Need Help with BR-110 Biopellet Reactor

[dmowrer018]

Wondering if anyone can help me or give me some pointers with my Reef Octopus BR 110 biopellet reactor. I currently have a 300 gallon set up with a Vectra L2 (3100 gph) for my return with a manifold system. I currently only have a UV sterilizer attached to my manifold and was trying to add the BR 110 biopellet reactor. I have tried multiple times to get the biopellets to tumble but they just won't. The water flows through the reactor but the darn pellets just won't move. I am using the BRS recommend amount of biopellets (1 cup to 50 gallons of tank water). So I was thinking there may have not been enough water flow or gph through through the manifold into the reactor (which it states the BR 110 reactor needs 800 gph), that's when I decided to go out and buy another pump that hooks up to my Red Sea unit that is rated for 530 to 1450 gph, and hooked it straight up to the reactor hoping I would get some tumble. WELL Guess what........still no tumbling of the biopellets. No I am begging to wonder if the reactor is defective or am I just doing something really dumb. Thanks for your help.

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

I would first open up the reactor and give the pellets a good stir to loosen them up. If they have sat for a while sometimes they can start to stick together. After that I would give it another try and be ready to turn up the pump quite a bit. Biopellets require a lot of flow. The churning-style reactors seem more efficient and don't need quite as much flow.

 

[KrisReef]

The only "really dumb" thing that might make it not tumble would be putting the input in the outlet connection?

Also, they should still work if they are getting flow, "tumbling" is ideal but not absolutely necessary.

GL

 

[dmowrer018]

I would first open up the reactor and give the pellets a good stir to loosen them up. If they have sat for a while sometimes they can start to stick together. After that I would give it another try and be ready to turn up the pump quite a bit. Biopellets require a lot of flow. The churning-style reactors seem more efficient and don't need quite as much flow.

I had given the biopellets a good washing with RODI water in a strainer prior to putting into the reactor. Once connected to the Red Sea pump, I had the pump up to 100% its power which would be the 1450 gph. And that's when there was still no churning or rolling of the biopellets. That's why I'm thinking there is something wrong with the pipe that goes down the middle of the biopellets. I just can't figure it out.

 

[dmowrer018]

The only "really dumb" thing that might make it not tumble would be putting the input in the outlet connection?

Also, they should still work if they are getting flow, "tumbling" is ideal but not absolutely necessary.

GL

HAHAHA......I actually ensured that I did not make that silly mistake. I just don't know what is not causing them to roll around.