BC29 pump upgrade

[narcosis]

I installed a phosban reactor and an SR3 skimmer in my BC29. The stock pump is too weak to run the reactor, so I went out to LFS to get a Marineland NJ900 pump. They advised that I installed a smaller pump dedicated to the reactor and just drop it in the first chamber, even though I would have three pumps in my tank. Well, it worked fine except that my water temps went from 79/80 degrees up to 84 degrees. My fish and corals started looking like they were bailing hay in the middle of a Georgia summer.

So, I removed the small pump and the temps went back down to normal range. I read the Marineland NJ900 and NJ1100 pumps have very little heat output and have adjustable flow control. The NJ900 is only slightly higher GPH than the stock BC29 pump. After all this background info nonsense, should I go with the NJ1100 since I'm running a reactor and return? Does anyone know how well the flow control works on these pumps and if the pumps themselves are a good replacement? Open to suggestions for other pumps and setups.

Thanks :thanks:

 

[schwimmair]

Hi, are you looking at a NJ pump or a MJ (Maxi Jet) pump? I would go with a MJ 1200 very little difference in heat and power, and most people run that in the larger Nanos.

 

[narcosis]

I was looking at the NJ utility pump with flow control. I bought a MJ600 for the reactor.

 

[dakota9]

Phosban Reactor for a 29g tank? Are you using tap water? Even if, stratigicly placing a bag of PhosGuard in the tank would seemingly be enough.....

 

[narcosis]

Well I tried the Phosguard bag tactic and had it placed in my filter chamber where all the water coming through would go through the bag. Didn't work because my phosphate levels were still high enough for the HA problem I had. The time frame that I did have the reactor running contributed to almost non existent phosphate levels and the eventual disappearance of the HA.

I am using saltwater from my LFS for exchanges and RO/DI water for top off. I have read on some other forums that folks were running both carbon and phosguard in their reactors successfully. I want to remove the stock BC filter and just go with floss so I will need to supplement carbon when I do this.