Any body here running Carbon in a Two Little Fishies Phos Ban reactor?

[higorc]

I want to know how you have it set up in the reactor. I see a bunch of videos online with people setting it like it's GFO and slowly tumbling. I always thought Carbon should not tumble or it will breakdown releasing particles into the water colunm which in turn could cause issues (like LTE and Head holes in tangs).

I wish I had taken a pictures of how I set mine up. I will post one up when I get home today.

I used one a couple of Bio-Pellets screens(http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-store/TLF-Bio-pellet-Screen-for-150-550-PhosBan-Reactor.html) to secure the carbon. This way I can have good flow going through it and it won't move.

Please let me know if anybody is running TLF reactors with carbon and how you are doing it.

Thanks
Higor

 

[jayinh]

I was running it with TLF reactor prior to selling the tank. i just had the flow running as to not move the carbon, used the little valve part to control.

 

[Matt L.]

Scientifically, it doesn't matter, as long as there is enough flow.

As long as flow is passing through the reactor, your carbon will be effective.

I wouldn't worry. I routinely run Phosban and carbon in the same reactor.

Matt

 

[SteveDola]

I personally like passively running the carbon rather than actively forcing water through in a reactor setup. I had some issues with tissue regression when employing a reactor. I think it polishes the water a little too much.

 

[Cherokee_Dude]

I run them in tandem controlling the flow rate with one of the valves they come with. The GFO tumbles in chamber 1 and the carbon does not in Chamber 2.

 

[higorc]

When you say the "Carbon does not", is it being held in place by foam or something else? Or r u running water through it just enough so it doesn't tumble/move?

 

[jackd625]

I personally like passively running the carbon rather than actively forcing water through in a reactor setup. I had some issues with tissue regression when employing a reactor. I think it polishes the water a little too much.

What do you mean passively running it? Just in a filter sock or something??

 

[higorc]

He means in a media bag and just tosses it in a high flow area within the Sump.

Higor's EVO 3D

 

[inverted]

I run GFO and GAC together in a 150. I think GAC is more tolerant of a little tumble than some suggest, but technically better not to. I've done so for a long time though with no apparent issues (e.g. No HLLE and no particles or discoloration of the effluent). A lot easier to just change one reactor rather than two though....

 

[higorc]

You guys r confusing the heck out me! I thought that GFO being harder than Carbon, should not be "tumbleling" together in the same reactor. Because this would further break up the Carbon even faster.


So, is Carbon suppose to move/tumble or not? Does it matter? This is how I have my setup so it doesn't move according to what I thought was right:




Notice the Bio-Pellet screen holding the foam pads and Carbon in place...

 

[Pat02026]

I run GFO and carbon in a single reactor as well, and right as I see the media start to "roll" at the surface, I back it off just a bit until it stops. That way I get as much flow as possible, without any movement of the media. I run ROX .8 carbon too though, and its a very fine and will move around easily with a lot of flow. as long as your not pounding the media in the reactor you'll be fine. Gentle rolling is acceptable imo, but an aggressive tumble will lead to physical breakdown of the media.

 

[higorc]

So its better to pack the Carbon like I have so u can have better flow through it...

Higor's EVO 3D

 

[s_kelley]

Yes carbon is not meant to tumble. Gfo is supposed to tho

 

[mandrake]

my TLF reactor has little round sponges that slide on top of the red plates , your picture does not show these.

 

[higorc]

Yeah, its in there. It's squished between the Bio-Pellet screen and the Carbon. The sponges aren't able to hold the Carbon in place like i wanted, so I put the screen first, then the sponge, then filled with carbon, then put another sponge, then another screen and finally finished with the red top.

Higor's EVO 3D