HELP! New Phosban reactor Need Help

[Radicaljbr]

Just installed my new Phosban reactor.

All kinds of questions.

1. I put in 100 grams of phosban. I put it at around 53 GPH which is the ratio it states for that amount. It is kind of boiling at the top surface of the phosban and the water above is a little brown. I thought this was not right so I turned it down to about 30 GPH and it is barely tumbling at top. I mean barely. Which is right?

2. I installed it with a Maxi 600. I cannot get the pump to work without having to suck the air out till it gets through the reactor. Then it will start pumping. Is this normal? Kind of like it needs primed.

3. Can I mix carbon in there with it? And how? Just mix it all up or layer it?

Yes, I threw away the first gallon or so of water till it ran clear. But it still seems a little brownish above the mediam.

 

[kirstenk]

Keep it at the lower rate and I would only run 12 hrs on and 12 hrs off for awhile. If you can place some floss where it comes out to catch any small particles. I put some in a fishnet and let it run thru it.

I suggest the time schedule so the coral can adjust to the iron content of Phosban. SPS can STN if ya don't start slow and some softies will react negatively too.

I run Phosban on my 150 but I use only 1/3 cup.

 

[Radicaljbr]

And what about mixing it with Carbon?

 

[jeffhaag]

I use straight carbon in my reactor and it works great. I don't see why you couldn't mix both in it.

 

[kirstenk]

I do mix mine with carbon. The carbon I use is a larger size so it is in the bottom of the chamber and the phosban sits on top. I have read it is prolly better to use a smaller size carbon and have it on top so that it can absorb some of the iron/whatever that is in the phosban. The thing I don't like about that is that I could not see the rolling of the phosban media and never really knew if it was getting enough contact time. I can also add additional carbon to the floss area and do at the beginning when I change out the Phosban.