Using solid “biodegradable” materials as a carbon source in aquariums is a relatively new trend that has caught on with rapid pace–and it’s already taking some offbeat twists. The lastest material some daring aquarists have begun experimenting with is rice.  Yes, the abundant grain that can be found virtually anywhere for a a few bucks.

What sparked this recent discussion? In 2009 a study on the use of rice husks as a carbon source in waste water denitrification was published by the Tonji University in Shanghai [PDF]. They found nitrate removal efficiency was increased with rice husks and the material could be an economically effective carbon source for wastewater treatment. See the abstract below:

In this research, rice husk, a lignocellulosic waste from agroindustry, was investigated as the sole carbon source as well as biofilm carrier in the biological denitrification of wastewater in up-flow laboratory reactors.An artificial wastewater with a temperature in the range of 27–33 ?C was used. Fast startup of the reactor and a high nitrate removal efficiency was observed. The highest rates of denitrification about 0.096 kg/m3 d were achieved when flow rate and nitrate concentration were 41.4 L/d and 25.0 mg/L, respectively.

Nitrite accumulation in treated water was practically zero during the experiments. Flow rate and nitrate concentration of the influent were observed to have a significant effect on nitrate removal efficiency. A very sharp decline was observed when the flow rate reached 30 L/d. The reactor had the ability to accommodate a wind range of pH(6.5–8.5) and DO(1.5–4). A time-dependent decrease in nitrate removal ratewas observed after 72 days of operation. And the addition of new rice husk brought about a rapid increase of the nitrate removal efficiency. The results showed that rice husk could be an economical and effective carbon source for the nitrate removal process.

Can rice act as a carbon source for bacteria? Yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it–and that’s coming from someone who loves to experiment. If your worried about costs, try sugar. Not only is it much cleaner it allows the dosing to be adjusted. The notion that you cannot “overdose” a solid carbon source is quite misleading.

[image: IMH creative commons]

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We previously showed you Yoon Yeo Kwang’s beautiful 100g aquarium, and now ZEOvit.com is putting it in the spotlight again with its Dream Tank of the Quarter Award. With its attractive aquascape, coralscape and coloration, Yoon’s aquarium is a deserving winner.

A brief equipment and additive profile is included below, but be sure to check out the full ZEO write up here.

ZEOvit Products:

• KZ Activated Cabon: 0.4L monthly)
• Zeobak(3drops daily),
• ZeoStart2(3drops x 2 daily)
• Pohl’s Xtra(1ml daily),
• AAHC(2drops x 2 weekly)
• Zeozym 1 tea spoon bi weekly
• B-Balance(3drops x 2 weekly)
• Coral Vitalizer(3drops weekly),
• Sponge Power(3drops x 2 weekly)
• PIF1(3drops x 2 weekly)

EQUIPMENT & MAINTENANCE

• Ca / KH addition: GEO612 Reactor+ARM+MG MEDIA
• Reverse Osmosis: RO/DI+TDS meter
• Water Circulation: RD48 Return pump
• Cooling System: DBM250 chiller 26.5Degree – crossfan 26 degree
• ZEOvit Reaktor: Model 7
• Protein Skimmer: ATB Small Cone Skimmer

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Left: the original NP BioPellets Right: The mistakenly high lipid content pellet

NP BioPellets is offering free product replacements for customers who have mistakenly received a different biopellet version that contains an increased “lipids”. These fatty acids are shutting down skimmers for aquarists that have used them–a potentially serious issue when biomass export is required to reduce nitrate and phosphate that has been assimilated by bacteria grown on the carbon source substrate.

A mixture of good and ‘bad’ biopellets in 500ml packaging.

DVH Import has stated skimming should resume in 2-3 days, but for those seeking the original pellet design they can receive a replacement pack free charge. For now, users who have received the square shaped pellets are urged to remove them, and only utilize the original oval shaped NP Biopellet [See their full customer letter below; emphasis our own]

Note: North American distributor Aquarium Specialty has said that no N.A. based customers have received these pellets and all packages have been examined prior to sale. We suggest all users, especially those in Europe & Hong Kong where these bad batches have been seen, “verify their pellets”.

Sill not sure what you’ve got? Snap a photo of the picture and ask your local dealer–or better yet post a picture in the comments below.

Dear Customers,

We got some news from the users who are using our NP Reducing BioPellets. The problem is that the skimmer stops skimming when people add the NP Reducing BioPellets. We checked our control batch, which we keep from each incomming shipment, at our warehouse and found a odd shaped BioPellet in a 300KG bulk batch.

These odd shaped pellets (see picture) is a NP Reducing BioPellet but it came from a other production machine at our manufacturer. They do work, but it takes longer before they start working. Next to that they contain more lipids then normaly. This is why the skimmer stops functioning. Depending on the used volume of the BioPellets most of the skimmers start working again in 2-3 days. In some cases it takes (much) longer. These odd shaped pellets are not harmfull for your animals.

