Discuss: Reactors, Manifolds, Pumps

[FFFishy]

For those that run Carbon and/or GFO, what equipment are you using, and how ?

• Do you run Carbon in an 'upflow' style reactor, or do you have it in a canister that becomes pressurized (to push water through the media) ?
• Do you run GFO in an 'upflow' reactor, or do you use it in a filter bag that's placed in a high-flow area ?
• If using reactors, how do you move water through them ? Do you have individual pumps for each reactor, or are your reactors fed from a single pump through a manifold ?
• For those using manifolds, do you experience 'flow regulation' issues when one device clogs and causes more flow to be directed through remaining devices ?

Here's my current setup:

• I have one Nyos Viper 3.0 (750 GPH) pump that feeds a manifold that's built with 3/4" plumbing, 3 Ball Valves, and appropriate Unions.
• The first device on the manifold is a Two Little Fishies Phosban 150 Reactor. I run 150 grams of Phosban. The flow rate is set so that the top of the media shows a little bit of movement, something like a slow boil, if you know what I mean. This works very well for me. The reactor itself is a bit difficult to disassemble, clean, and re-load. But it performs consistently and reliably.
• The second device on the manifold is a Life Reef Filter Canister. This is basically a cylinder where the water enters at the top, flows downwards through the media, and exits at the bottom. There's a foam sponge and a mesh disc at the bottom to keep the media within the cylinder and let the water pass through. I run 150 grams of Red Sea Reef Spec Carbon in this Canister.
• The third device on the manifold is another Life Reef Filter Canister. I do not have any media in here . . . just letting water pass through it to balance the flow rates through the first two devices.

I run into a 'flow rate' problem as the carbon becomes clogged. Over the course of 2-3 weeks, the carbon packs pretty tightly, causing its filter canister to become pressurized. That change in flow rate causes more water to be delivered to the other devices on the manifold. The flow increases in the Phosban Reactor. Not good . . . it pulverizes the Phosban media, rendering it useless and making a dusty mess in my sump.

To improve my situation, I'm considering removing the manifold and Nyos Viper 3.0 pump and going to a setup that has individual pumps for Carbon and GFO. I'll also remove the filter canister where the carbon is running and replace that with another upflow reactor, probably another TLF 150 Reactor.

So . . . with the many questions I've posed above . . . what are you doing ?
All suggestions are welcome !

Thanks !
---Frank

A few pictures from my system:

My manifold. The TLF reactor can be seen in the lower-left. Filter canisters are at lower center and lower-right.

The Two Little Fishies Phosban 150 Reactor in my sump:

A Life Reef Filter Canister:

 

[tjnorthdakota]

I run a manifold that feeds my tlf phosban reactor for gfo, a brs single reactor for carbon and 1/10hp chiller. I havent had a problem pressure at all, my manifold has a buffer of sorts for pressure and flow. I have a valve at the end of my manifold where its adjusted to let excess flow back into the sump. It is also run off its own pump so my return pump has its own purpose.

 

[JBradford]

I feed 3 Two Little Fishies Phosban 150s reactors off a manifold hooked to my return pump via a gate valve for flow, I chunked the cheap ball valves that come with the reactors. Carbon, GFO, and bio-pellets. I run the GFO and bio-pellets as the reactors are designed in an up style flow. For the carbon I reversed the input/output to force water down into the carbon as to get no tumble. I'm never had any issues with flow from any of the reactors including the reverse carbon. No complaints thus far.