Media Reactors

[swalke2]

Reposting in the right thread:

I am in the planning process of wanting to put together a sump for my 40b and wondering if all media reactors are created equal. Obviously there will be differnt sizes for differnet tanks, but looking at them online they all apper to be very similar and work in the same manner.

put media in> pump water in to pass through media >then water flow out back into sump.

Is there anything special to look for? Special pumps to get? Is there an effect flow rate that needs to kept in order for the reactor to work correctly?

I saw a Poly-Reactor that comes with pump, all tubing etc and wondering if that is like most stuff in this hobby that is inexpenseive and garbage.

Thanks for any info.

 

[gmpolan]

Most people will just keep it simple and use an extra maxi jet to feed the reactors. Alot of the reactors like the two little fishies and the brs actually have a little valve control which will help with the flow through the reactor pending on the gph of the pump so you should be good for the most part there. Honestly, i think alot of them are all in the same but i went with ones that were more popular amongst reefers and reasonbly priced ( TFL, BRS, etc)

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

Whatever you use...DO NOT use a ViaAqua reactor. The leak terribly. As was said above...keeping it simple is the best. Personally I use Two Little Fishes reactors....easy to clean, no leaks, inexpensive, etc.

 

[heyitsmirix3]

We use MRC reactors. They aren't as expensive as everyone think

 

[silver surfer]

Been very happy with my mrc reactor.

 

[acroholic]

swalke2;692973 wrote: Reposting in the right thread:

I am in the planning process of wanting to put together a sump for my 40b and wondering if all media reactors are created equal. Obviously there will be differnt sizes for differnet tanks, but looking at them online they all apper to be very similar and work in the same manner.

put media in> pump water in to pass through media >then water flow out back into sump.

Is there anything special to look for? Special pumps to get? Is there an effect flow rate that needs to kept in order for the reactor to work correctly?

I saw a Poly-Reactor that comes with pump, all tubing etc and wondering if that is like most stuff in this hobby that is inexpenseive and garbage.

Thanks for any info.

I'd decide first if you want to use an external or internal reactor and how much of your stand space you can give to it. For a tank your size you don't need anything large.

To me, for a 40 gallon tank, I would get one or two Two Little Fishies reactors. These are internal, inexpensive, and can hang in your sump, and you don't have to worry about leaks. Externals like MRC are high quality as well, and if you think you may go larger in the future and can devote cabinet space or sump floor space to them, then they would work as well. Any MRC media reactor can be run internal or external. there are other brands of media reactors as well. MRC are one of the the best built, IMO.

Main thing is, for most smaller reef tanks, the equipment area gets crowded quickly. I have limited space under my 100 gallon ref, so I use TLF internal reactors, but in my 300/150 reef system, I use external reactors.

I use a PVC manifold and feed my reactors off a single dedicated external pump in my 300/150 system, and off the return pump in my 100 gallon system. You can use a Maxijet PH for a single reactor, maybe a Mag 2 or small Quiet One for two reactors.

 

[swalke2]

Wow great info thanks! My thoughts are buying a new or used sump(used one that is not being used and laying around by one of these wonderful members )that has 3 chambers. In the middle chamber I was thinking small reactor and small skimmer. At a glance it seems I could put a big enough sump to accomidate.

Going larger...ill never go larger... HA!

I am still just begining research on the whole idea so the more USABLE info the better.

thanks
Steve

 

[acroholic]

Most media reactors are going to do the same thing. The thicker the acrylic used the more expensive they tend to be. TLF reactors are made from thin walled acrylic and are at the lower price point of the reactor market, but they do a great job and take up little space compared to other reactors.. thicker acrylic doesn't mean it works any better. BRS Media reactors are made from RODI components and they work fine, but they take up a good bit of space for the amount of media they use. MRC reactors hold a lot of Media compared to TLF and BRS, are very well built, and are a great choice if you can give them the space they need.

 

[swalke2]

Thanks again for the info

 

[fener103]

I was using a BRS twin unit (one for GFO and one for Carbon) replaced this with a sea systems unit this past weekend. So far I am pleased with it. Bad thing about the BRS as Acroholic mentioned is the size, also it is not the easiest to replace media especially if you are doing it frequently

 

[acroholic]

One plus for BRS reactors is they can be wall mounted, which helps if you are space limited in the sump or stand floor.

 

[smallblock]

Acroholic;693181 wrote: One plus for BRS reactors is they can be wall mounted, which helps if you are space limited in the sump or stand floor.

On the 120 I plan on having 3 wall mounted its gonna be great. I really like brs stuff dreat quality for a great price

 

[dakota9]

I should know the answer to this, but what is the difference between using a reactor and running media in a canister filter?

Edit:

Smallblock;693183 wrote: On the 120 I plan on having 3 wall mounted its gonna be great. I really like brs stuff dreat quality for a great price

I'm seriously asking, as I'm generally curious....


First, what media do you plan to run in the 3 reactors, and also, how will they do better than placing the media in the sump?



I'm curious, as (guessing here) it seems that many tank crashes are blamed on a reactor malfunction....

In many ways, they seem superfluous.

 

[acroholic]

Dakota9;693186 wrote: I should know the answer to this, but what is the difference between using a reactor and running media in a canister filter?

Not much difference for stuff like carbon, but GFO needs to be fluidized, so a clear media container you can see into and regulate flow through is desirable. That's about the only difference I can see.

 

[dakota9]

The one time I used GFO, I purchased it in a mesh bag and ran it through a Magnum 350 canister........ Odd.... At this point, I can't even remember it it helped the problem...


I just wanted to make certain I was missing something....

 

[swalke2]

saw thais and thought it might be a good choice. Could run now as a hang on the back and then when sump is built I can run in as an internal