DIY carbon and phosphate REACTORS .. need help

[GregAW]

I'm beginning to think that maybe a part isn't missing and the return line is just the soft tubing. I can live with that but I do like hard lines much better. No chance of a kink. I may get another and use if for the charcoal, since that needs to be changed more often. It is a very nice compact size. I don't know that I want to chain them together, just in case something happens to one, I won't have to tear everything apart to fix the system. The 30/30 reactor is rated for larger tanks is the only reason I would think about it.

Also, How much media should I put in and should I rinse it first? Second question is sort of just for my own information.

 

[Ace25]

I put in 250ml myself but everyone tells me I do too much. So, the normal recomendation would be around 100-125ml of media. I rinse mine in the kitchen sink. I pull the whole reactor and pump out monthly, clean it all up, then put the new media in and fill 1/2 my sink with water put the pump in that side and the reactor in the dry side, and plug in. Let the water slowly rinse the media, again, low flow is key. I keep rinsing until the output water is clear, then I unplug, drain out as much water as I can by tipping it to one side slowly so you don't spill the media out. Your not going to get all the water out, so don't risk dumping the media for those last few drops. Then install back in my sump, plug in, and make sure the flow is set right.

 

[GregAW]

Great and thanks for the rinse hint. That sounds easy enough. I've got about 200 g of OHOSaR HC and a jar (100ml) of Rowa phos I was going to mix and then use. Sure seems like a small about of absorber for such a large reactor tube. What reactor are you using?

 

[Ace25]

Two Little Fishies (TLF) one, only because it was really the only one out there when I bought mine years ago.

 

[GregAW]

That's right, I remember you saying that's what you have and you bought the Aqua for a friend and you liked it better. Think I would be over filling just putting what I have in the reactor or should I use less?

 

[owl]

i m much busy with some stuffs beside my aqua life , and in free time i start researching on a denitrator ! gonna build one too !( so any idea on that will be most welcome ) .. i love DIYs ! even if they cost me more ! ...
anyway , i have some small progress on reactors ( i made a mistake and had to do what i did again ! ) , pix will arrive soon ... ( i hope ! )

 

[Ace25]

Denitrator coils do not work. Tons of work to build them correctly, and then once built, you will be lucky if it gives you a 10% reduction in nitrates. You need a huge denitrator coil to actually compare to a DSB because there is such little anerobic batceria at the lower ends of the coils to do the work. I looked into those myself at one point.. they sounded like the holy grail of reducing water changes at first glance, but the more your read and hear peoples opinions that built them, the more you see they are not worth the hassle.

 

[owl]

Denitrator coils do not work. Tons of work to build them correctly, and then once built, you will be lucky if it gives you a 10% reduction in nitrates. You need a huge denitrator coil to actually compare to a DSB because there is such little anerobic batceria at the lower ends of the coils to do the work. I looked into those myself at one point.. they sounded like the holy grail of reducing water changes at first glance, but the more your read and hear peoples opinions that built them, the more you see they are not worth the hassle.

gonna need more researchs ...
as i said i just start searching so i donno much bout them yet ..
what do u think bout those that don t use a coil , and has lotsa bioballs in them !?

 

[Ace25]

Problem with the bioballs is they do not grow a diverse enough population of bacteria to fully work, and then they "fill up" so to speak and you have to take them out and clean them good every month or so. Again, too much hassle. There are plenty of other things to worry about/maintain with a reef tank to throw extra things like that into the mix. Think of it as a "cost analysis", do you spend the time to make a coil or bio-ball chamber and have one more thing to worry about and maintain, or do you just add another gallon to your weekly waterchanges in place of that. I would just do the extra gallon waterchange, takes an extra 60 seconds to do and nothing extra to worry about.

 

[owl]

thnx for reply ..
i m sure preffer more water changes !
the matter is i wanna remove any nitrate to prevent any algae problem ... so what do u suggest ?
i heard a friend o mine use jbl nitratEX ( that s for FW) in his sump and he was so happy with it ! what do u think bout these methods ( use nitrate removing products ) ?