Carbon / GFO / Matrix

[kirkwood]

I currently have 2 reactors to run Carbon and GFO. They are not always online as I everything I've read talks about Carbon and GFO depleting faster than I actually plan to change the media out.

After the holidays I plan on adding Matrix to a reactor and let that run without interruption.

My question is - Is there any problem with using my remaining reactor and alternate it between carbon and gfo? Or set up a monthly schedule of like 20 days of carbon and 10 days of GFO? I'm just trying to decide if it is of any worth to me to pick up a 3rd reactor if I won't always have all 3 of them running at the same time.

 

[jef4y]

I don't know why you wouldn't run all 3 at the same time, but that's just me.

My setup is this.

Dual media reactor - GFO / Carbon run 24x7 and changed monthly.

Just added a reactor with about 1L of Matrix in it running 24x7

I don't know if it's a coincidence or what, but I will say that after 2 months of having the Matrix on my tank, I have NOTICEABLY less algae in the tank. Not that I had a problem, but there was short algae on almost all the rocks, and today it is almost 100% gone!

Leaving a reactor offline would be a PITA IMHO. You'll need to clean it or the water will ROT inside of it.

 

[enderg60]

remember stability is the key to a good aquarium and alternating medias like that does not make things stable.

Just get another reactor.

 

[kirkwood]

JeF4y;820121 wrote: I don't know why you wouldn't run all 3 at the same time, but that's just me.

My setup is this.

Dual media reactor - GFO / Carbon run 24x7 and changed monthly.

Just added a reactor with about 1L of Matrix in it running 24x7

I don't know if it's a coincidence or what, but I will say that after 2 months of having the Matrix on my tank, I have NOTICEABLY less algae in the tank. Not that I had a problem, but there was short algae on almost all the rocks, and today it is almost 100% gone!

Leaving a reactor offline would be a PITA IMHO. You'll need to clean it or the water will ROT inside of it.

agreed that the water will rot inside. I just cleaned my offline reactors the other day and they stunk worse than skimmate... I have read various opinions on the useful life of Carbon and GFO and it sounded to me like the media exhausted in much less time than a month. Maybe like 1 - 2 weeks? So I thought I could save myself the 3rd reactor and further cramping the inside of my stand by just alternating between GFO and Carbon.

 

[clay4au]

I've seen some that mix carbon and gfo 2:1 in the same reactor, never done it so don't know how effective it is but would save you a reactor.

Currently I have 1 reactor online and it has carbon between the pads and the rest filled with Matrix.

 

[jef4y]

Media lifespan will vary based on the amount of X that it's pulling out of the water, how much media you have, the type of media and the flow rate through it.

I'm using BRS ROX carbon and the standard GFO and get a month out of 2 cups of each on my 150.

I was replacing every 2 weeks but started pushing it and don't notice any difference.

 

[ralph atl]

JeF4y;820129 wrote: Media lifespan will vary based on the amount of X that it's pulling out of the water, how much media you have, the type of media and the flow rate through it.

I'm using BRS ROX carbon and the standard GFO and get a month out of 2 cups of each on my 150.

I was replacing every 2 weeks but started pushing it and don't notice any difference.

you will notice soon....once the rock & sand get saturated with phates.....


GFO & Carbon are good for about 2 weeks since once the media is coated with bacteria, it is rendered useless. just saying. use less, change more often.



I would buy another reactor, however, if that was not an option,

A) put a low profile tupperware or sterite container in your sump and fill with rinsed matrix.
Then you still got both.

or

B) GFO & Matrix.