GFO and carbon in same reactor?

[EDJFA]

I hooked up a TLF 550 last night to run GFO in an effort to reduce my phosphates.

Is it possible, or recommended maybe is a better term, to run both GFO and carbon in the same reactor? There's plenty of room in the reactor, but is there a downside to running water through both? I know the carbon isn't going to help with my phosphates, just trying to maybe utilize one piece of equipment for two uses.

 

[Lance A. Lot]

The problem that you run into using only one reactor is that GFO and Carbon have differing active lifespans. Depending on what is in the water one may be depleted and need refreshing faster than the other... when you mix them its hard to only change one...

 

[chucklez]

And carbon is a softer material. If you run water through the reactor at the optimum rate for GFO, your carbon will disintegrate. There was a BRS video of that somewhere.

Here it is. Look around the 2:50 mark.

 

[Pife]

I run both on a very slow tumble. It works fine.

 

[EDJFA]

I did wonder about the life span of both products. I would assume you could just change them both out at the rate of the one that needs to be changed the most often. That would waste some money, but it would probably come out as a wash vs spending another $100+ on a second setup. Plus you'd have the extra cost of the electricity to run the second pump. Assuming you don't have a manifold plumbed in, that is.

Chucklez - Sometimes when I watch videos from BRS or other vendors, I get the feeling that it's not that you can't do it, it's that they would rather you spend your money with them for the extra equipment.

What's funny in that video is that early on they tell you to run them separately, but later the guy with the long hair says he runs both carbon and GFO at the same time, mixed together just because it's easier.

I think for now I'll just give the GFO a couple months on its own to work and when it comes time to change it, consider mixing in some carbon.

I'd still love to hear from some others about their experiences running both.

 

[South City]

I bought a dual reactor from BRS and have been happy. They don't cost much more than a single reactor and you still only have one pump to feed it. With the two canisters, you can change the media on different schedules without any issue.

Before I bought the dual reactor, I used to run both in one reactor. As long as you thoroughly mix the carbon and GFO together so that the carbon will prevent the GFO from clumping, you don't have to worry about tumbling hardly at all. Which is good because if you tumble the combined GFO/Carbon at the same rate as for GFO alone, the carbon will grind to dust in no time.

 

[reelredfish]

I just purchased one of the small BRS reactors the short one for my sons reefer 170 with plans to run mixed in it.

I did not want to take up the extra space with a large one or the double one. Hope it works out well.