9 replies to this topic

[Mort]

Everyone's heard about them by now... Bio Aquatech's Marine Bio Pearls are touted to be the way to go for removing nitrates and phos... I'm intrigued by it and have done a fair bit of research... I've decided to give it a go and report back with the results as I go... question is... what should I run them in... Thought about one of the cheapo reactors out there specifically designed for the job and then remembered... I've got one of these doing stuff all...



A Shuran Nitrate Reactor... currently loaded up with sulphur balls... It's got a Ehiem 1250 fitted which will give about 1500lph flow (if I remember correctly) which should be enough... My one has a busted nutrient/water injector (thing directly under the pump in the pic) but I don't need to inject vodka so I'll replace that with a single in... The top also has a fixing for a redox probe... Not really interested in that unless someone can think of a good reason to spend some extra money I don't have? Otherwise it's getting blocked off!

The intake should be self feeding from the sump with a small filter on the end... if not I'll have to divert some flow from somewhere else... The return will need to be aimed into the intake of the skimmer so that the crud gets safely skimmed away... A little in the system won't matter but I don't have any corals to feed at the moment!

So... do I give the sulphur a rinse and try that first or should I just go straight in for a tub of Bio Pearls and see if they're all they're cracked up to be?

Anyone else trying these things out?

[David Lowe]

morning mort, do you use these pearls in the phospate reactor kit instead of the coffee looking granuals?

[Rona]

Butting in, yes you do David.  Pearls are supposed to out do iron based phosphate media.

I used to have a homemade reactor but want somthing more meaty and prettier to look at or better still not seen on the new tank.  I have the pearls just figuring out the easiest way to add it to my set up.  I am looking into pre filters filled with pearls that I can add to the Tetratec output to save on adding another pump.

I think that reactor minus the sulphur will do you nicely Mort!

[Gem Tang]

i think,  not 100%  that the sulphur and bio pearls are made of different stuff,  so yes crack on with a tub of bio pearls.

that reactor will do the job nicely.

yes a filter (sames as used on deltec calcium and No3 Reactors) will be needed for best use.

GT

ps make sure you grab parameters before setup and bi daily and please report back.

[Mort]

Cheers folks...

Gem... nice one on the filter

From what I understand, as long as the pearls are vigorously agitated so they dont get mulmed up then any reactor will do... you just have to have a way of controling the flow in and out... Maybe a job for Sean to figure something out!

[Teri Parsloe]

Just reading this, so as long as the water flow keeps them moving, why cant they be put in a basket in an external filter? You can adjust the flow of water through them..

[Mort]

They need time with the water to be completely effective... but from what I understand they can work in a normal reactor on a smaller tank... ie not the size of mine!

[Teri Parsloe]

Ahhh so they need to be moved about, but you need min water outlet for them to work then... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm b*****!!!!!

[Rona]

I put a little pouch of them in the hang on filter on the baby clown tank.  They got very yukky and slimy very quickly as there was quite a low flow passing them.  You do need a really good flow to move the pearls vigourously.

[Mort]

Sorry folks... have to put this project on hold for a while... Between some other projects I need to work on (not tank related) and some info regarding this method of filtration I've got to investigate I thought it best to just stop before I started... no point doing things half arsed when I really need to put the full arse into it! (sorry for those offended by arses but the world is full of them and most of them are complaining about something or the other )...

To be continued... maybe...