Tom's 75 reef build

[TommyP]

Just got my Hanna checker in the mail to test more easily and more Accurately for phosphates. I just did a 5 gallon water change around 3pm. Here are the test results right now.


Why are they detectable?

 

[lnevo]

How do you use gfo , and carbon without a reactor?

You can run them passively. Put them in a mesh bag and put in high flow area. Not as effective but still works.

 

[lnevo]

Just got my Hanna checker in the mail to test more easily and more Accurately for phosphates. I just did a 5 gallon water change around 3pm. Here are the test results right now.
View attachment 142714

Why are they detectable?

There is a +/- .04 variance and I've also been told they will not read 0. Thats still a pretty good number.

 

[Jaftica]

Save yourself a big headache and pickup a tlf phosphate media reactor for best results, running the media in the sump isn't to effective at all, .11 is very high

 

[TommyP]

Save yourself a big headache and pickup a tlf phosphate media reactor for best results, running the media in the sump isn't to effective at all, .11 is very high

Ok, Rob. Thanks. I will look into this. Is .11 really a HUGE deal?

 

[Jaftica]

Ok, Rob. Thanks. I will look into this. Is .11 really a HUGE deal?

We try to keep the levels .03 or less, corals tend to color up better, less nuisance algae, with .11 your going to have problems down the road. Pm me if you need a reactor to borrow

 

[TommyP]

We try to keep the levels .03 or less, corals tend to color up better, less nuisance algae, with .11 your going to have problems down the road. Pm me if you need a reactor to borrow

Thanks for the kind offer. It seems affordable. I was thinking about maybe getting the dual reactor from BRS. The one for GFO and Carbon. It seems like it would be the last piece of equipment I would need. They have an option to buy with a maxi-jet 1200 for $89.99. Then just need to buy the media. What's the benefit of running carbon besides water clarity?

 

[Jaftica]

Carbon pulls the impurities out of the water, also keeps the water from yellowing, carbon can be run passively in the sump with no problems , it's the gfo that works best in a reactor, if you wanna get the gfo online your more than welcome to use mine till u get yours

 

[TommyP]

That's a good idea. It would save me some money too if I just got the TLF phos reactor. I think I even saw one at Petco this way I can run there and grab it without waiting for shipping. Where do I get a "sack" do put the carbon in if I wanted to run it passively? I would assume it would go in my first chamber where my skimmer and overflow is? How much do I use? How to I measure it. I had this for a while. Any good?

 

[TommyP]

 

[MrBanGa]

Nice

 

[TommyP]

Thank you!

 

[TommyP]

What's a good pump for this: Two Little Fishies Phosban Reactor 150?

 

[Jaftica]

What's a good pump for this: Two Little Fishies Phosban Reactor 150?

You don't need a lot of flow, can u tap off of your return pump? If not a small little maxijet will work fine

 

[TommyP]

You don't need a lot of flow, can u tap off of your return pump? If not a small little maxijet will work fine

Can't tap off my return because I'm using a clear plastic hose for that, not PVC. I will pick up a small mj pump. What size do you think I should get? when I looked up this reactor it said recommended flow rate is 80 to 90gph.

 

[TommyP]

So my gf picked me up a mj600 for the phosphate reactor. May just buy everything online and return the pump at petco. It was $40 and I see them cheaper online. They didn't have the tlf reactor must of been my mistake.

 

[TommyP]

Everytime I fill up my ATO reservoir I noticed it like 2-3 hours later it dumps like a gallon into my sump and messes up my level. I'm using the toms aqualifter pump with the float switch from autotopoff.com anyone else experience this issue?

 

[Jaftica]

Everytime I fill up my ATO reservoir I noticed it like 2-3 hours later it dumps like a gallon into my sump and messes up my level. I'm using the toms aqualifter pump with the float switch from autotopoff.com anyone else experience this issue?

Is the airline tubing from the aqualifter pump lower than the height of your ato container ? If so it is probably creating a siphon till it drains the ato to your sump level

 

[TommyP]

It does seem to be. Even before I left for work and it always has been when I had my 55 set up, but never really ran in to this problem. Should I raise the airline tubing that goes into the sump up higher? Or raise the actual pump up higher? I did lower the airline tubing a little bit more so it doesn't drip from so high you hear it less.

 

[Jaftica]

You gotta have the output tube higher than the ato container, just have the airline tube dump into another thicker tubing so it creates a siphon break, and then it won't splash