Just wanted to add a little update since installing the biopellets reactor.
In short, it's been good! Really good.
If anyone is thinking about it, provided you take proper precautions you should be OK.
- the reactor should have no sponges that would restrict flow and block small particles from getting through. I replaced the sponges with a plastic mesh with holes that restrict the biopellets but not the particles from getting through
- pellets I used were vertex brand. Instructions say not to run any phosphate remover with biopellets.
- Proper flow is important. Enough to loosely tumble all the pellets, but not so much that the flow pushed the pellets to the top mesh.
- Add little at a time, weekly, and test. I have about 150 gallons of water in all (maybe a little more). I added 100 ml weekly. I'm now at 400, and I'm thinking that's how far I'll go. Maybe another 50 ml this weekend, we'll see.
- I placed the intake close to the drain from the main tank, and the output very close to the intake of the skimmer.
So far, so good. Green hair algae is practically undetectable, ntrates are lowering, and (if anyone remembers) the hair algae on my chaeto is almost all gone. The chaeto also stopped growing. If it starts getting thinner, I'll probably remove it all and use the area as a soft coral frag tank. My glass scrubbing schedule has also decreased, takes a few days longer to get dirty.
I know every system out there is different, but so far, biopellets has been great! If you're thinking about it, take it slow, and do it properly.