Phosphate Reactor
- Thread starter Wolve
- Start date
Hi Wolve! Have you introduced yourself in our "New Members" forum, yet?
To answer your question: if you want to... you don't HAVE to.... you can put the AC in a filter bag in a high flow area, in your tank's sump.......
To answer your question: if you want to... you don't HAVE to.... you can put the AC in a filter bag in a high flow area, in your tank's sump.......
Wolve, Fluidised reactors are a lot more efficient than bags of media in a filter flow. The carbon media only lasts about 2-3weeks in a reactor before it's efficiency deteriorates, very fast. In a bag within a trickle filter type situation one gets max 5-6 weeks.
But why do you want to run carbon in a reactor?
So, carbon a a chemical filter media needs to be added with caution.
But why do you want to run carbon in a reactor?
So, carbon a a chemical filter media needs to be added with caution.
thanks for the replies guys. i think i need to get a canister filter for the carbon. dont have another R 1500 for another reactor. hey jacquesb i have introduced myslef and put up a few pics of my current 3 foot tank, currently getting all the stuff together for my new tank 
@ janitor the carbon clears up the water greatly iv used it on my freshwater tanks and the results are great. and i will be using the proper ac from the waterboy
@ janitor the carbon clears up the water greatly iv used it on my freshwater tanks and the results are great. and i will be using the proper ac from the waterboy
Carbon will pull out all nutrients from your system. These include all the trace elements you are paying for in your premium salt or if you using NSW.
The use of Carbon in FW and SW filtration are not the same especially if you plan to keep corals.
Only use carbon (chemical filtration) to fix something that has gone wrong. Please do not use as a continuous means as you will regret in time to come. IMO
The use of Carbon in FW and SW filtration are not the same especially if you plan to keep corals.
Only use carbon (chemical filtration) to fix something that has gone wrong. Please do not use as a continuous means as you will regret in time to come. IMO
Fishy Steve
Hiden super user
I wanted to put some carbon in my tank and after reading this thread i'm having doubts. Will it really take all the trace elements out of the water?
Fishy Steve
Hiden super user
Sorry for taking over your thread but should i spend money on a Phosphate reactor if i have a canister filter doing nothing at the moment? Or does a Phosphate reactor work way better?
Hi guy's. IMO a high grade carbon should only be used for no more than three consecutive day's in a month. It does not distinguish between good and bad. It releases whatever it has drawn out when it is saturated (full) & can then cause greater problems.
A fluidized reactor (phosphate reactor) is designed to increase the surface area of the media and also extend its contact time with the water passing through it.
A fluidized reactor (phosphate reactor) is designed to increase the surface area of the media and also extend its contact time with the water passing through it.
Most reactors are fluidised so that the media gets more contact with the fluid passing through it. There are pros and con's to fluidised reactors however. My thoughts.
1) Fluidised reactors work by the water flow through the reactor keeping the media in suspense. By doing this the media particles have a longer, more intense contact time with the water. Therefore having a better ability to extract whatever the type of impurity the media is meant for.
2) Fluidised reactors also, due to the way they keep the media particles suspended, simmering like, tend to grind the media particles. Some very fine.
3) media in a bag within a canister filter or trickle filter does not get the desired contact time and is very inefficient in that a lot of media goes unused.
In short. if you use a reactor it is very important to always, and regulaly clean the top sponge/strainer as it clogs very easily due to the grinding. Also the media has to be changed regularly as it becomes extremely fine and will find it's way to your tank. If you can afford, use a reactor with a strict maintenance program. If you decide on the media in a bag option, use a large bag with minimum media. What i am saying is rather have a bag with media in that looks like a pan cake than one that looks like a dumpling. You must change media regularly though.
1) Fluidised reactors work by the water flow through the reactor keeping the media in suspense. By doing this the media particles have a longer, more intense contact time with the water. Therefore having a better ability to extract whatever the type of impurity the media is meant for.
2) Fluidised reactors also, due to the way they keep the media particles suspended, simmering like, tend to grind the media particles. Some very fine.
3) media in a bag within a canister filter or trickle filter does not get the desired contact time and is very inefficient in that a lot of media goes unused.
In short. if you use a reactor it is very important to always, and regulaly clean the top sponge/strainer as it clogs very easily due to the grinding. Also the media has to be changed regularly as it becomes extremely fine and will find it's way to your tank. If you can afford, use a reactor with a strict maintenance program. If you decide on the media in a bag option, use a large bag with minimum media. What i am saying is rather have a bag with media in that looks like a pan cake than one that looks like a dumpling. You must change media regularly though.
Mekaeel
Moderator
Should you not have a reactor, place the media in a stocking and run it passivley in your sump. I do it this way although I have a reactor.
You just got to kneed the stocking daily to remove any detritus settlement.
You just got to kneed the stocking daily to remove any detritus settlement.
Mekaeel
Moderator
Run AC 24/7 Wolve. Do a change every 2 weeks. Some guys change it once in a month.
thanks meks will give it a try and see how it works out. can always experiment a bit. i cant wait to get this tank filled up. waiting is so hard
Fishy Steve
Hiden super user
My canister has 5 levels. So i am gonna try running 5 'pancake' shaped filter bags like janitor recommended. 3 with Phosphate media and 2 with AC. I wanna c the carbon effect on my tank.