Setting up a Reactor

[Icewing726]

Hi guys, so I got a reactor to help with my nitrates and I got everything running but I had a few questions.

What it is: Two little fishies phosbane reactor but with the two little fishies ATLNPX2 beads for nitrate and phosphate removal.

Set up:
-I loaded a 1/4 dose of pellets (150 ml for 160 gallons)
-Fed at 530 gpm
-mounted vertical on outside of tank (it's now in the tank for the day because a small drip was occurring after its first overnight run)

Questions:
- At 530 gpm the beads are circulating around each other in a gentle tumble fashion. I ordered a 880 gph pump to increase flow and wanted to ask if a gentle tumble is all I need or do I need it to be much more violent?

-I'm still experimenting with the set up, does this have to be mounted vertical or can it be at an angle, horizontal, or any other feasible angle?

-I have the pump in the sump section with the skimmer. Due to the pump speed its capable of lowering the water in that baffled area if the output of the reactor isn't back into that section. Is there an issue with dumping this water right by the skimmers intake?

 

[billdogg]

Although I'm not familiar with the media you are using, I've got nearly 30 years using a TLF reactor. I think, for the price, that they can't be beat. Good Choice!

As for the amount of flow - for something like GFO that can be tumbled to the point it will disintegrate, the flow should be just enough to keep the surface lightly roiling. For carbon, I reverse the flow so that it is pushed down and increase the flow rate as needed.

Because the little I've read about the media you are using suggests that it is intended for a fluidized bed reactor, I would think something similar to what you'd use for GFO. I used a minijet 400 to run mine for years (now a sicce.5), so something in the 200gph range is probably enough. Thats why the reactor has a ball valve to temper the flow of whatever pump you are using.

Although plumbing back into the same chamber isn't necessarily as efficient as allowing it to pass on to the next, there certainly is nothing wrong with doing it that way.

As for using it as a HOB, or like you have it, actually in the sump - I prefer to keep mine inside the sump as well. I think of it is just a little more insurance that something that might leak, can't, at least not onto my floor.