Reactors always getting clogged with algae/debris etc

[Hermie]

Every time I put a GAC (carbon) or phosphate remover reactor in my sump the reactor prefilter media (some floss) turns green/brown and quickly clogs up with algae and stuff.
What do YOU all do to keep your media reactors from clogging up??? I don't use filter floss or filter socks in my setup (no mechanical filtration).

I've previously used filter floss pads but they got full every few days and I hated killing all the copepods/amphipods that got caught in there.

I've thought about plumbing a dedicated prefilter reactor in series with the specialized media reactor but that means I need to go buy another reactor housing... and fittings etc... can't be that hard though right? Would cost maybe 25 bucks I guess?

 

[thomas_neil]

Every time I put a GAC (carbon) or phosphate remover reactor in my sump the reactor prefilter media (some floss) turns green/brown and quickly clogs up with algae and stuff.
What do YOU all do to keep your media reactors from clogging up??? I don't use filter floss or filter socks in my setup (no mechanical filtration).

I've previously used filter floss pads but they got full every few days and I hated killing all the copepods/amphipods that got caught in there.

I've thought about plumbing a dedicated prefilter reactor in series with the specialized media reactor but that means I need to go buy another reactor housing... and fittings etc... can't be that hard though right? Would cost maybe 25 bucks I guess?

Without any mechanical filtration I think the second reactor will be your best bet, but I’d think that it would catch just as many pods as a filter sock would IMO. And harder to clean up than a filter sock every 2-3 days.

 

[jda]

GFO needs changed quickly anyway, when used in a reactor, so this is no big deal. For the carbon, try it further down the line in the sump, or even from the rim of the display. When I run GAC, I usually only run it overnight, so I never thought about this.

You can buy sponge pre filters for most pumps. See if there is one that fits your reactor pump. You can search for pump pre filters - freshwater ponds and tanks use these more than marine setups do.

 

[Floyd-]

I have the same issue with my dual reactor. When loaded with GFO and Carbon it might last 4-6 days before its slowed to a trickle and needs to be reloaded.

 

[Hermie]

GFO needs changed quickly anyway, when used in a reactor, so this is no big deal. For the carbon, try it further down the line in the sump, or even from the rim of the display. When I run GAC, I usually only run it overnight, so I never thought about this.

You can buy sponge pre filters for most pumps. See if there is one that fits your reactor pump. You can search for pump pre filters - freshwater ponds and tanks use these more than marine setups do.

I have the same issue with my dual reactor. When loaded with GFO and Carbon it might last 4-6 days before its slowed to a trickle and needs to be reloaded.

Mine is plumbed off the return so when the flow slows my overflow goes awry. I will have to find a pump w/ prefilter attachment that fits in my sump but that is a good solution I didn't fully consider.

 

[blaxsun]

I run 4 filter socks and placed my reactors after my skimmer. While they do accumulate some crap, it doesn't affect flow.

 

[Floyd-]

I have a separate pump for my reactor. Plumbing into the main return as you saw can have some odd flows once its plugged up.

 

[Dan_P]

I have a separate pump for my reactor. Plumbing into the main return as you saw can have some odd flows once its plugged up.

I do something similar. I filter the water with a coarse sponge filter on the pump intake and send that water to the aquarium, refugium, skimmer and reactors.