Carbon & GFO Reactor or Mesh Bag?

[Salt1972]

We use GFO to control PO4 and carbon on / off because... it seems logical to use carbon to remove impurities and people recommend it.

So far, we put them in a mesh bag under the drip tray(s).

Is using a reactor really that much more efficient with the media?

What about pumps? Our system already uses 2 return pumps, 2 skimmer pumps, and a refugium circulation pump in addition to the gyre & 2 wave maker pumps. Is adding another pump in addition to the reactor chambers worth the increase in effectiveness?

 

[dwest]

We use GFO to control PO4 and carbon on / off because... it seems logical to use carbon to remove impurities and people recommend it.

So far, we put them in a mesh bag under the drip tray(s).

Is using a reactor really that much more efficient with the media?

What about pumps? Our system already uses 2 return pumps, 2 skimmer pumps, and a refugium circulation pump in addition to the gyre & 2 wave maker pumps. Is adding another pump in addition to the reactor chambers worth the increase in effectiveness?

A reactor is more efficient. If you go that route, BRS has some nice systems.

However, do you need to do it? I think that carbon is fine where you have it. Is the phosphate level so high that you need GFO to be more efficient? You need to be careful about removing too much phosphate with GFO.

 

[Salt1972]

A reactor is more efficient. If you go that route, BRS has some nice systems.

However, do you need to do it? I think that carbon is fine where you have it. Is the phosphate level so high that you need GFO to be more efficient? You need to be careful about removing too much phosphate with GFO.

We've been looking at the BRS dual reactor.

Do we need it? That's what we're trying to determine. We use GFO effectively in a mesh bag now. Would we use less media and/or have more control (via flow rate valve) with the reactor? We experience variation throughout the life cycle of the media-- when new, PO4 might run down to .02 or even 0 and then, over the course of 4-6 weeks, the levels slowly climb until we're triggered to renew the media (usually about .08 or so for us). Using a reactor, would we be able to regulate flow to mitigate the level creep and/or extend the effective use period of the media?

There has to be a reason that so many people use reactors rather than mesh bag in a flow area.

 

[SPR1968]

It’s just a more effective way to use GFO with a reactor. But, depending on your tank and nutrient removal requirements, if it works in a mesh bag then fine.

My system requires efficient phosphate removal methods to keep it locked down so I use rhowaphos in a deltec FR509 reactor. I tried a bag to start and it made no difference to the phosphate levels.

All systems are different, but the reactor is by far the most effective method.