BRS Dual Reactor

[Drinkmorewater]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to setup my new BRS dual reactor and wasn't sure how much carbon and GFO I should be using. Is there a general rule of thumb?

Thanks!

 

[Boomer]

What GAC and GFO do you have ? Gen rule 1/2 cup of each /50gal, unless you are using ROX GAC, 1/3 cup /50 gal and HC-GFO 1/3 cup /50 gal. And you want the water going through the GAC first NOT the GFO first as BRS tells you.

 

[stunner620]

ordered mine today =]

 

[InfernoST]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to setup my new BRS dual reactor and wasn't sure how much carbon and GFO I should be using. Is there a general rule of thumb?

Thanks!

Go the BRS site and use there reef calculator it will tell you how much of each you need.

 

[chinatown]

how fast does the water need to flow through the GAC? I know the GFO, it should be boiling at the top but what about GAC?

 

[Boomer]

NO, the GFO is NOT suppose to be a boil. Either media should just be barley moving.

 

[chinatown]

Thanks Boomer.

 

[waynotcars]

I think you'll find it very difficult to get the proper flow through the dual reactor like I did. You want the gfo only moving around at the very top. It never flowed properly for me. I simply disconnected the fitting, underneath the top bracket, that connects the two reactors together and put an outlet and inlet tube and made two seperate single chamber reactors. It's way cheaper then buying 2 singles and by doing this you can get the gfo to tumble slightly at top and nice slow flow through your carbon.

 

[bigdog1428]

I read on here that Someone separated the 2 reactors and ran separate lines ,,, I'm lookin for another reactor and If I get the brs one ,, that's what i would do so u can control the flow better


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[chinatown]

I think you'll find it very difficult to get the proper flow through the dual reactor like I did. You want the gfo only moving around at the very top. It never flowed properly for me. I simply disconnected the fitting, underneath the top bracket, that connects the two reactors together and put an outlet and inlet tube and made two seperate single chamber reactors. It's way cheaper then buying 2 singles and by doing this you can get the gfo to tumble slightly at top and nice slow flow through your carbon.

thats exactly what i did, after realizing that i wanted 2 separate flow. all you need are some john guest push connectors and a valve that you can get from BRS. I couldn't find the 1/2" push valve in lowes or HD.

 

[Imbarrie]

Because GFO has a very low tolerance to flow unlike Carbon. It would be more efficient to run them separately.


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[waynotcars]

You don't even need a John Guest valve. All you need are threaded hose barb fittings you get at any hardware store. Here's all you do. Unscrew top bracket from canisters. Hack saw bracket in half so you now have 2 single brackets if you wanna use them. One chamber will have an inlet with the Guest valve already attached. Remove the outflow hose from second chamber and screw it onto outflow of first. Now one chamber is complete with adjustable inflow and an outflow using stock BRS inflow and outflow 1/2" hoses and fittings. This leaves you one reactor that now needs an infllow and outflow. Go to store and buy two barbed hose fittings and screw them into inflow and outflow of second reactor. Shove a 1/2" hose onto each barb. On the inflow hose put an inline regulator valve, either from the box of fittings and junk everyone always has laying around or the lfs or use a pvc valve from home depot. Entire project to split these reactors take 20 to 30 minutes. I love BRS BUT the design of this dual reactor is flawed. You will never get the proper flow to last more than a day or so.

 

[InfernoST]

I'm using the BRS dual reactor as it is and am not having issues however if you have 120 gal of volume or more you will need to look elsewhere if you are following the BRS calculator as there is barely enough room for the GFO and not enough room for the required amount of carbon with the 10" dual reactor setup. My water volume is about 130 gallons and just ordered up two Nextreef reactors because I'm unable to put in the required amount of carbon and am not comfortable with the amount of space for the GFO.
Just my .02

 

[Boomer]

My preference also is to use two reactors as the adsorption rate of the two are not the same, nor the flow.

 

[jadakiss]

boomer can u explain the difference in just the top layer moving instead of boiling. like is the asorption rate higher.

 

[InfernoST]

boomer can u explain the difference in just the top layer moving instead of boiling. like is the asorption rate higher.

if the GFO is allowed to boil it will break apart into very fine particles and find it's way thru the sponges and into your tank this is why it should be gently tumbled. If the flow is set to low it will become a solid block and become ineffective.

 

[jadakiss]

thats a issue because only a small piece of the top layer is suppose to move, what happens to the rest that doesnt move. mine always move on one side .

 

[waynotcars]

It should be remembered that the "tumbling" has absolutely nothing to do with the effectiveness of the GFO. The Ground Ferric Oxide reduces phosphates regardless of the flow rate. As stated on the BRS TV website. As stated above, the tumbling assures only that the the GFO neither forms a solid block (too slow a flow) or crushes itself and seeps into tank (too fast a flow). If it's tumbling on the sides then it's tumbling throughout. You're close to coreect rate if the sides are tumbling very slowly. It's only going to crush itself if it's tumbling very fast. The problem with the dual reactor is once the flow rate in carbon chamber slows down because of built up accumulation the flow rate in gfo is affected and it usually stops tumbling all together. It just NEVER stays at proper flow rate. It's so simple to seperate the two reactors and make two singles it just doesn't pay not to do so.

 

[chinatown]

You don't even need a John Guest valve. All you need are threaded hose barb fittings you get at any hardware store. Here's all you do. Unscrew top bracket from canisters. Hack saw bracket in half so you now have 2 single brackets if you wanna use them. One chamber will have an inlet with the Guest valve already attached. Remove the outflow hose from second chamber and screw it onto outflow of first. Now one chamber is complete with adjustable inflow and an outflow using stock BRS inflow and outflow 1/2" hoses and fittings. This leaves you one reactor that now needs an infllow and outflow. Go to store and buy two barbed hose fittings and screw them into inflow and outflow of second reactor. Shove a 1/2" hose onto each barb. On the inflow hose put an inline regulator valve, either from the box of fittings and junk everyone always has laying around or the lfs or use a pvc valve from home depot. Entire project to split these reactors take 20 to 30 minutes. I love BRS BUT the design of this dual reactor is flawed. You will never get the proper flow to last more than a day or so.

I run the reactor off a T from my manifold and everything is connected with push fittings so I just stuck with it. It was only $5 anyway from BRS and I had to place an order but your way is also a good alternative.

 

[Boomer]

thats a issue because only a small piece of the top layer is suppose to move, what happens to the rest that doesnt move. mine always move on one side .


The is perfect. When the top just barely moves it is telling you that you have proper flow throughput .