Fluidized media reactor, phosban reactor, ? difference?

[fish keeper 7]

Okay so instead of getting an R/O unt i plan on just getting a Phosban reactor, maybe two run one with carbon and one with phosban, i just dont really know what im looking for. I have a 46g bowfront w. a 15g sump and about 50 lbs of LR in display and about 25 more in sump. i have a lot of red algae that keeps coming and going. i using staten island NYC tap water for water changes and top off for the entire life of the tank. (about 8 months now) about 10% every week or so of water changes and sometimes about once a month or every other month i do like 25% in one shot. my 46g is the only tank i have with algae problems. 30g cube and 20g hex have no problems yet. and yes im running a protein skimmer, forgot what kind but its really good. and i have good water flow. 2.5 in sand bed also.

I finally got the algae to go away for a couple of weeks and then i did a decent sized water change and the next day, bam.. red algae again.

Sorry if thats a little hard to follow just crammed a bunch of info into one paragraph lol so i really just wat info on phosban reactors or what an r/o unit really is and how i would work one since i am a complete noob to an extent. i feel my kitchen wouldnt really work well w. an r.o unit and my mom would bug about the water bill since i have heard about 75% of the water is wasted. i just really want to lower my phosphates. i dont know the exact level but there HIGH..

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Personally I would run the 2 reactors along with an RO/DI water, especially since you say yourself the red algae comes back after a water change- should tip you off that the water source is not up to par.

 

[MisterTickle]

Tap Water quality can change. It may have been fine for the tank for 8 months, than something changed and phosphates went through the roof. You never know.

 

[cowfish]

+3 on the RODI. For a reactor you can't go wrong with the bulk reef supply dual stage reactors. Let's you run GFO and carbon. $ is quite reasonable.

 

[fish keeper 7]

what would i hook those pipes up to? this looks like a GREAT unit. perfect for what im looking for! thanks for the tip. im such a noob with equipment.
*edit* oh okay i thionk i got it, the pipe on the left has the maxijet1200 attached to it for the intake. and the pipe on the left would just go right back into my sump for the fludized or filtered water? it looks almost too simple lol. is it really that easy? *edit#2* how often do you have to change the media on one of these bad boys?

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Thats correct its a continuous loop the maxi or whatever pump you use is in your sump plumbed to the intake line of the reactor and the return or discharge line on the other side of the reactor goes back to the sump. Dont worry about floods or anything due to these because its only putting back the amount of water it pumps out of the sump into the filter.(just in case that worry went through your mind)

 

[fish keeper 7]

thanks jmmy, i think this will be my first buy then the end of may ill get an RO/di filter.
ill rub phosban and carbon. or does anyone else have a better suggestion as to what media i should put in the chambers?

 

[beerfish]

Carbon and GFO are best run at different flow rates. Does this unit have any way to control the flow through each chamber individually? If not you might as well just stick everything in one TLF reactor.

 

[Rayzor]

Beerfish im assuming Phosban is just a type or brandname of GFO...yes???Best run at two different flow rates?.....god could this get any more retarded.....such minutia....
doesnt Two Little Fishes have a reactor where the carbon and gfo are split by a small foam sponge in a single chamber....running presumably at the same flow rate?
And the bulk reef supplies twin chamber reactor shown in a previous post here..... wouldnt that be run at the same flow rate if there is only one pump inlet .....
Are u trying tell us that we all need to get two separate reactors...one for GFO with its own pump and one for carbon with another pump.....
Then why would anyone make or buy the type of reactor that is shown.......
sry but its just irritating....while i understand that the two materials have diffenent weights and densities and that each would ideally benefit from having its own pump to achieve proper fluidity of the H2O thru the media.....but "c'mon" its frustrating for us new guys to constantly hear this is wrong, or that is wrong....it should really be done this way or that......so if this bulk reef supply reactor doesnt have separate flow regulators then its worthless??? does bulk reef know this...?
again sry just venting...........

 

[KathyC]

Some don't chose to run both gfo & carbon, but many do.
They are also not necessarily changed at the same time.

You get the most benefit from GFO at a slow flow rate.

If you run water through GFO too quickly it breaks up the GFO sending it all over your tank - not a good thing.

Some of us have the 2 reactors daisy-chained together. Mine runs throu my carbon first and then there is a control valve and it goes into my GFO from there. But they run off the same pump.

I have not seen the BRS reactor in action- so I can't comment on that.

 

[beerfish]

.so if this bulk reef supply reactor doesnt have separate flow regulators then its worthless??? does bulk reef know this...?
again sry just venting...........

It's not worthless, just not as optimal as running two reactors.

One of the things you learn quickly in this hobby is that everyone has a different way of doing things. Some people don't run reactors at all, but do frequent water changes. Some people automate everything, others like a hands on approach. There's no formula for success that is guaranteed to work, but there are things you can do to help your chances.

Having 2 reactors is ideal, since you can change one individual media without changing the other, and you can have proper flow in each. Having one reactor with two chambers (like the one above) is the next best thing, since you can still change one of the items, but can't adjust individual flow.

I ran a successful tank for a long time with a small bag of carbon in the sump and no reactor, so don't go too crazy. Start small, and add on as you need / want to.

 

[Rayzor]

Thank you for clarifying beer......i was just having a mini-meltdown......cuz im thinking along the same lines as fishkeeper7....wondering if i need or should get a media reactor and eventually a RODI.....and it seem that every time i look there is some new piece of info...that blows up the last piece of info i jsut read.....
But ur right... i need to learn that there are many different routes to take to success....some effective...some optimal and some jsut downright useless......
Sifting between all of that....and trying to make the best decision for your needs, space limitations and budget.....Too much info...and not enuff beer...make Homer go crazy.................

 

[cowfish]

Here's how to detemrine if you need a media reactor:

If the water has a yellowish tint or isn't as clear as you'd like

OR

Your phosphates are too high

 

[JimmyR1rider]

For Rayzor and fish keeper- if running both off same pump- run it at the proper flow rate for the GFO(phosban-rowaphos) and let the carbon do what it can at that flow. Carbon calls for a higher amount of flow than the gfo- if you give the carbon the proper flow it will be too high for the gfo and possibly crush it up and it will go into your tank like Kathy said. The gfo in my eyes is the more important one of the two so give that optimal flow------it should look like its kind of "boiling" without the media floating up the reactor body.