Reactors

Could someone give me a general understanding of different reactors such as calcium, phosphate, GFO, carbon, biopellets, and planktonic do? Also how they would go in the sump? I want to have a super dialed tank and these all seem necessary I guess. Except I feel like I can just add carbon and GFO in my filter bags on my Emperor 400.

 

A fluidized reactor puts more media in contact with the water then a bag in the filter would. It pushes the water through the carbon/gfo/whatever allowing more contact. It makes a HUGE difference.

 

All are not necessary. Some don't even exist. I've never heard of a phosphate reactor, that's what the GFO is for.

I'll start with the most common.

GFO/Carbon reactors. This is a staple on most tanks. They allow for much more efficient use of carbon and GFO so you get the most out of the media. It forces water up through the media in a consistent manner.

Biopellets - Some actually use gfo/carbon reactors with some small modifications for biopellets. Not everyone runs biopellets but if you decide you want to run them for nutrient reduction I would suggest the SRO biopellet reactor. It's cone shaped bottom allows for a perfect tumbling of the pellets.

Calcium reactor - This is a very different kind of reactor and calls for a decent bit of equipment. A calcium reactor mixes co2 with water to lower the ph to a point that it can dissolve arganite or coral skeletons to replenish Alk and cal (along with some minor elements and a bit of magnesium) You can use dosers to get the same results.

Plankton reactors - These are new and mostly experimental. I can't think of anyone running one. They look neat though.

 

Thank you for the awesome answer. What I got out if it is to get a carbon gfo reactor. Maybe a bio pellet to reduce nitrates. Will that help the skimmer do its job?

 

I would suggest you hold off on the biopellets until you have done a lot of research. Biopellets can be great for nitrate and phosphate reduction, but if you don't fully understand how to use them you can run the risk of crashing your tank.

I would start off with a great skimmer, a reactor to run GFO and Carbon and regular water changes.

 

I think plankton reactors are used in aquaculture for a while though, but not so much in a reef.
People used to run reactors, I believe are called alga-film reactors. These are illuminated surface, that water flowed over to encourage algae growth and there was a wiper, to occasionally brush off the algae, into the tank to feed it. I think generally isn't believed that algae addition is really useful, but maybe it's coming back in vogue.

 

I fully agree here. On my last tank, I had a calcium reactor up and going. To be honest, it required more maintenance than it was worth. You can get the same results by dosing 2 part solution, usually more precise.

 

From what I understand BRS is about to carry a novel looking one from aqua medic. Aqua Medic Plankton Reactor & Plankton Light Reactor | Aquarium Supplies




Apparently it's for growing phyto and the phyto one can dump straight into a zooplankton reactor that is then dumped into the tank. It works through the ATO. So every time you top off, the water goes through the reactors and into the tank.

 

I think you were doing it wrong? Once it is set up and dialed in, it should barely need to be touched last time I touched mine was to fill the co2 tank and added water to the bubble counter.

 

Here's the mistake I made trying to have the best. I added all sorts of reactors to fix problems I didn't yet have. Skip the reactors, run the tank. When you know your tank well and start to see concerns that need addressing, reactors are an option for addressing them.