Phosban Reactor?

[texhorns98]

Who runs them? Who has success with them? I've got a good deal on a Two Little Fishies reactor...are those decent quality?

 

[weaglereefer]

I run carbon and GFO in mine. Just stack the sponges. Sponge on the bottom, appropriate amount of gfo, another sponge, carbon, and another sponge. This makes it easy to change the carbon every 2 weeks and gfo every 4 weeks. They're only about $40 new.

 

[elfloyd]

Setting up my 90 to run dual GFO and carbon reactors: GFO in one... carbon in the other.

 

[texhorns98]

au01st;349141 wrote: I run carbon and GFO in mine. Just stack the sponges. Sponge on the bottom, appropriate amount of gfo, another sponge, carbon, and another sponge. This makes it easy to change the carbon every 2 weeks and gfo every 4 weeks. They're only about $40 new.

So you run the TLF one? Yeah, I found it new for $35, some places wanted $49.95. How big is the actual unit? Space in the sump is running out! I am doing this in hopes that I can finally get a handle on this darn algae!

 

[weaglereefer]

Smaller than a canister on my RO/DI unit. I would guess 3" diameter, 10-12" tall. It has a lip to hang on the side of the sump.

 

[texhorns98]

OK, that's not too bad. The pictures can be deceiving sometimes. I had no real appreciation of how big my "small" Octopus skimmer was until I actually got it. Thing was HUGE!

 

[texhorns98]

Or, Aquamedic has a phosphate "filter". Same thing?

 

[realfish]

Running dual Phosban reactors for about a week now. One with GFO and one with Carbon. Very east to set up. Not to bad to change out. It would be nice if the bracket that holds it onto the lip of your sump was part of the top rather than part of the bottom. I'd guess they are 3x10. Keep in mind you can only fill them to 5" from the bottom. Also (and I made this mistake). Your input needs to go into the center whole.

 

[texhorns98]

Can you just use a mini-jet to run one of these? Says you need 30-40gph flow. Seems like that would be hard to actually measure.

 

[weaglereefer]

I have a ball valve with mine (can't remember if it came with it or not). I close the valve, turn the pump on, and open the valve until the media just starts to bubble, then dial it back a little bit until the media doesn't move.

I think the reason it's part of the container instead of the top is so the screw in the bottom can be oriented right to keep the canister level. If the lip were part of the top, you'd have to mess with the thing until the lip lined up with the adjusting screw.

 

[texhorns98]

So before I order this thing. Would I be OK to run it with a mini-jet 404?

 

[derek_s]

I would think the MJ404 is gonna be a tad too weak to push through the media. I just tapped mine off the return. Works well.

 

[weaglereefer]

I'm planning to do the same thing when I plumb the 90. I'm currently using a MJ-900 and the ball valve is about 3/4 open. With a 600 it wasn't strong enough to get the top layer to boil, so I went bigger and just turned it down.

Now, how to go from 3/4" pvc or flex to the 1/2" flex needed for the TLF reactor.

 

[texhorns98]

Good idea Derek. Just "t" off the return and use the ball valve to crank down the flow through the reactor. One less thing to plug in as well! I'm out of outlets!

 

[texhorns98]

au01st;349208 wrote: I'm planning to do the same thing when I plumb the 90. I'm currently using a MJ-900 and the ball valve is about 3/4 open. With a 600 it wasn't strong enough to get the top layer to boil, so I went bigger and just turned it down.

Now, how to go from 3/4" pvc or flex to the 1/2" flex needed for the TLF reactor.

Details, details...:tongue2:

Why don't you run a "tee", with the 90 heading to the reactor. At that 90, put a reducer bushing to 1/2" with a barbed fitting. Or something like that...

I can never "think" about plumbing. I always need to be in front of it to get an idea.

 

[dakota9]

Wow!

In my 30 gallon tank, I just threw a bag of PhosBan in my canister filter

In my 65, I just threw the bag of PhosBan in my sump.

I'm interested in seeing just how complicated this can be made.........

 

[ralph atl]

I run one with bulkreedsupply gfo, and one with carbon. for a few years now. I have them in series with the carbon first. change every 2 weeks.

 

[realfish]

mysterybox;349288 wrote: I run one with bulkreedsupply gfo, and one with carbon. for a few years now. I have them in series with the carbon first. change every 2 weeks.

I believe BRS suggests running Carbon second to pick up any of the fines from the GFO.

 

[weaglereefer]

RealFish;349306 wrote: I believe BRS suggests running Carbon second to pick up any of the fines from the GFO.

+1 I notice no dust particles running this way, though I used to when it was just GFO, no carbon.

 

[ralph atl]

RealFish;349306 wrote: I believe BRS suggests running Carbon second to pick up any of the fines from the GFO.

true, but it's better IMHO for the gfo to filter any organics that the carbon releases.