Phosban reactor on now. How long until...

[DamageInc]

Just put my two little fishies phosban reactors on my tank. How long will it take before I see a decrease in my bryopsis and red cotton algae.

I surely hope the phosphates are taken up by the reactor before the algae thus starving the algae.

Any ideas on this?

Thanks

 

[gill7784]

If it you using the proper flow through the reactor, it will take a bit of time to process all of your tank water. Also, the algae will not start to starve right away. Remove as much as you can manually to speed things up.

 

[DamageInc]

Yes I do remove manually and seem to be winning as of late. I've got the flow that it just tumbles the phosban at the top.

Thanks for the quick response.

 

[Ti]

Test for your PO4 levels

 

[J_Geisinger000]

you dont want the phosban tumbling around in the reactor it will cuase it to grind down to dust creating a bigger problem than the algea you have now

for flow through my reactor I use a mini jet 404
throttled back to like 50 gph
this is about all the faster you want to circulate water through the phosban

 

[DamageInc]

I've got a mini-jet 606 set on low and the ball valve only about 1/4 open. When I say tumble, I mean the top layer barely moves.

Isn't it supposed to move a little? The output is barely a very slow pour.

Ti, I've got no PO4. It's all being taken up by the bryopsis and red cotton algae.

Nick

 

[kbmdale]

I mixed some carbon pellets in on top of the phosban. The carbon allows me to run alittle more flow without turning the phosban to dust. Probably 80-90 gph. of flow in mine. I don't think they are intended for an emergency situation. I think of mine more like insurance that Po4 is being removed if it gets by me, the micro algae, or skimmer . If you want to make a dent quickly do a 20-25% water change.

 

[J_Geisinger000]

sorry damage misunderstood what you meant by tumbling

I pictured a reactor full of phosban dust

 

[Teremei]

I'm about to set my reactor up tonite I just removed my hang on fuge. . I've read you want just "a little bit" of movement on the top layer. So you're good to go. Remember this isn't something to FIX a big problem. Only a small player in the battle (along with good water changes, skimming, fuge with macro. . ect. . )

 

[DamageInc]

Teremei,

I agree. It's not to fix a problem just another tool to help along. I'm good with the water changes. Got a fuge but my chaeto got strangled by red cotto like algae. Got some nice red macro in their now.

Next I'm gonna upgrade my skimmer probably to a Tunze. Hopefully should be good to go. I've already got a Tunze 6010 on my 75 with the phosban reactor. Just ending the cycle now.

Thanks

Nick

 

[Emster]

I have been running mine so that it tumbles(about half way up) for the last 4 months with no problems. I am running a maxi jet 600 that is turned down. It says in the instructions to use a maxi jet 500 that i could not find and also to run a max fow rate of 70 gal/hr. At 70gal/hr it was 1 inch from the top and i thought was to fast so i slowed it down. I put a carbon bag over the exit to catch the small media that gets out. I guess i should slow it down some more, is anyone running theirs this fast? I'm not sure why the instructions would recommend that fast of a flow if its not supposed to be that way. Curious to hear what others are running theirs at.

 

[LA-Lawman]

i noticed a change in phosphates after about a week. then it was zippo. no phosphates. since upgrading to my 180g i went for the big daddy of media reactors and got a reefmania reactor. i loaded it with 1700g of phosban and it has done the job. i usually go 7-8mos without changing the media. the reactor is great. very nicely built.

I have two of the TLF reactors that i keep on standby in case something goes haywire... i thought about tossin' them on a nano tank to see how long they can go.

** the best way to run it is to barely tumble the media. almost no surface movement. I run the output into a micron sock and get no particulates in the sump**