Carbon in a phosphate reactor?

I was thinking about getting a phosphate reactor. Right now I have a HOB filter and mainly only use it to run carbon in. I was wondering if I could mix carbon and ferric oxide together in a phosphate reactor? Thanks for the help

 

you're better off daisy-chaining 2 of them together because they will not lose their usefulness at the same rate.

 

I have it set up like inwall said, I have 2 reactors inline with each other..fed through a MJ1200, first one is carbon (since it requires more flow) then to a valve and then to the second reactor filled with GFO, than back into the sump...

 

I never thought of what Curt is saying, but I suppose he's right. The ferric oxide phosphate reducing media will last a very long time. The carbon will last to a much lesser degree.

If money is no object, and you're not put off by the inconvenience of throwing out good phosphate media when you toss the spent carbon; then mixing the two in one chamber is fine.

That's what I do.

Inwall really has me thinking now, though. Spending another $50 and running two reactors would save money in the long run.

 

Oh heck yeah!

But I can probably help you double the life of your carbon and it takes less than 2 minutes.

Drop the carbon into a sock of some sort, swing the full sock against at hard surface like a driveway, then re-rinse the fines out. This process will open all sorts of new surface area and you have basically doubled the life of your carbon. Alternatively, you can look at it like you bought your carbon for 50% off.

(Note: this process is not intended for Lignite-based carbons)

 

Wow....I did NOT explain that well at all.

Over time, you get to know with your tank when you need new carbon. THAT is when you break it, not at the beginning.

 

thanks for the input. I actually saw a reactor on bulkreefsupply.com that has two chambers, one for carbon and one for GFO, might pick that up for christmas

 

For a small tank that we have running with a sump, I use the single chamber method... for the 120g that I'm setting up, I have chosen to go with two separate Bulkreef supply reactors so that I can run more flow through the carbon and throttle the flow to the GFO to get that "boiling" effect with out causing it to grind itself into powder...

 

thanks for the advice

 

I would suppose that a few pulses in a food processor might accomplish the same thing??

I guess it takes one who's "in the biz," to know such things.

Thanks, Curt!!