?? on brs dual reactor

[jimmystephens]

Im running the brs dual reactor and my question is. I have it setup with a maxi jet 1200. It supplies the water through the rox carbon first the goes through the gfo and the out. But my gfo doesnt tumble that i can see. Should i upgrade the pump? Or put the gfo first and the carbon rox 2nd? Also there are foam pads in the cambers. I use them on the carbon but not the gfo is this correct? This is my first time having a reactor. Thanks in advance

 

[picoreefguy]

the gfo is supposed to go in the first chamber. it should be labled on the reactor bracket that way

 

[jimmystephens]

Its labeled with the carbon first

 

[picoreefguy]

and you dont want the gfo to tumble to much you just want it to kinda perculate. as long as the top layer is moving a little youre good

Edit: is the gfo on the left or the right?

 

[jimmystephens]

Oh ok. Ill change them out. Thanks

 

[ripped tide]

Are you sure that you have the flow going through the reactor in the right direction? If you have it going the wrong way, you'll have a down-flow and there will be no tumbling.

 

[jimmystephens]

Um... no im not sure. the reactor is labeled carbon on the right side and gfo on left and i have the water going in on the right and out on the left

 

[heathlindner25]

it sounds like you have the flow backwards, are you off today maybe I could swing by?
and I believe the carbon should have higher flow than the GFO ,so it should be first

 

[jimmystephens]

Hey heath. Im taking the wife to the doctor at 10 for the baby check up ill be home around 12 if u wanna swing by. That would be cool.

 

[jef4y]

JimmyStephens;860854 wrote: Um... no im not sure. the reactor is labeled carbon on the right side and gfo on left and i have the water going in on the right and out on the left

There's your problem. You're running the flow backwards throug it as Dylan eluded to.

Flow is LEFT to RIGHT.
PUMP -- IN -- GFO -- CARBON -- OUT

 

[jimmystephens]

Ok thanks for the help.

 

[jimmystephens]

Just switched the inlet to the left side and its working like it should. Thanks! Cant believe i hooked it up backwards lol

 

[jef4y]

As mentioned above though, you are not going to want to run that MJ-1200 full-blast into this reactor or you'll grind the GFO into dust. The only real movement you should see in the GFO is right at the top. It should just be "wavy". Anything more will grind it up.

Also, for me, I fill & use my containers like this.

I empty & rinse them, rinse the sponges real well, put the bottom (with sponge attached) back on the tube and fill through the top using a funnel. I rinse that out, and then stuff one sponge down through the top, placing it about 1" above the line of the GFO or Carbon. Then I stuff the other sponge through the top hole and pull it back up using tweezers to get it up into the top neck of the container.

 

[ripped tide]

JimmyStephens;860869 wrote: Just switched the inlet to the left side and its working like it should. Thanks! Cant believe i hooked it up backwards lol

:up: glad that we got you situated!

 

[jimmystephens]

I had to turn down the mj to about halfway to get that small surface tumble. Thanks again. I was wondering why the reactor wasnt helping lol. Thanks again. This is why i love this club. Everyones always there for each other. Kinda like family. Theres some fights here and there but at the end of the day we all have each others back!

 

[curtismaximus]

I just checked mine and it has GFO first and then Carbon going from left to right. I only have carbon in there at the moment so its not an issue. Do you think I should move the pump to the other side so its going into the Carbon chamber first? or should I just put the carbon in the GFO side?

I empty & rinse them, rinse the sponges real well, put the bottom (with sponge attached) back on the tube and fill through the top using a funnel. I rinse that out, and then stuff one sponge down through the top, placing it about 1" above the line of the GFO or Carbon. Then I stuff the other sponge through the top hole and pull it back up using tweezers to get it up into the top neck of the container.

Do you have a sponge on the bottom under the container? I have one on bottom and one on top so it sandwiches the media. Do I have mine correct?

 

[jimmystephens]

How i have mine now: mj 1200 supply going through the left side first (gfo no pads on top or bottom) then goes through the right camber(carbon rox. Pads on top and bottom) then out into the refugium.

 

[jef4y]

Curtismaximus;860893 wrote:
Do you have a sponge on the bottom under the container? I have one on bottom and one on top so it sandwiches the media. Do I have mine correct?

Works out that there is 1 sponge below (attached to the end cap) and 2 sponges above. 1 right above the material and one in the top neck.

 

[curtismaximus]

JeF4y;860923 wrote: Works out that there is 1 sponge below (attached to the end cap) and 2 sponges above. 1 right above the material and one in the top neck.

Ok I will try thanks.

 

[ralph atl]

yes, GFO first.....

However, my unit is 3.5 feet off the ground, and an MJ1200 is worthless after a few days, IMHO. I bought a compact eheim (or even a sicce would work).

Also, I have no sponges in my gfo and only 2 in the carbon, and even after 7 days flow has slowed somewhat.......This is due to bacteria coating ROX carbon. Maybe cheaper carbons allow for more flow? (but may cause fish health issues).