Flow rate on reactors

[bberman]

I am running two reactors on my 200gallon tank.
1 with phosguard (gfo) and one with matrix carbon.

If I piggy back them off each other I can fill a 3 gallon bucket in 1min 47 second which if my math is correct gives me a flow rate of 101 gph

If I run them separate I get 3 gallons in 1min 21sec which is 133gph

I would like to run them together off the one pump. Is 101gph enough flow for a 200 gallon tank and30 gallon sump?

Thanks for the advice!

 

[fishlips]

Not sure if I'm doing it correctly, But with my gfo, I gage the flow by how the gfo tumbles on the surface .

 

[ff337]

Fishlips;1100855 wrote: Not sure if I'm doing it correctly, But with my gfo, I gage the flow by how the gfo tumbles on the surface .

This

 

[hiimsean]

With GFO, you want it to look like it slightly bubbles at the surface.

 

[sewer urchin]

Also, just to throw a wrench in the works, phosguard and GFO are two separate things. Both are used to capture phosphate but are made up of different substances...

Phosguard is alumia based and tends to be a bit faster to lower PO4 and chemically locks it up. It is a little denser and can handle a faster flow. I do not let it tumble or it will become a powder that can irritate many corals, I think acans are sensitive (don't hold me to that)

GFO- is iron based, granulated ferric oxide tends to be slower to work, but some people have reported that after becoming saturated it can release PO4 back into the water. It is lighter and will tumble very easily which bites because it will release a fine "rusty" looking dust over everything.

As for packing in the same container, it should work and will be better then nothing....

but Matrix and GFO and or Phosgard require a different flow to be optimized. If they are in the the same container, one will be under utilized so you tossing one of them before they are used up. As long as you know what's happened and are OK with that.... cool.

As for the flow rate.... different shaped and sized containers will have different rates so you will just have to dial it in.<u>

It's the tumbling that hurts things.</u></em>

 

[dball711]

GFO should tumble but PhosGuard should not tumble against itself as recommeneded by Seachem.

 

[ricky5415]

I agree with Dave. I don't have to calculate flow gph thing. Just turn them down so that the they are slowly tumble. A little more with gfo. Also do some phosphate testing before and after + get a reliable phosphate test kit

 

[joseayes]

I will do the same as others have suggested, different media will require different flow rate, as all would be set for separated approaching not all of the media will last or will "cure" the symptoms in a determinated amount of time, that's the reason I won't suggests mixing media to share the same reactor.
As per flow, I'm more worry about flow for parts like UV, Chiller and Calcium reactor, and been waiting on flow sensors coming to realese from Apex brand.

 

[frag freak]

Your math checks out.


My opinion is the rate is fine with combined media. That's just my opinion.

 

[bberman]

The media is is seporate reactors. I currently run each reactor off individual pumps. But I can take the outflow on the carbon and dazzychain it to the phoshuard and eliminate a pump, free up a port on apex and lower temp in the sump... but is 100gph enough flow to have an effect?

 

[frag freak]

Ohhhhhhhhh...... sorry bub. I was confused..... I just shot you a pm because I hate typing on mobile. Lol