BioPellets - I`ve tried like dickens to get em to tumble

I've been running biopellets on my 90gal since I got it up and going about 3 months ago. I started off using two cups in a BRS reactor powered with an MJ1200. The pellets tumbled nicely for the first couple weeks and then started to clump. Two cups nearly filled the reactor so I dumped about 1/2 cup out to give em some more space and put it back to work. This helped but the pellets clumped up after a few days. I've been rinsing the pellets in tank water during water changes to clean off some of the biofilm. This always gets em tumbling again but only for a few days.


I decided that the MJ was probably a little under powered so I upgraded to a Sicce Syncra 2.0 pushing 560gph. The bigger pump pushes noticably more pellets but they still manage to clump after only a day or two; I dumped another 1/2 cup of pellets out and still clumping up.


Anyone have experience using biopellets that might be able to offer some advice? I know it's important to keep everyting moving in the reactor in order to get optimal results; am I going to have to get used to rinsing the pellets every couple days? I can't imagine that I need an even bigger pump, most of what I've seen recommends using something around 300gph. I also don't think it makes sense to dump anymore pellets out since the recommend dose is 1 cup per 50gal.


Any insight would help.

 

Took your advice Saddoris as I'm running a BRS reactor myself and notched out some of the rings; opened everything right up and seems to be doing the trick! Thanks for the tip!!