Use of 2 medias in 1 reactor

[Frenchie2]

I got a TLF 150 Phosban reactor from another reefer and I wondered if I can run 2 medias i.e. GFO & carbon within the same reactor. If so, what specific quantity should I use of each in the reactor? I did not have instructions, I looked up on internet but it is not overly specific... I have a 90 gallon tank and a 40 gallon sump. I am planning to run the reactor from the sump and got a Maxijet 600 to run the reactor. I was advised to use the "Matrix Carbon" (I was only going to run carbon initially). What kind of GFO would be suggested? Also where in the sump should I put the pump and the return tube? My sump is divided in 3 compartments: A small division for refugium (nothing in it at the moment), a division where the tank pump operates and another division where the skimmer is. The reactor will hang outside the sump above water line. Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[christyf5]

ok so heres the thing, if youre going to doubleup on media, the carbon will be exhausted long before the GFO. so you cant mix them together without either leaving the carbon too long, making it ineffective, or removing the GFO too soon, which is a waste and expensive. i would suggest running the carbon in a mesh bag so its easy to remove and replace after a shorter time period (ie. a week or two, or up to a month if that is your preference) and the GFO can stay in the reactor for 2-3 months.

when i ran my 90 gallon tank, i used a cup of carbon and a third of a 150g container of phosban. I dont use rowaphos because it strips the water too quickly and i lost a bunch of sps as a result. I now use GFO from bulk reef supply because its a better deal. most GFO comes with instructions on how much to use and i wouldn't run more than the recommended amount.

if you can try to have the reactor intake towards the end of the sump where the tank water enters and the reactor output near the sump return, that makes the most sense to me.

also be sure to run flow through the reactor slow enough so that the GFO does not move. you dont want it tumbling an creating a fine powder to disseminate throughout your tank as it breaks down. use the small valve that came with the reactor fir this on the reactor outflow line.

i think that covers it!

[fishytime]

not really.....carbon and GFO both have different optimal flow rates

[whatcaneyedo]

GFO wont necessarily be used up before the carbon. That all depends on what your present phosphate level is. If its quite high the GFO could become saturated within a couple of days. The same can be said about carbon. If your tank has a lot of dissolved organic compounds, a high bioload and the water is quite yellow the carbon could become clogged pretty fast.

The whole argument of how much to use and when to change it give me a headache. My own advice is to start off using a minimal amount of each and adjust if necessary.

I personally just use one cup of each in separate TLF reactors which I change out monthly on my 220gal system. The water is extremely clear and phosphates have been undetectable with simple test kits for the past two years. The reason I keep them separated is because I dont want too much flow through the carbon which would cause it to fluidized and grind together to create fines. But I do want just enough flow through the GFO to create a little bit of agitation at the surface because that is what the manufacturer recommends. For me this seems like the optimal way to do things.

This topic has been discussed a few times before. Try doing a search and you'll find much more information.

[Jackie]

What about 2 reactor with one pump?
Will it work?

[fishytime]

Originally Posted by Jackie

What about 2 reactor with one pump?
Will it work?

nope.....impossible to get the optimal flow to both medias....

[Buzz]

Originally Posted by fishytime

nope.....impossible to get the optimal flow to both medias....

Couldn't you have a valve on the inlet of each reactor and adjust the flow that way?

[whatcaneyedo]

Of course it would. As long as the pump is powerful enough to pump water through both. You could tee both reactors off of the same pump and individually control the flow through each or daisy chain the two together which would mean the flow through each would be the same. In both cases you'd at least be able to change the media independently when it became exhausted.

Two reactors T'd off of one pump (not to be confused with two girls and one cup) each with its own ball valve for individual flow control.

[viperfish]

Originally Posted by fishytime

nope.....impossible to get the optimal flow to both medias....

Not impossible at all. J&L sells a TLF kit which consists of two reactors and one MJ pump http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/tf...o+Package.html. I know quite a few people who have run this configuration and it works just fine.

[no_bs]

Originally Posted by whatcaneyedo

Of course it would. As long as the pump is powerful enough to pump water through both. You could tee both reactors off of the same pump and individually control the flow through each or daisy chain the two together which would mean the flow through each would be the same. In both cases you'd at least be able to change the media independently when it became exhausted.

Two reactors T'd off of one pump (not to be confused with two girls and one cup) each with its own ball valve for individual flow control.

Originally Posted by medhatreefguy

Not impossible at all. J&L sells a TLF kit which consists of two reactors and one MJ pump http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/tf...o+Package.html. I know quite a few people who have run this configuration and it works just fine.

Exactly