Any One Tried Bio-Pellets

I've used them and think they worked well, just don't have room for another reactor right now or I'd still be using them.

Thanks for the help guys!

Dont try it unless you have a crazy skimmer rated for double your water volume. In theory it works great and there is a ton of people that have done it successfully. However there is a ton of horror stories of tank crashes from this and all the other types of carbon dosing. I have dabbled with a few here and there but nothing long term. Come to think of I haven't seen alot of peeps go long term with it cause ethier they crash or have serious algae issues. IMO and experience there is only one way to get great growth and color from sps. Quality lights, random flow and rock steady params.

Had them running a year and a half with great results.need a good skimmer and be pro active with your water conditions but they work great.

Dionysus wrote: I think ill just stick to vinegar dosing and not risk it. Thanks guys

ditto...I wouldn't start messing with either of that stuff until you have several years under your belt....I'd suggest keeping things as simple as possible...oversized skimmer, GFO (if needed occasionally) or Macro algae....those should take care of any excess nutrients.

I agree with the above posts.  Bio-pellets are a huge risk.  They do what they are supposed to, but make a system too fragile IMO.

I don't think I'd recommend using both vinegar and bio-bellets. jmo though.

Funny how something like carbon sources can result in such polarized opinions.  My .02 for what it's worth:

I haven't tried the biopellets, but I've done liquid carbon sources (homemade VGV, Korallen ZeoStart, and Red Sea NO3PO4X) and had good results, particularly with the ZeoStart.  If you have room for a huge refugium with a bunch of macro, then wonderful, but in small tanks without huge refugiums, there is just no practical way to be able to feed well and regularly and maintain good water quality.

IMHO people who have crashes related to carbon dosing have usually done one of three things wrong: either A) They have dosed too much to fast, B) They have tried to maintain 0ppm Nitrate and Phosphate, C) They have gotten lazy and kept dosing the same amount without doing weekly water tests to double check how things are going.  Increasing dosage if levels are rising, and decreasing it if they are falling lower than desired.  Carbon dosing artificially manipulates your biofilter.  It is not something to be taken lightly, and works fine if you pay attention and work slowly toward maintaining consistent low levels of nutrients.  Most crashes occur when people OD the tank and suddenly all the nutrients are gone.  The biofilter starves and dies, then the nutrients sky rocket.

That said, from what I have heard, people who hate biopellets have had exactly this problem.  They have tried to add too many too fast.  Most guidelines are around a cup per 50 gallons, and more is not better.  Personally I'd start with half that and see how it goes for a while.  People who have used the same amount of caution as they would with liquid carbon sources have been fine.  If I had room for a reactor I would love to try them.