Recommendations on Carbon/GFO Reactor

[Palegic]

Setting up a RSR250 and looking for a recommendation on a properly sized carbon and GFO reactor. I would prefer it to be mountable and slightly oversized vs undersized.

Additionally, I will likely run this off a separate pump so I can modulate the flow as well as turn off when desired. Would it be better to use a DC pump with valve for this, or AC with a valve.

Thanks!

 

[Sharkman89]

Bulk reef sells them with a pump and valve you’re lookin for.

 

[Palegic]

I saw that, but they are out of stock! Lol

 

[Sharkman89]

guess you’re looking at the deluxe model? That’s what I have only tee’d of my return pump.

 

[Palegic]

Yes the deluxe with the sicce pump. Definitely don't want to T off the return.

 

[Sharkman89]

The deluxe on is nice, probably worth the wait til it comes in.

 

[bigjgmac]

I had a Fluval canister filter that I repurposed for a reactor. I kept the sponges to have some additional mechanical filtration (not necessarily for biological filtration) and I run Seachem Matrix in the first chamber, carbon in the second, and Seachem Phosguard in the third. I have all the media in mesh bags. It's been working well for me. Granted, you may not have an old canister filter to repurpose, but it solved the reaction chamber and pump issue in one unit that fits inside my cabinet.

 

[Water Dog]

I have a similar sized tank to the Red Sea Reefer 250, a Deep Blue 57 gallon rimless at (36x18x20). I went with the BRS Mini reactor and here’s why... Including the sump, let’s say I have 65 gallons in total volume. According to the BRS media calculator, with that water volume, I should be using about a cup of regular GFO and a little less than 1/2 a cup of ROX carbon. So I mix 1/2 cup of ROX carbon and 1/4 cup of GFO in the mini reactor and change it out every two weeks. I don’t have to deal with having to tumble the GFO, there is no shifting of the sponges as it’s fully packed and I don’t have to worry about wasting GFO because I’m using 1/4 e amount so it should exhaust at the same two week rate as my ROX carbon. If I ever want to expand in the future, I have a spare RO canister laying around and all I have to do is buy a 10” media insert. As far as our tank volumes go go however, I believe the the BRS Mini is a perfect match.