GFO Reactor explosion

[Piranha76]

So I tried to make a reactor using a soda bottle and a powerhead, cheese cloth and rubber band. So now my tank is cloudy and rust particles are everywhere. I took it out and did a 50% water change.

So my question? On the in take hose going into the sump I currently have a soda bottle on the end that is stuffed with charcoal and filter floss. Works well as a polisher. I was thinking of adding GFO with the charcoal. Is the flow too slow.

My Phosphate is 1.3.

 

[Lasse]

Flow around what ?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[homer1475]

Unfortunately, no.

The problem being that it will work for a bit, but GFO really needs to gently tumble to be most effective. Once it sits for a couple days biofilm will adhere to it and cause it to clump up making it pretty much useless.

You also might want to rethink your carbon too. As your overflow is crashing into your sump, your also crashing that water into your carbon and grinding it together creating carbon dust. Carbon dust has been show to cause and exacerbate HLLE.

 

[Piranha76]

I am not worrried about carbon dust since it is the GFO and charcoal is sandwiched with filter floss. I was hoping it would act like a miniature canister filter.

 

[Lasse]

IME - even a gently tumbling of GFO will give a iron dust into the aquarium. GFO has not an especially hard surface . Al based media is normally harder but some producers says that their media should not tumble. The bacteria growth will be at least as large as if it not tumble (in some cases more because of better oxygenating of the media) - only difference it that a filter that tumble will not foul up because surplus bacteria will continuous be washed up in the tank.

As I see it - it will work the way you want but you have to clean it now and then. i was only curious which flow you have now in the plastic bottle - because you ask if the flow was enough.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Piranha76]

The flow is very minimal since it is just gravity fed.

 

[Lasse]

Is all water from the tank going down in that soda bottle or is some pass by? Is the amount of water going through enough in order do give a clear water in the DT? Have you a overflow safety ?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Piranha76]

2 overdoes one goes into the soda bottle with GFO charcoal and filter floss. The other go into my up sterilizer

 

[Lasse]

A flow of the systems volume per hour or 1.5 hour is enough IMO. If you clean the filter to have this flow as its minimum it will work IMO. With as high PO4 as you have - go slowly down if you have corals - let it take a month or two to get down around 0.1 ppm

Sincerly Lasse