Issues using BRS reactor for Carbon, GFO and pellets?

jtomasi · Mar 31, 2013

Am I goig to run into issues if I use my BRS reactor for all three? I currently have carbon and gfo mixed in the top 30ish% of the reactor and cant see why I couldnt add pellets to the bottom 70%. Any chemistry issues?

fragmatic · Mar 31, 2013

What kind of pellets.

If you are talking about bio-pellets?.. no.

Bio-pellets are a form of dosing. The carbon and GFO are a form of filtration (removing things from the water).

Pappy · Mar 31, 2013

Gfo requires much slower flow than bio pellets I believe....I don't have experience with bio pellets but remember reading somewhere. So my vote on what I read is no and the carbon and gfo shouldn't be together either.

jtomasi · Mar 31, 2013

Thank you for your replys

Yea, I meant bio pellets. Im not so much worried about flow, not that I disagree but I have read a bunch of posts saying that running more flow through GFO isnt as efficient but still works. That being said, I think I will try all three.

Any other opinions?

always reefin · Mar 31, 2013

I wouldn't run all 3 together, you are going to want to change the gfo and carbon. You don't change the pellets

jtomasi · Mar 31, 2013

I wish I had another option but I don't have room for anymore equipment. Its going to be a pain to change the carbon/gfo without taking the biopellets out of the water but such is life, right

CoryC · Apr 1, 2013

The reactor is also set up different around the dispersion plates when running pellets. So having them in the same column is going to likely reduce the effectiveness of all three. The brs reactors are fairly bulky if I'm not mistaken. A phosban150 reactor is fairly inexpensive and compact so I would consider using that instead .

Mrfresh · Apr 1, 2013

Carbon should bounce around. It will cause LL of fish.

Pappy · Apr 1, 2013

Mrfresh said:
Carbon should bounce around. It will cause LL of fish.

I've never been able to get it to bounce

using 300-400 rio something in tlf reactor only filled maybe about 2-3". Any tricks?

cet98 · Apr 1, 2013

Mrfresh said:
Carbon should bounce around. It will cause LL of fish.

I'm hoping this is just a typo

carbon should NOT bounce around....
GFO should lightly (not violently) tumble as it prevents it from solidifying...

BioPellets (IMO) should only be used if you have a large system and feed very heavy...I have seen my fair share of people that strip their water of all elements, good and bad, and see major negative effects on their corals...
if you don't know EXACTLY how to use this product, I suggest you learn and start "small and slow"....

Mrfresh · Apr 1, 2013

Yes auto correct cut off the n't in shouldn't

Good catch

Pappy · Apr 1, 2013

Mrfresh said:
Yes auto correct cut off the n't in shouldn't

Good catch

Phew I thought I was doing it wrong all this time!

jcdeng · Apr 1, 2013

how big is your tank? I am guessing not that big cuz of your limited space in sump, I don't think you need to run bio-pellets, can you tell us why you feel you need to run all 3 of these things? I personally was running gfo in a reactor and carbon in mesh bag and leave the bag right at the mouth of my return pump. Sometimes I don't even use carbon.