# bioplastics



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I am trying ---bioplastics on both salt tanks. This is not for filtering per say( both tanks have great fiters and good water perameters) but in an attempt to supply my filter feeders in my slow 29 and to aid in cyano relief in 75. Has anyone used this type product LONG ENOUGH to know if its claims are acurate?


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## Nereus7 (Jun 13, 2012)

Never used one but a guy I know did and said he could get just as good results with live plants (fw) + the media is really expensive & has to be replaced as it gets used.

I looked into it, you said you're using it on saltwater. I'm assuming you're talking about one of those Nitrate reactors? Basicly sw doesn't hold as much oxygen, so you get more of the anerobic bact that eats nitrates, whereas fw has more aerobic bact, so it doesn't handle your nitrates as well.

Check it out, I was reading up on nitrate reactors and got this recipe for a home-made nitrate eater. Take a water pump, and attach it to "20+" feet of 12mm hose. Run your tank water through it at a rate of less than 1 drop per 5 seconds out of the end. I don't know what tank size in relation to that 20+ feet is so you'd have to experiment on that one. Basicly the 02 rich water starts off in the tube, aerobic bact is present, and as it slowly goes along, the 02 gets used up and you start getting your anerobic bact. It said the water will come back 02 deprived, so you drip it back into the tank through the air, and it will be slightly acidic, so you have to keep track of your levels, and take care of it as needed. 

If you go with the bio media post your results, I'd be interested to see how it goes - N


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## Nereus7 (Jun 13, 2012)

Yea, I completely misread your question. Post results on what you find regardless - N


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

actually you did mis read But always learning hope to help.I built a nitrate reactor(if you call it that) using 3" pvc with 50 of the yellow coiled air hose for air tools.I read to throttle back supply and use 1/4" hose in reactor .The hose (already coiled up) went into the pvc and bio balls were placed in the space in the middle of them. The hose is cut to let water out after going through all 50" and then travells through bio balls before returning. You are correct about flow, it should be very slow to dripping.It is an anerobic piece of equipment as after hose and bio balls the unit is sealed and never needs to be opened. I used this for aprox 12months without great results(nitrates remained higher than I had hoped). Later learned these units need to fed regulary. Being new to bioplastics I had not considered them for my FW but do believe they would do as you say.In salt water the deterioration of the pellet is were my filterfeeding food comes from(bact),therefore as long as they don't get in tank or clog pump(they say this happens?) they only get replaced not changed .NO WASTE!


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Nitrate Reactors are alittle touger than meets the eye. They run really really slow water flow and clog easily.
There was some research done by a guy on your Bio Plastics and 3 others, I do believe that the Plastics won out in the test.
Feature Article: Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and the Reef Aquarium: an Initial Survey, Part II — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
Organic Compounds in the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Oh, I also did dose Vodka for a year. Ran into Cyano issues so I switched to Vinegar Dosing, which I currently run. 
Vodka Dosing by 'Genetics' and 'Stony_Corals' - Reefkeeping.com
Reefkeeping Magazine - Vinegar Dosing Methodology for the Marine Aquarium


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

the manufacturer claims the deterioration of these is similar to vodka dosing but the plastics take so long to breakdown that once "in cycle" no more dosing. Don't hate me but all this is for a red feather star and a sea fan.I know these are diffacult animals and shouldn't be purchased(encourages futher capture) but both were obtained from different lfs. When I said I'll take that the reaction from both stores was to jump up and down saying "thank you. At least we now know they stand a chance." I'm not better I just really care.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Not gonna blast you for trying anything, especially if you rescued them from the LFS, in which they surely would have perished. Good luck, and anything we can do to help, just give a shout.
The Pellets and Plastics do a much better job inthe water column of not getting the other crap to grow out, such as Hair Algae and Cyano. I prefer the Vinegar as of now, because it also doesn't grow out anything, as of yet, and cheap as all get out to buy. I use a syringe in MLS to dose. But been doing it so long now, its just part of the tank maintenance. By dosing, you keep the Trates and to some degree the Phosphates at levels you want them at. GFO or Chemipure Elite, or something of that nature are the only things you will get your Phosphates to undetecable range.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

It's been a month or two since introducing bio pellets to my 29 slow reef.So far so good. The pellets have degraded(melted) considerably.They are in phos ban 150 re-actor running slower than recomemded.I'm pleased to say cyano has only touched 1 rock and came off like "a sheet off a bed".One piece no residuall.I will be adding more bio pellets as I started with half dose due to clouding and other "issues" I read about before hand.As far as any of the "warnings" I had no negative side effects since heeding advice to start"light". I think it has made a difference with cyano(never treated this tank with red slime remover) ,but as far as water parameters go I didn't need these for filtering ability, so my water quality is great .The tank is and was loaded with bugs and delicate marine life along with fattest mandarin on earth.All happy.I have treated 75 with half dose of red slime once with great results.The water quality in 75 is near perfect. Both will be getting topped off and turned up a little.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

It's been since Sept. that I last updated my use of BIO-PLASTICS.I'll start by saying my water quality was always good and I did regular water changes.I now have no need to change water as both tanks test 0 for nitrates.I'll say I've gone over 1 month with no water changes(had to see what product really did) and have had 0 trates rgardless.I'm a good fish keeper,but also really enjoy having fish(my tanks would be max + if I checked{I won't}),and have to say I would recommend BIO-PLASTICS to any salt keeper.I would also recommend a litttle research and start slow(1/2 dose for first month or so),but other than that ,2 thumbs up!.I now change water again on schedule(1/5 tank volume monthly), but much less than I had previously.


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