Chaeto or Bio pellets?

[Boga]

My system is aprox 150 gal water (DT+ST+Ref). Currently I have about 12 gallon of chaeto in my refugium. Nitrates are reading zero on API (I know - I'm working on it). Is it worth to start a bio pellet reactor? What about keeping chaeto and a small amount of bio pellets? Like running half of the recommended amount?

 

[harleymike]

opcorn2:

I have been tossing this around also.
I'll watch this and see, but it seems it's like LED"S.
Lots of opinions.

 

[Pistol]

I grow cheato and dose vinegar, it's cheap, easy and effective.

 

[DerekL]

I am not really sure either. I tossed the idea around since I started this tank back in summer. Saturday will be 2 weeks. I still have chaeto and caularpa in my sump. I too had low nitrates. I say it 5ppm but really it's about 2ppm. The reason I decided was that a lot of people swear by them and my tank is on its way to being sps dominant.  I have notice my chaeto and caularpa hasn't grown much at all. I also run gfo and carbon in a reactor as well. I want a ULNS and bio pellets have proven to work in other peoples systems so I figured why not I had everything already. Good luck with whatever route you choose.

 

[Poseidon]

I found that with pellets the growth of macros drastically reduces, I don't think it will hurt anything if you run both. Just one will be more affective

 

[pulpfiction1]

What are your phosphates at

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[spyd]

If your nitrates are at 0, then I wouldn't bother with bio-pellets. All they really do is reduce nitrates. Maybe a little PO4 relief, but, not much at all. The PO4 relief comes more so from GFO. If you are planning on stocking a lot more fish and corals, etc. then I would definitely consider switching over to pellets. Better switching over when you have no problems as oppose to trying to switch over when you find out your nitrates are rising as it takes a while for them to do their thing.

 

[Neopimp]

I got both

 

[paoul]

both what gfo and pellets or high no3 and po4

 

[Duke]

i run gfo, bio pellets and macro algae, i wonder if i really need to grow the macro sometimes, but i still do because regardless of its nutrient exporting abilities it really makes my refugium much more alive, the pod population that lives there is insane.

 

[reeffreak]

If you want  heavy stocking run pellets. Pellets and macro don't go well together. It almost doesn't even make sense to run them both as the same time. Defeats the purpose really.

 

[Boga]

Thank you all for input. Indeed it looks that is a lot of diversity in opinions .

I am running HC-GFO and ROX Carbon. I had high phosphates, but since I started to act agains them, after two months, I noticed an inprovement. The reading from last night was less than 0.03ppm PO4 (8 ppb on Hanna ULR). It is too good to be true, I will redo the measurement again this evening. One week ago they were at ~0.064 ppm. Overall I am seeing good things: hair algae not growing anymore, red slime starting to disapear, most of the corals look happier. On the other hand some corals are starting to suffer from this lack of nutrients in the water column.

Nitrates show zero on API, but it is not accurate on low range. Some folks argue that is not good at all. I am looking to get a better Nitrate kit.

In a way, I do not like to let the chaeto go. I like the idea of growing macroalgae, also good for pods.

I could start a reactor (BRS canister) easy. I have everything in place, but some hoses. I was thinking that a reactor can run all the time, where mainly the refugium is on a cycle (ON/OFF -night/day). Maybe I should wait for another couple months to see how things evolute?

 

[Boga]

The previous post was from my lunch break. I did not have time enough to analyze responses properly.

I see that many of you are running both (macro-algae and pellets). Is it because the tank is overstocked? Do you run the full amount recommended for your tank capacity or less pellets?

 

[Boga]

What are your phosphates at

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I checked again today. Phosphates at 0.083 ppm. My previous reading was probably an error.

 

[Reef Hero]

[quote author=pulpfiction1 link=topic=7156.msg72915#msg72915 date=1386846413]
What are your phosphates at

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I checked again today. Phosphates at 0.083 ppm. My previous reading was probably an error.
[/quote]

I have found my Hanna ulr phosphorous meter to be all over the place in readings lately..... Thinking about picking up the Hanna po4 checker again....


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[Pistol]

If you don't get all the reagent in it reads low

 

[Boga]

If you don't get all the reagent in it reads low

Yep. I know. After I put it in the cuvette, I open the package and make sure I have nothing left in corners. There are some residues left on the walls. I hate this method of adding reagent.

 

[Jewel]

I don't have a Nitrate problem and I have a Refugeum filled with Cheato, So I don't think I will be running Bio-pellets

 

[DerekL]

I decided to go with bio pellets and left my macro algae cause I have a heavy bio load and feed my fish at least once a day sometimes 2 times. I only feed for a couple minutes and when the first pellet hits the sand bed I stop so everything is consumed. I picked up a Hanna phosphate checker and phosphates are at .03ppm and nitrates were at 2 ppm the other day. I wanted to take care of these before they got out of control. I also read is easier on a tank to start bio pellets on a newer tank but am not 100% on that but it makes sense. So be it as my tank has only been up 4 1/2 months I figured may as well start bio pellets now. I also run hc gfo and carbon in a BRS dual media reactor.

 

[theyangman]

I really wish the powder reagents for both the phosphate and phosphorus could somehow be added in a liquid form. Like their alkalinity. Makes life 1000000000 times easier.