BRS Mini Reactor Question

[djbetterly]

Right now I'm using the mini reactor with carbon and gfo and I'm not too happy with the results of my PO4. Currently my PO4 is around .05 but it never really drops below that, even after a water change. Would there be any downfall to using just GFO in it?

 

[jent]

I have two mini reactors due to space limitations. One is 100% filled with carbon, and one has GFO in it. The issue with using just GFO is that it can be kind of tricky to get it to tumble right. With that limitation in mind, it's absolutely possible. Here is some things I have learned:

* I got some extra sponges for the reactor chamber, cut one in half (so it is half as thick), and then cut a hole in the center. I then placed it under interior cylinder. This helps lots, because one of the issues in getting it to tumble is the side that the flow is coming in wants to tumble much easier than the rest of it. This restricts the flow a little bit, encouraging it to flow at other points.

* I you need to be able to adjust the flow pretty precisely. I personally am doing this using a gate valve that comes off a manifold from my return. When adjusting the flow I adjust it so that it is actually tumbling too hard. In about 4 hours it always seems to slow the tumble to what you actually want. This takes some trial and error, but I have found if you adjust it so it's tumbling like you want at the start, in a few hours it wont be tumbling at all.

All in all, I am happy with the setup, but it has taken some tuning to get the tumble to be just right. Let me know if I can help any more.

 

[djbetterly]

Awesome! Pictures would help. You don't need to disassemble unless you are doing so in the near future.

Where did you get the sponges from?

 

[jent]

I can try to take some photos tomorrow. You can get the sponges from BRS:

BRS Reactor Replacement Pads (Hard Shell) - Bulk Reef Supply

It's just the normal sponge that would go at the top of the reactor, except I cut it so it's thinner and put it under the bottom of the media chamber. I will try to take a photo tomorrow when I have more light.

 

[djbetterly]

Thanks bro!

 

[nex64]

Nice idea here, going to make my pad thinner as suggested when I get my mini reactor in the mail. Planning to just run GFO as well due to space constraints...

 

[WillG]

How did the modification work out for you?

 

[WillG]

How did your modifications work? Just curious... thinking of doing the same set up. Let me know, hoped it worked.

 

[nex64]

Still running on my end

 

[nex64]

Double

 

[jent]

My modification continued to work well, but I did end up ditching GFO entirely eventually. I decided I wanted methods that removed phosphate and nitrate together (ie fuge, carbon). Then I dose nitrate if I find that my N is too low compared to my P (to help fuel those engines).

Has it been easy? No, but I was not getting good balance with GFO either. I also was concerned after getting a clam and reading that sometimes clams don't do well with GFO.