Phosphate Reactor

Yes reactors are better, but a canister works. When is the last time you have changed out your media? what kind of media are you using? Check the phosphate in the tank then check the effluent for phosphates, the effluent should be lower than the tank.

 

phosphates in the tank are 0.03, i use a phophate rena pouch and change it every 3 months.

What do u mean by effluent...?

 

Could I fit something like this onto a nano-cube like tank?

 

How long are you leaving the phosphate connected and running on your tanks ?? I was told to only run it when the levels were needed as it loses its ability to work after a few weeks??? and at 26.00 a jar...don't wanna be replacing it every month ?

 

by effluent I mean, the output of the canister.

 

Can you just put some phosban and some carbon in the two little fishes or is running it as a multi-media reactor a bit harder than that? Also-can you just run these reactors in line with the return from the tank? I am trying to avoid extra pumps because I want to avoid a chiller.

 

Phosphate binding media needs to have a very low flow rate. In the 2 little fishes reactor it needs to be around 60 gal per hour. Carbon works better with a higher flow rate, but when used inline with a phosphate absorber it is limited on how well it works because of the lower flow REQUIRED by the phosphate binder. That is not to say the carbon is not working, just won't be working at full capacity.

When people mix them both in a canister filter they mix nearly 8 to 2 carbon to phosphate binder, then change it out more frequently than you would change phosphate absorber alone, but less frequently then you would change carbon alone.

I have 2 - two little fishes reactors one with carbon one with rowaphos linked in-line with a flow rate of around 60 gal per hour. I will change the carbon about 3 times more often then the rowaphos, something like carbon change monthly and rowaphos every 3 months.

You could add both to the same reactor but If you just mixed 50/50 you would be wasting a lot of good phosban. If I were going to put them in the same reactor I would put carbon on the bottom about 3/4 and the last 1/4 I would use the phosban hopefully then by the time the carbon has run out of its usefulness the phosban will also have absorbed the maximum amount of phosphate it can bind to.

 

how fast did you see your phosphates drop? I have the little fishies reactor for 2 almost 3 weeks now. not sure if I see it going down. Although it over kill, I thought about hooking up a 2nd one.

 

MY phosphates dropped from almost 3.0 down to about .05 in 3 days. This was with one reactor on a 160 gallon system. If you think your reactor is not working, measure the amount of phosphates coming directly from the reactor, and then measure the phosphates in the tank. The ones coming from the reactor should be lower, and if you have high phosphates in the tank it should be much lower coming from the reactor. If not then your media needs to be changed. If you had very high phosphates to begin with (above 3.0) and have a large tank you may use up all the media within 2 or 3 days. Think of it as a sponge, once its full its full and cant take in anymore phosphates, that could happen in 3 days if your phosphates are high when you first start the reactor, or it could happen in 3 months if your phosphates are already low and just maintaining. If you are maintaining, you will know when your media is used up by seeing a rise in phosphates in the display.

 

reactors are way better than bags especially for ferric hydroxide. the stuff is expensive so you should make the use of it as efficient as possible. fluidized beds utilize the most surface area possible and show great results