Large carbon reactor + small tank?

[beatle]

I have a large (6" diam, 11" tall) media reactor from a large tank purchase. I'm planning to set up a 90 or 120 and run carbon through it, but it's much larger than your typical reactor. If I filled it with 8-10 cups of carbon, could I go months without changing it, or does volume not give you that luxury of laziness? Should I sell it and move to a more compact reactor like one from BRS? FWIW, I don't plan on running GFO as well, just carbon.

 

[tkeracer619]

Once carbon builds up a bacterial layer on the outside it is inert. Essentially carbon should be changed out often. A lot more often then recommended.

That said. Keep the large reactor. You never know when you will need to run lots of carbon.

 

[beatle]

So I can't run twice the volume and change it half as often?

 

[tkeracer619]

You can but it won't last longer between refills.