What to do:

If your skimmer stops working when you have added the NP Reducing BioPellets and you have 2 shapes of NP Reducing BioPellets, contact the store where you bought the NP Reducing BioPellets for more information to solve this problem. What you can do in the mean time: 1.) Take out the NP Reducing BioPellets till you contacted the store and helped you solve the problem or 2.) Sort out the 2 shapes of BioPellets and put only with oval shaped pellets back in to the system, not the square ones. Do contact the store where you bought the NP Reducing BioPellets. We will compensate all customers who got the 2 different pellets and have problems with the skimmer by shipping replacement bags to the local distributors ASAP.

We apologies for all the trouble. We are doing our best to make all customer happy again with our NP Reducing BioPellets.

We want to point out that there are no fake BioPellets on the market as is suggested by some. All our newly shipped NP Reducing BioPellets are thermo sealed.

Sincerely yours,

Dennis van Houten

Director D. van Houten (Import – Export – Euro*Depot/Distribution) exporter NP Reducing BioPellets

For more information on this media, see our initial NP Biopellets Review here and keep an eye out for follow up piece.

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SWC is joining in on the carbon based biopellet rush with their new SWC Extreme NP Bio Media. Like the many other new biopellets that are already, or will soon be, on the market, the SWC Bio Media is a biodegradable substrate which provides a carbon based ‘food’ to grow nitrate and phosphate reducing bacteria. Think Vodka or VSV, but in a solid form.

SWC is adamant to point out that these pellets are not PCL–infact they state in the product description, “does not contain harmful PCL resins”. They also throw in a “Not Manufatured in China as some other inferior products are.” Ouch. From what we hear, SWC plans to make their Extreme NP Bio the most inexpensive biopellet media to date…. and the pricing wars begin.

SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Bio Media is the most effective filtration used for the control of nitrates and phosphates within the aquarium ecosystem, while also providing a continuous bacterial food source for the health and well being of the aquarium ecosystem. SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Bio Media is best utilized with SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Reactors. These reactors are designed with SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Bio Media in mind. Media should be kept fluidized for optimum results. The SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Bio Media cannot be overdosed. However if your aquarium ecosystem is high in nutrients, you may experience a brief bacterial bloom. This will give your aquarium water a white cloudy appearance. If this occurs monitor and maintain an appropriate pH level. For optimum results utilize the following amount of SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Bio Media 250ml per 50 gallons/500ml per 100 gallons/1000ml per 200 gallons. Dosage may be increased depending on your unique bio load requirements.

The first step to enhancing a healthy aquarium ecosystem begins with pre soaking the SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Bio Media in Reverse osmosis water for 24 hours. Then introduce 50% of the recommended dosage of the SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Bio Media into a SWC NP Reduction Reactor and introducing the remaining 50% of the recommended dosage to the SWC NP Reduction Reactor after a 1 week period. Make sure you are utilizing a powerful protein skimmer to prevent oxygen depletion. The use of the appropriately sized model of SWC Xtreme Protein Skimmer will help improve your ability to maintain optimal oxygen levels. Direct the output of the SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Reactor towards the input of the SWC Xtreme Protein Skimmer. SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Bio Media may need to be replenished as the bio media are consumed by the NP Reduction process. This will need to be addressed at approximately the 8-12 month period of time, depending on your unique bio load.

IMPORTANT: Maintain a high enough water flow through the SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Reactor to maintain a fluidized column. Too slow of a flow and you may produce a toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. This is detrimental to your aquarium ecosystem. Using a UV Sterilizer or Ozone Generator will slow the growth of bacteria in the reactor and increase the cycling time of the SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Bio Media. SWC Xtreme NP Reduction Bio Media is ecologically friendly and is totally bio degradable. Does not contain harmful PCL resins

Not Manufatured in China as some other inferior products are.

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NpX Bio Beads are a new name, but are apparently not a new product. Canada based Oceanic Corals is now sourcing these denitrification beads from a “trusted manufacturer”. They openly state, “NpX Bio-Beads are produced by the identical manufacturer as the “other” European brand”.

It’s not a real secret what these beads are or that they can be purchased in bulk, however, we’ve been told many times that Reef Interests, manufacturer of NP Biopellets, has exclusivity on this aquarium product offering working with the patent owners [Note, Reef Interests has never put forth a patent number]. Building on that, Aquarium Specialty has exclusive North American distribution for NP Biopellets.

Prices for the NPX-Bio Beads are $110 for 1100ml. NP BioPellets come in at $100 for 1000ml–point being both are priced the same at $0.10 per ml [Excluding sale /intro/pre-order pricing for both products]. With their current pricing and marketing NpX Bio Beads will be hard pressed to gain market share from the first-to-market NP Bio Pellets.

