Run a reactor in between pump and DT?f

It is possible (or even a good idea) to put a media reactor from BRS in the line that runs from the return pump in my sump to my display tank? My Eheim pump is returning about 120gph back into my display tank.

I figure this way would be better than buying yet another pump to run water through the reactor when my return pump could just do it.

Make sense?

 

It does make sense mulder

the biggest issue many people have is any blockage on the reactor is a minor issue if its on a seperate pump
but if its on your return line, and gets clogged or blocked then that affects your overflow, skimmer and overall water quality management

Steve

 

Agreed.... and it will get clogged. It will decrease flow. There is nothing technically wrong with it... but you have to have enough flow for both and still maintain enough as the media gets clogged. Pretty much anything over the flow you have now will be too much for a reactor or the media in it. So it's a balancing act with not much room.

 

I would think the flow would get reduced going through the reacter thus reducing the overflow back into the sump which might affect the sump's effectiveness.

 

I was thinking of using a Y connector so some water will go straight to the sump, some to the reactor (which will have a valve on it to control water flow). Then I would have to decide where the return from the reactor would go. Back to the sump? Feed back into the return line to DT?

 

I would put it into the sump wherever the other line is going, TBH.

But the better option is to put a pump into your return section, and run the reactor from that, with the return line going back to the return section away from the reactor pump.

 

So you would run the return line from the reactor to the return line of the sump pump? How would you do this? Y connector?

 

No, you'd run the outlet of the reactor (just the end of a vinyl tube) in the general area of the return pump inlet. You just don't want the outlet for the reactor to be right on top of the reactor pump inlet, or you'll pump too much of the same water through the reactor over and over.

 

Ah, I see...put the return line from the reactor very close to the intake of the return pump. I always worry about wasting water if most of it just goes through the same device over and over--it sounds like that idea would help. I hate the idea of yet another pump though. I do have a leftover Penguin powerhead rated at 170gph. Not sure if that would be powerful enough. May have to do a Maxi-jet 900.

 

Ya, the MJ 900 is recommended. PLus... it matters how much media you are using. More media more restriction. I used a MJ 900 on my 90g that had the amount of media need for that.

So what are you running in the reactor?

If you tee off the return... as it gets clogged flow will just go to the display tank... but it is the path of least resistance and you will lose flow through your reactor very quick because not enough pressure.

The best thing to do is really to use another pump to run it separate so that you can properly push water through the media.