Anybody use Fluidized Media Chamber

[DLCanuck]

Does any one use this bad boy and any comments on it? Plus do you have any picture to show how you set it up.

http://www.myreefcreations.com/newproducts.htm

 

[NateHanson]

I'm making a 4" x 15" reactor like that right now. I just need an hour sometime to finish it, when the baby isn't asleep and I'm free (those two don't often happen together).

I plan to run carbon and a little phosban.

Nate

 

[nunofs]

How is that different from a PhosBan reactor? Is it just because this one can be run pressurized?

I bought a PhosBan reactor to run carbon in (haven't set it up yet), it's a very inexpensive solution IMO.

Nuno

 

[NateHanson]

I think it's just a difference of size. The MRC ones are 6" wide and 15 or 24" tall. (sounds huge to me)

 

[DLCanuck]

Plus it depend if you have room for one of does.

 

[synchiropi]

Fluidized bed sare one of the coolest things ever. A long time ago I worked with a fluidized bed bioreactor with nitrifying bacteria. Effective use of media, no clogging! Aah the good old times.

One thing I would be concerned would be media erosion. The particles inside a fluidized bed are colliding with each other all the time. So if the media your putting in it is relatively fragile it could release a bunch of tiny particles.

I would imagine it would also be a little tricky to adjust the flow to get a stable fluidized bed. That would be a function of the particle's density, so you might not be able to combine phosban and activated carbon.

So I just looked quickly and the phosban reactor is also a fluidized system. It is just so much cheaper, so I am also wondering what are the advantages of this much more expensive unit...

 

[DLCanuck]

I was thinking using my old Fluval 303 for carbon and Fluval 203 for PhosBan. Boy those old Fluval days when I used to use it for my African cichlids.

 

[Calciumbuf]

I use the 6"x24" one for carbon and the 6"x15" for rowaphos, nice products good design, very versitile for differant media's.

 

[DLCanuck]

Cool, Calciumbuf you got picture of yours?

 

[NateHanson]

I don't plan on flowing mine fast enough for creating an actual fluidized bed, so I doubt the mixed media will be a problem. I'm only going to move a few gallons a minute through it.

 

[nunofs]

So I just looked quickly and the phosban reactor is also a fluidized system. It is just so much cheaper, so I am also wondering what are the advantages of this much more expensive unit...

One of the "limitations" of the PhosBan reactor is that it can't be run pressurized, ie, you can't have any restriction on its output... it's just too fragile to hold up under pressure (but that's stated in the instructions). But if you can live with that "limitation" (I put it in quotes because for many uses it shouln't really be an issue) then it should work just fine.

Nuno

 

[jAKE]

I run my TLF Phosban Reactor pressurized, but only by a small powerhead. Maybe I am living dangerously but it has never leaked.

 

[nunofs]

I run my TLF Phosban Reactor pressurized, but only by a small powerhead.

The question is: are you restricting the output in any way (say, with a valve to control the flow)? If you're not, then it's not pressurized... they recommend controlling the flow on the input to avoid pressurizing the reactor.

Nuno