See NPX Bio Beads full product description below.

NpX-Bio Beads are a novel filter media that is used for the control of Nitrates and Phosphate in within the aquarium as well as providing a constant food source for filter feeders and micro fauna.

NpX-Bio Beads are best used within a fluidized reactor with enough flow to keep the top layer of Beads tumbling aggressively. Start with about ½ the total volume of Beads you want to run and work your way up to the full volume over a week or so. The average amount of Beads to aim at is about 550ml per 75 Gallons of water volume, more or less can be used depending on your unique bio load and inhabitants.

The Bio Beads generally cannot be overdosed; however, if your system is very high in nutrients you may experience a bacterial bloom once the Beads have been added. The bloom should clear within a few days but it is essential to make sure your skimmer is functioning properly and that the discharge of the reactor is directed into the skimmer. If the aquarium is not sufficiently oxygenated during a clouding event the oxygen can drop to dangerous levels.

NpX-Bio Beads should be topped up as the Beads dissolve, this usually takes anywhere from 7-12 months depending on your bio load.

Thank you for purchasing the NpX-Bio Beads!

Important:

• Maintain sufficient water flow through the NpX-Bio Beads, to prevent production of hydrogen sulphide gas.
• The use of ozone and UV will negatively affect bacterial recruitment of the NpX-Bio Beads and increase the maturation time of the filter. Adding bacterial cultures may alleviate this problem and shorten filter maturation time in general.
• When nitrate and phosphate are already very low before applying NpX-Bio Beads, a decrease in these levels may not be detectable with standard aquarium test kits.

[oceanic corals]

[updated 4/27:  tongue in cheek pun subsequently removed.]

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A recent study performed by researchers from the Università Politecnica delle Marche in Ancona, Italy and the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute suggests that dietary probiotics may increase the success of captive breeding in marine ornamentals. Researchers supplied the bacterial strain “Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501 to clownfish (A. ocellaris) larvae from the first day posthatch simultaneously by live prey and with addition to rearing water and exclusively by live prey “.

The researchers found that larvae and juveniles fed ‘probiotic gut loaded’ live feeds and were raised in treated water with L. rhamnosus exhibited double the body weight of those fish reared under normal conditions and with non-probiotic feeds. Additionally they found improved skeletal head development with a reduction in deformities ranging from 10 to 20%. From the study, “Alteration in molecular biomarkers supported the faster growth observation. There was significantly increased gene expression of factors involved in growth and development (insulin-like growth factors I and II, myostatin, peroxisome proliferator-activatedreceptors  and ?, vitamin D receptor , and retinoic acid receptor ) when probiotics were delivered via live prey and added to the rearing water. Moreover, probiotic treatment lessened the severity of the general stress response as exhibited by lower levels of glucocorticoid receptor and 70-kDa heat shock protein gene expression.”

[AJP, flickr : a.ruben]

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Instant Ocean’s recently introduced Natural Nitrate Reducer is one of the new biopolymer products on the market aimed at reducing nutrient levels in your aquarium. The product has a gooey consistency filled with small plastic beads–I can only guess what the liquid portion of the product is, but we can say with fair certainty the beads are made up of biodegradable polyester–PCL or formally polycaprolactone.

The product is patented under patent #7,244,358, thanks to Günter Ritter and Tetra GmbH of Germany.  The idea of PCL in waste water treatment is nothing new and it was only a matter of time for it be applied to aquariums. In fact, the patent was applied for in 2002 and finally granted in 2007. It then took nearly 3 years for Instant Ocean to finalize and market the Nitrate Reducing product. Interestingly, the patent also mentions PHB or Polyhydroxybutrate. In the document it states PHB was very effected in anerobic conditions when applied into the aquarium substrate, while PCL was overall more effective in aerobic conditions.

The use of PHB is based on Boley’s 2000 study Biodegradable polymers as solid substrate and biofilm carrier for denitrification in recirculated aquaculture systems. With a little research I was able to some follow up research from Boley and the University of Stuttgart, on evaluating biodegradable polymers including PCL, PHB, and potato flour based BioPlast GF and GS. Below is a chart from this study showing the effectiveness of the biopolymers previously mentioned.

Boley shows that PHB and PCL, a mixture of biopolymers (carbon sources), marginally outperformed PCL by itself. These materials were used in a ‘fixed bed reactor’:

You can find the word document here in a browser friendly HTML version. Early adopters have reported some success with Instant Oceans product, however it may take more time to cultivate biofilms using these biopolymers, than when using the more commonly used carbon sources such as Vodka or VSV. I suspect PCL will be incorporated by many aquarists going foward. It is relatively inexpensive and like NP BioPellets, does not require daily dosing.

