Media reactor vs media bags

[Marine430]

I was wondering if it's a noticeable difference between media reactors vs just using a media bag in my aqua clear?
1. Is it worth the money?
2. I don't have a sump so it would be another hob item.
3. What are some of the better brands?
I have mostly soft corals with a few lps and 5 fish.
Thanks

 

[Pntbll687]

I was wondering if it's a noticeable difference between media reactors vs just using a media bag in my aqua clear?
1. Is it worth the money?
2. I don't have a sump so it would be another hob item.
3. What are some of the better brands?
I have mostly soft corals with a few lps and 5 fish.
Thanks

Need some more info
1. Size and age of tank?
2. What are you running for filtration and media now?
3. Why are you looking at a reactor? Do you have an issue you're trying to combat?

As far as bags vs reactor, as long as appropriate flow depending on the media is getting through, it shouldn't really make that big of a difference.

Since you're in the hang on Dept, you should be asking whether giving up space in your filter is worth adding the media.

 

[Marine430]

I have a 40g breeder it's been up 1 year now. It was upgraded from a 20gal . I am not combating anything but always looking to keep good water chemistry.

 

[Marine430]

I use chemi pure blue, and felt pads.

 

[GoVols]

For myself:
When it comes to GFO

To tumble it in it's own reactor is the true way to go and well worth the money and the effort.

Aquamaxx makes some great products (reactors) for an very reasonable price.

I also swirl Purigen in it's own reactor, but I'd have to type an novel, on how to pull that off... ;Dead

 

[Marine430]

For myself:
When it comes to GFO

To tumble it in it's own reactor is the true way to go and well worth the money and the effort.

Aquamaxx makes some great products (reactors) for an very reasonable price.

I also swirl Purigen in it's own reactor, but I'd have to type an novel, on how to pull that off... ;Dead

Do you ever have phosphate problems, or nitrates?

 

[GoVols]

Do you ever have phosphate problems, or nitrates?

No
Nitrates hang at about 7ppm and phos. at about .o5ppm
And you don't starve an reef either. Corals need nutrients.

But, I have an very mature reef, and know it like the back of my hand.
Could be crashed in the am

You just find an rhythm and stick to it.

No magic, just testing and finding the right way to pull it all together.

And.. No best way. Many ways to skin an cat.

 

[lion king]

I was using reactors with hicap gfo/rox carbon and found very little difference when I switched to using bagged chemipure elite. One important trick is to make sure you are getting high flow through the bag, in my sumps I built racks under the bubble sponge. It will also be determined by your individual system and your goal. I keep fish only and an lps reef, I also run algae reactors on all my tanks. To efficiently run a bag of media in a aquaclear hob it would be best if you diverted the flow pattern, the flow needs to go down and up to provide a high flow through the bag. I made my own but you can also buy a manufactured one. Check out the media baskets for your model at https://intankaquatics.com/aquaclear/

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Bulk Reef Supply had some info in one of their videos about how a bag works but how a reactor is faster and more efficient.

 

[AdamNC]

I’ve used Seachem Purigen, de*nitrate and PhosNet in my AC70 for about 4 years now. No issues using the small Purigen and PhosNet sandwiched between the media sponge and a small bag of Seachem de*nitrate.

 

[lion king]

Bulk Reef Supply had some info in one of their videos about how a bag works but how a reactor is faster and more efficient.

Reactors are hands down more efficient, but there are tricks to making a bag more efficient. And it also depends on your application, where a larger variance is acceptable. For my applications, the cost and time compared to the results, bags are best for me.

 

[NS Mike D]

I would not keep a tank without activated carbon as insurance in the case of an unhappy coral meltdown or other unintended chemical intrusion and thus would use a reactor given the efficiency due to more water volume exposure to the carbon surface area. When i need to bring down my phosphates I add gfo to the reactor. Is it necessary, no. This isn't a cheap hobby, but I view a reactor with carbon as an inexpensive form of insurance.

I have a sump but keep my reactor external - it as lot easier/less messy to maintain (empty, clean and reload).

I keep mesh bags on hand in case of an emergency to temporarily supplement the reactor media.

 

[rkpetersen]

I use bags inside a reactor. The bags serve to contain the media and force more or less even upward flow through them. I can use several different media in the same reactor, such as carbon, CP, GFO, Purigen, etc (excluding any denitrators of course), and I can swap out individual bags which makes it more adjustable and also hopefully results in less acute impact on the system when renewing media. The reactor itself allows concentration and adjustment of flow which is hard to achieve with just bags alone.

 

[Potatohead]

A bag in a baffle is much more efficient than just placing a bag at the bottom of the sump. Reactors are good but I stopped using one for GFO and switched to a bag with Phosguard as my phosphate never seems to be very high.