Greg Hiller
BRS Moderator
>However, I like your scheme of 3 reactors in series... makes it easier to change out media (little at a time vs all at once charging). Is there any other advantage to using separate reactors ?<
The advantage of not shocking things was mentioned, though I'll say I've never seen the PO4 removers to be so effective that you could shock anything (at least with a bioload higher than Brian's!!). One of the reasons I use three in series is that it can be used more efficiently that way (at least theoretically). When I put a new reactor on line, it is the last in the series. Because the media is fresh, it is more likely to be able to pull down the phosphate to a very low level in the water flowing through the reactors. The older reactors come first, the theory being that they still may have some life left.
Regarding using the GFO just in a media bag...never worked for me. Always seemed just become a solid brick in no time.
The advantage of not shocking things was mentioned, though I'll say I've never seen the PO4 removers to be so effective that you could shock anything (at least with a bioload higher than Brian's!!). One of the reasons I use three in series is that it can be used more efficiently that way (at least theoretically). When I put a new reactor on line, it is the last in the series. Because the media is fresh, it is more likely to be able to pull down the phosphate to a very low level in the water flowing through the reactors. The older reactors come first, the theory being that they still may have some life left.
Regarding using the GFO just in a media bag...never worked for me. Always seemed just become a solid brick in no time.