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Got colored sticks? Andrzej Niewiarowski does. His striking  SPS dominated reef display took top honors with ZEOvit.com’s Dream Tank of the Quarter. The pastel colors may not be to everyones tasted, but there is no denying that Andrezej has some serious reefing talent.

If it were not for the vibrant colors, the tank would be classified as a drab rock well–in this case the yellows and blues and reds provide visual depth on an otherwise flat aquascape. Andrzej achieves this coloration using T5s, ZEOvit and the Balling Method.

Following in the footsteps of noted aquarist Szymon Janowski, Poland is making a colorful presence in the online reefing world.

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NP Bio Pellets are a solid organic carbon polymer that provides a substrate and food for bacteria. We’ve slowly introduced this new filtration method into the glassbox over the past two weeks for a review. We plan to use the media two ways–the first being in a traditional media / zeovit reactor that will gently tumble the bio pellets. The second, as a substrate to a cryptic refugium housing various tunicates and sponges.

The Bio Pellets are roughly 1cm in diameter and slowly sink when introduced to water. As a substrate, the media is easily agitated using a turkey baster or increasing flow nearby. In the two weeks of use I has not yet observed any changes or seen a reduction in nutrients.

As much as we’d like to provide an indepth review on this product, without a controlled lab setting we will not be able to provide hard data. NO3 and PO4 levels of the aquarium water will be measured and and observations will be taken on the appearance of corals and the growth of micro algae. This product will take a long time to evaluate and like any organic carbon source–there will be a learning curve.

Reef Interests does suggest that you cannot overdose with Bio Pellets, unlike ethanol, but I’m being cautious with the introduction of this new “filter”. A biodegradable media is an intriguing concept and I am curious to see if it can live up to its claims. For me the biggest test will be how well it supports non-photosynthetic life, like the sponges and tunicates that reside in my cryptic refugium. If you’re anxious to try the bio-media yourself, NP Bio Pellets are now available from Aquarium Specialty and Premium Aquatics.

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It was previously thought that sponges fed predominantly on plankton. But now, it has been found that the diet of certain cave sponges is largely reliant on dissolved organic carbon (DOC)–in some cases over 90%. Dr. de Goeij saw this large influx of organic carbon going into the sponges, but they were not growing very quickly. The obvious question remaining was where is  it going?

It turns out the majority of organic carbon intake was driving cell turnover which was identified by discarded choanocytes–the cells in sponges that help pump water into the animal to then be filtered.  Much like we shed skin cells, sponges do the same thing at a very fast rate. Using a unique detection test, de Goeji found the chanocytes of one species (Halisarca caerulea) divided in just 5.4 hours!  This in turn provides a food source for other animals and corals that cannot directly utilize dissolved organic carbon. De Goeji said,

“Sponges filter their food out of the water. Because they live in a nutrient-poor environment, they sometimes have to pump 100 liters of water a day. This increases the chances of a sponge coming into contact with all kinds of viruses, bacteria and poisonous substances. These things can cause permanent damage. In order to avoid this, the sponge constantly rejuvenates its cells.”

Organic carbon is largely ignored as a food source by most corals we keep in aquaria. In fact, they release considerable amounts through mucus and slime–one study estimates that 20% of DOC found on the reefs is the result of expelled coral mucus.  This  coral slime helps drive the food web, feeding bacteria which are then consumed and consumed again. A missing link in this DOC food web now appears to be  these carbon recycling sponges.

In aquariums we don’t have the luxury of balanced food webs–we generally export, permanently rather than tightly shift and recycle nutrients as we see in the ocean. However, sponges may provide a unique filtration and natural food source for reef keepers to implement. Over the past few years the idea of cyrptic refugia for sponges, rather than macro algae, has been explored and it may have its merit.

The cryptic, sponge dominated refugium of  GBD contributor Leonardo den Breejen. Leonardo utilizes various organic carbon sources, which may be a link with the impressive sponge growth seen here.

Much still needs to be understood regarding the care and aquaculture of marine sponges. In the past these beautifully colored mesohyl animals were doomed in aquaria–but now I am left wondering, with the rise in popularity of organic carbon dosing (e.g. ZEOvit, Vodka, VSV or the latest solid form–NP Bio Pellets) are we better able to provide what may be a crucial food source for these animals? I truly don’t know, but it’s something to be explored.

For more information see:

De Goeij, J. M., De Kluijver, A., Van Duyl, F. C., Vacelet, J., Wijffels, R. H., De Goeij, A. F. P. M., Cleutjens, J. P. M. and Schutte, B. Cell kinetics of the marine sponge Halisarca caerulea reveal rapid cell turnover and shedding. The Journal Of Experimental Biology, 212.

[Coral Science, Science Daily]

[cc : lazlo]

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