Grotech BioPelletReactor BPR-80 incl. 250ml Biopellets

Filter for external operation or in the filter tray. For aquariums up to 400 l ....

Grotech BioPelletReactor BPR-80 incl. 250ml Biopellets

Filter for external operation or in the filter tray. For aquariums up to 400 l.

Specifications Grotech BioPelletReactor BPR-80

• Dimensions 100 x 140 x 370 mm
• Content 1000ml
• Hose connections 12 mm
• Content 1000ml
• Max. Filling quantity approx. 600 ml BioPellets

How biopellets work

The highly effective NP-Minus BioPellets consist of 100% biodegradable polymers. These dissolve over a period of several months and act as a carbon source for aerobic bacteria and other microorganisms. The pellets are a food source for these microorganisms. Together with the nitrate and phosphate, which are usually present in the aquarium water due to metabolic processes, microbial biomass is formed in this way.

Description of the precise mechanism of action of NP-Minus BioPellets:

In several metabolic cycles that take place in the aquarium, organic nitrogen and phosphorus compounds result in inorganic nitrate and phosphate components. The biochemical processes that now lead to their decomposition with the help of the NP-Minus BioPellets require a lot of oxygen. The increased oxygen consumption is the result of their metabolism by suitable strains of bacteria that use the carbon of the BioPellets as an energy supplier. It is therefore advisable to use the NP-Minus BioPellets in a fluidized bed filter or pellet reactor. On the one hand, this ensures the required aerobic conditions and, on the other hand, the biofilm that gradually develops on the granules is reliably and continuously rubbed away by the turbulence in the filter. It takes several weeks for these processes to start, ie to grow sufficiently large bacterial populations. The use of NP-Minus BioPellets can also prevent or curb the ugly growth of cyanobacteria, as the bacteria living on the BioPellets compete with the "red slime algae".

There are two different methods of removing or using this nitrate and phosphate, which are now immobilized in the water cycle. In the first case, the fluidized bed filter is installed before the protein skimmer. In this way, the excess biomass released by sanding in the filter is skimmed off and the unwanted nitrate and phosphate are successfully removed from the aquarium cycle.

In aquariums without a protein skimmer or if a filter is placed behind the protein skimmer, the organic components that form in the fluidized bed filter are available as food for the filtering aquarium inhabitants and corals. In addition, additional biofilms of anaerobic bacteria develop to a lesser extent in anaerobic aquarium areas, which remove nitrogen components from the aquarium water through denitrification. If the oxygen-enriched water coming from a skimmer is fed to the fluidized bed filter, it has the advantage that there is always enough fresh aerated water available for it.

Regardless of the arrangement of the fluidized bed filter component, it is generally important that the different strains of bacteria that settle on the pellets receive the oxygen essential for their highly efficient pollutant breakdown
It is important to ensure that there is adequate gas exchange, especially in the dark at night in the aquarium. This can be guaranteed by ventilation (for example through the skimmer) in combination with sufficient water movement. This is also important for all other aquarium inhabitants so that there is no dangerous oxygen loss in the aquarium water.

In essence, the way the NP-Minus BioPellets work is different from that of denitrification filters or the vodka method. Both use either plastic-bound food sources or alcohol to utilize nitrate as an oxygen source for bacterial metabolic processes under anaerobic conditions. Nitrate is gradually reduced to atmospheric nitrogen and can escape from the aquarium.

A disadvantage of the vodka method, which works without a special filter, is that the anaerobic bacteria form biofilms on all surfaces of the aquarium. This can also block pipes and hoses or cause unsightly bacterial deposits to land on the aquarium decoration or glass panes. An uncontrolled high amount of alcohol in the aquarium, for example caused by an incorrect dosage, leads to symptoms of poisoning that can lead to the death of the aquarium inhabitants. The vodka filter is also time consuming, as the amount of alcohol is dosed daily and must be adjusted over time to suit aquarium conditions.

GroTech NP-Minus BioPellets are the perfect solution for safely lowering nitrate and phosphate levels that are too high. Especially in aquariums with a high nutrient load due to the necessary supplementation of azooxanthellate invertebrates