=1388783935]
Switch from a 550 to a 150, if you can.

I had the same
Prob with my 550, even with a mag 9.5 full throttle it clogged up,
What I did was cut
Off the entire bottom red screen so it's just a pipe, only then did they start tumbling consistently
It's still the mag 9.5, but it's only about half way open. So that did fix my prob.

New parts for the 550 if needed are cheap

Just a pipe on the bottom??  I am having a hard time envisioning this... does it go all they way to the bottom, with holes drilled in the side?  Or does it terminate just above the bottom plate?
[/quote]

its the exact same pipe you are using now, just super glue the rest of the assembly together so it doesnt fall out and cut the bottom plate off,
it doesnt rest on the bottom no, its just suspended a little bit off and due to the cone shaped bottom of the 550 the pellets can never rest or sit anywhere, there are always moving.
[/quote]

OK cool that's an idea I'll try out.

Did you pre-soak the pellets for 24 hours before using then in the reactor ? If not thats why they are clumping together.

Yeah I did.  The first day I didn't, but then someone on here (petercar if I recall correctly) recommended that I do, so I took them out and let them soak for a day.

 

[theyangman]

Maybe too much flow?  I just use a little NJ pump and have never had any clumping.  I don't know as if it really matters if they clump though, isn't it just a food source for bacteria?  Note that I have not really looked into it very closely.

Clumping is bad. The bacteria begins to die off and you get a tube of baaaaad crap for your tank. Without water movement the bacteria begins to die. Try it one time in your reactor man. Leave the pump off for a day and let the pellets have a chance to clump together, and then turn the system back on again. The stench is unreal.

 

[Salty Cracker]

With 0 water flow yes, stench, but if it clumps, the bacteria would still just feed off surface area, like throwing one huge bio pellet in, instead of a thousand little ones. 

 

[reeffreak]

I would just go ahead and take the plate right off the bottom, works amazing . M

 

[curiousphil]

The Vertex reactor seems to be suspending them better, we shall see how this goes.  If they start clumping again I'll try removing the bottom plate from the TLF.

The reasons I'm concerned about the clumping is because a) clumps create anerobic zones which will generate toxic hydrogen sulfide and b) effectively less carbon is dosed into the system.  There are two theories about how pellets work and tumbling feeds into both of them.  One camp believes that pellets increase the surface area for bacteria to grow in the system, thr other believes that as particles of the pellets dissolve into the water, it acts like a slow release carbon dose inducing bacteria to grow in the water column.  So whichever way you look at it, tumbling serves a purpose - breaks off tiny peices  of the pellets and allows for water to touch the entire surface of the pellets which increases the surface area for bacteria to grow.

 

[theyangman]

With 0 water flow yes, stench, but if it clumps, the bacteria would still just feed off surface area, like throwing one huge bio pellet in, instead of a thousand little ones. 

But what would happen to all the bacteria in the "core" of the clump. It would be similar to having zero water flow hence the die off and potential danger to the tank no?

 

[Salty Cracker]

[quote author=Salty Cracker link=topic=7333.msg75519#msg75519 date=1388792390]
With 0 water flow yes, stench, but if it clumps, the bacteria would still just feed off surface area, like throwing one huge bio pellet in, instead of a thousand little ones. 

But what would happen to all the bacteria in the "core" of the clump. It would be similar to having zero water flow hence the die off and potential danger to the tank no?
[/quote]

I dunno, there's 2 billion Asians in the center of a continent and they seem to thrive...