SPS Corals

There is a ball valve with the two canisters. The point is that there's no way to control the flow in each canister individually, so you're either doing what's best for the pellets or best for the GFO, not both. My GFO used to be well under 50gph.

GFO does best in a reactor, but like I said, it has different requirements than pellets, and shouldn't be in the same reactor.

Anyway, use pellets, then see in a couple months if you even need GFO. You probably won't.

 

This doesn't help me out a lot...

 

Jumper,

Consistent water parameters, good lighting and flow. Do not over feed and start with easy sps will be far more important than being concerned with GFO, bio-pellets and reactors. Yes they all serve an important purpose but are not a must have to keep sps. Just good water quality which you can get with water changes, a decent salt mix, and ro/di water is a good start IMO.

 

How many times should I feed a week

 

We need to know how many and what kind of fish to advise you. Also, for most fish, the amount is almost more important then the number of times.

 

I was just thinking that in a duel reactor, I could have the one that require higher flow rate first, then dial down the flow to the second canister.

If you really think only one is necessary, I will just get the single reactor for now.

 

Nope, you can't do that. First, there's no ball valve between the two; the ball valve is installed either before the first chamber or after the second, you pick when you install the line. Secondly, if you have two ball valves on a line, the amount of flow through is going to be a product of both of them, not just one.

For example, you have the first ball valve turned down 1/2 way, and the second turned down to 3/4 closed. From the beginning of the line to the end, you only have 1/4 flow (actually, less, because the two will compound, but you get the idea).

 

I understand that. But it could be done. You would have to do some calculation though...I guess I will just get one reactor for now. Then get a second later on, if I decide I need it.

 

No, you literally can't, unless you take the line going from chamber 1 to chamber two and split it with a T, with one end going to chamber 2 and the other going back to the sump, with a ball valve on each end so you can tune it in. (That's hypothetical; the BRS unit is all built into the plastic, so you can't separate the chambers like this)

The flow is going to be consistent from chamber 1 to chamber 2, even if you have a ball valve between them. The amount that can flow through chamber one will be exactly the amount that can flow through chamber two; you absolutely cannot get 200gph through chamber 1 and 60 gph through chamber 2 when they're plumbed in series with no outlet between them.

The only thing you could do is get the pressure in chamber 1 to be greater than chamber 2, not the flow rate.

 

Wll I'd like to keep an algae blenny and free swiming fish; not sure what though, but definitely not a chromis. I've had pretty bad experiences with them. Also damsels are too aggressive so thats out.