Pax Bellum: Flash in the pan?

[Trailermann]

Best product of 2017, MACNA 2017. The ARID won this coveted award last August, yet the company still does not have a web site. Is this a flash in the pan or is it here to stay?

For such an apparently excellent product, why is there so little information throughout the internet? Where is the support for the product? If a part breaks or is lost, how can it be replaced? Who do you call if you have a problem or simple question?e

Two of the three distributors do not offer, nor make any mention, of the light tube assembly that needs to be regularly replaced.

I found a recent video that shows the drip free weekly chaeto replacement process, which allegedly takes only five minutes. (No mention of the clean-up time.) But it has the ARID positioned outside the stand making the lifting of the innards unrealistically easy. If your ARID is fed from a manifold rather than a in-sump pump, forget drip free.

I want to buy one, but these issues make me worried.

 

[Trailermann]

The dirth of responses supports my supposition that the wonderful product is not very popular. Am I wrong?

 

[dodgerblew]

I love mine

 

[billwill]

I’m with you. I tried as best as I knew how to research them and came up with nothing basically. Maybe it’s just a European thing for the time being?

 

[Trailermann]

I love mine

Happy to hear that. How often do you harvest? Tank size?

 

[dcraigj]

They have a website it appears it's just being redesigned. Possible due to the exposure they got through MACNA. I've read several articles and if my stand was not already packed with equipment I would entertain getting one. They have a Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/PaxBellumLLC. Also @ReefBum has them for sale. He may be able to help with questions you have. The email posted on Facebook is
[email protected].

 

[Trailermann]

They have a website it appears it's just being redesigned. Possible due to the exposure they got through MACNA. I've read several articles and if my stand was not already packed with equipment I would entertain getting one. They have a Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/PaxBellumLLC. Also @ReefBum has them for sale. He may be able to help with questions you have. The email posted on Facebook is
[email protected].

But I saw a notice four months ago that the site was under design. Yes, I am sure that Reefbums and Unique Corals can be helpful.
Is the company underfinanced?

 

[Centurio]

Not a lot of info or activity I assume because it's a niche product at a premium price. I know a couple folks using them, but until the company expands it's product line I suspect you won't see a lot of info out there since the revenue stream can't be that high.

 

[dodgerblew]

Happy to hear that. How often do you harvest? Tank size?

I have the small unit and I have a 60 cube. I harvest once or twice a month. If I let it go 4 weeks it's completely full in the chamber to where you don't even see much light and it'll fill a ziploc gallon bag full. It takes me less then 5 minutes to harvest and for the most part no mess.

 

[dodgerblew]

BTW, Tristan who is the guy behind Pax-Bellum is a real good guy and communication with him was fine. I'm fortunate too in that I'm located 45 miles from Unique Corals if I did have any issues but in 2-3 years I've not had any

 

[ca1ore]

I’m with you. I tried as best as I knew how to research them and came up with nothing basically. Maybe it’s just a European thing for the time being?

I had looked at one a few years ago - they're New England based if memory serves. Ultimately seemed overpriced to me for something that can be equivalently accomplished with a regular refugium. About the only advantage I saw in a chaeto cannister was space savings. No my case I gots lots of space.

 

[kid976]

I have the small unit and I have a 60 cube. I harvest once or twice a month. If I let it go 4 weeks it's completely full in the chamber to where you don't even see much light and it'll fill a ziploc gallon bag full. It takes me less then 5 minutes to harvest and for the most part no mess.

What were your nitrates and phosphates before the reactor and what are they now? I’m looking into getting one but I need to justify the cost. I’m more concerned with phosphates more than nitrates.

 

[dodgerblew]

I can't answer you that because I don't test religiously. What I do know is I went from nuisance algae in abundance to minimal nuisance algae

 

[lion king]

"flash in the pan?" I don't know it just looks like a supercharged algae reactor. At that even your basic diy algae reactor grows macro out of control and keeps tour nitrates/phosphates at a minimal.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

At that price it should be made from thick glass and not acrylic/plastic. I almost collapsed when a friend of mine showed me the price tag (he is rich so no rant from him). As mentioned above, a DIY algae reactor is on par when done right, at a fraction of the cost.

 

[Forsaken77]

The dirth of responses supports my supposition that the wonderful product is not very popular. Am I wrong?

It's not as popular because of the price of admission. There are cheaper alternatives and DIY options. They probably don't work as well, but cost hundreds less.

Most would all love to own one though. It's akin to having an $800 skimmer, not as popular.

For what it's worth, I contacted PB over YouTube and got suggestions on making a DIY. They don't go by PB though. If you look up the thread here I started called "Algae Reactors, Worth It?" you can find the link I posted to the YouTube page. Start from the last page and work towards the beginning.


Marine Depot can't help being they sell them now?

 

[pecan2phat]

If you have ball valves on each outlet of your manifold, why couldn't it be drip free? If the output is above the water line of your sump and you cut the flow, the reactor will drain down to the height of the water level in the sump. I do agree that outside placement is ideal but you can always use vinyl hose to pipe from the manifold outlet to the PB inlet and leave yourself enough slack to pull the reactor out of the stand for maintenance.

 

[Zagreus]

I have the small unit and I have a 60 cube. I harvest once or twice a month. If I let it go 4 weeks it's completely full in the chamber to where you don't even see much light and it'll fill a ziploc gallon bag full. It takes me less then 5 minutes to harvest and for the most part no mess.

Do you have any issues with too low nitrates now? Do you have to supplement dose any nitrates like there video suggests?

 

[pecan2phat]

If you have ball valves on each outlet of your manifold, why couldn't it be drip free? If the output is above the water line of your sump and you cut the flow, the reactor will drain down to the height of the water level in the sump.

Opps, I now realize that this does not make sense if you have a shut off valve SHUT! I'm an idiot!

 

[bubblemytip]

Just use their quick-disconnect fittings to stop dripping, or use a set of something like the eheim quick-disconnect fittings used on canister filters.