NP Biopellets Users: Pls share your thoughts here

[random]

To those who have used or are using NP Biopellets, I'd like to get your thoughts. Please share your preparations, routine, pleasant or unpleasant experiences here.

For over 2 years, I've been using the Vodka method. Nowadays, I'm beginning to find the daily dosing routine tiresome. I don't know... maybe it's just my age catching up on me. I want to go the route of something that requires less attention. I'm thinking NPB.

[shandy_say]

Ok yan. Less maintenance. Works very well. Although i myself use a different brand...but i think its pretty much the same.

Oh and ofcourse, my sps colors have never looked this great.

[random]

Sure, Jourdy. That's a very nice offer. Thanks. Let me see sa Saturday, I'll be visiting some relatives sa Banal St., Caloocan, I'll see if I can pass by your place. I'll give you a text a day before I do.

One question, Jourdy and Shandy: kelangan ba naka-reactor yung BP's? O pwede bang ilagay ko na lang sa mesh bag at i-pwesto ko sa sump?

[shandy_say]

It needs to be in a reactor because it has to tumble. The reason for this is that the tumbling of the pellets causes the bacteria to detach from the pellets and flow to the reactor to be skimmed out. If you put it in a mesh bag, the bacteria will just remain on the pellets and not get skimmed out which will defeat the purpose of having the biopellets.

[bagz727]

you need to put it in a reactor & you need a pretty good skimmer also! the output of the reactor should be placed in front of the input of your skimmer

[random]

@bagz - copy.

@Shandy - Di rin ba pwede ilagay ko na lang direct sa sump, walang mesh bag? Tapos i-stir ko na lang once in a while yung pellets para ma shake-off yung produced bacteria? Although, dagdag trabaho din and somehow defeats the purpose din nga pala. Oh, well... Pero, just out of curiosity: pwede ba yun?

[shandy_say]

I dont think so bro. Ive had some bp's fall into the baffles in my sump and what i noticed is that it becomes one big clump lang and it doesnt get skimmed out.

[random]

O. Ok, copy that. Thanks, Shandy.

Another thing: there's a fineprint sa site ng NPB about producing hydrogen sulphide gas. Care to enlighten me on this? How dangerous is it, and what is the likelihood of it occurring with the use of NPB? I know that sulphide gas is dangerous to us, but in relation to our aquariums...?

Jourdy, in your experience, how much flow ang dapat going through the reactor? Kelangan ba very strong? Also, on your initial encounter with NPB effects, nagkaroon ba ng casualties sa tank mo?

[shandy_say]

Thats actually one of the reasons why the BP needs to be placed inside a reactor. Hydrogen Sulfide gas will form if there is not much flow going through the BP. So it is really important that the BP is tumbling as you want to avoid letting the pellets stay stagnant which will result in too much bacteria and eventually result in the production of hydrogen sulfide gas.

[random]

So, Jourdy, what was your immediate action to counter the PH drop? Water change?

[random]

[random]

Sa corals mo, ano naging effect nun? Ano naging reaction nila sa initial introduction mo ng NPB?

[marlon]

I started using mine 4 months ago... 0 nitrates and 0.5 PO4. I am only using a Boyu reactor, flow is good except some pellets nakakalabas ng reactor.. dami ng patches of BP sa sump ko, pero easy to remove naman. I suggest use a BP reactor para less hassle to maintain or add a mesh screen sa output ng old reactor mo. First month I added 100ml sa 50g tank, then after a month 400ml na...i think 500ml will last 6 months. i had 2 bacterial blooms but its harmless, cloudy water for 3 days tapos wala na. No more DSB, chaeto, ats, etc... you just need a good skimmer, AC and sometimes phosphate binders kung ayaw bumaba PO4.

[random]

Ok, Jourdy. So di naman pala nakakatakot mag BP. Thanks for sharing your experience. What was the most immediate "goodie" you noticed in your tank and when was it in the period of your use of BP's?

Thanks, Marlon. Very informative. When did you get the bacterial blooms? At introduction of the BP's? How come 3 times ka nagka bacterial bloom? What events led to them?

[jackryan]

I've re-started the NP bio-pellets and so far I am on my 2nd day of cloudy water... the bio-pellets are nicely tumbling inside the reactor and hopefully it will help in my set-up given the heavy feeding I have to give the tang gang...

The only downside is now I cannot anymore use my REDSEA ozone device unlike before...