Help with IM reactor - clogging

Kongar · Feb 17, 2021

I’m having issues with my new IM media reactor clogging up. Anyone have one and can offer some advice? I’m running it in the middle chamber of my IM Nuvo20 peninsula AIO. 2 pads on the bottom. Then 2 tablespoons of brs rox 0.8 carbon to 1 tablespoon gfo. Lastly two pads on the top.

Works great for a day, but the flow clogs up and stops after. I pull the canister out, give it a shake, and it’s good to go for another day - but only for a day before it clogs up again. Flow rate on the pump doesn’t seem to matter - it’s like the carbon and gfo turn into a little block of media that restricts flow.

You can also spin the little canister, and it’s supposed to be an adjustable flow thing - but I’ll be danged if spinning it does anything. It spins 360 degrees - I keep thinking it’s not installed correctly or pushed all the way in, but I can’t seem to find anything wrong.

1) do you have one and does it spin 360 degrees? Can you adjust the flow by spinning?
2) does yours clog? Am I loading it incorrectly?
3) should I just ditch it and go with say the brs dual reactor. (Kind of big for my tank, and I’m not sure the pump will fit in the back chambers)

Thanks

DED65 · Feb 19, 2021

I gave up on mine and went with the BRS reactor on my Nuvo 40. I was never able to adjust it and keep the setting. I run GFO separately so it can slightly tumble, it can clump if not moving. I put the ROX in a filter bag to keep it from tumbling and escaping the reactor. You do not want the carbon to grind into dust.

Kongar · Feb 19, 2021

That's my experience - I just can't keep the flow constant for more than a day or so. It doesn't tumble, it either doesn't flow, or it pushes everything up to the top of the reactor and stays put as a solid block.

I'm assuming you don't have a sump. Where did you put the BRS reactor and how did you plumb it? I was hoping it could be mounted outside of the tank even though I don't have a sump (I'm worried about it leaking/failing and draining my tank). I was also wondering how to hold the return line so it doesn't fall out of the back chambers (use the silicone tubing and some kind of clamp).

Interested in specifically how you set it up. Thanks!

DED65 · Feb 19, 2021

No sump. I hung mine on the wall behind and above the tank, not pretty but it is in a back room. I run a m900 maxi jet pump from the back chamber and cut the supply lines a little longer so they won’t come out of the tank. I have the supplies to run it from the cabinet, silicone tube and the clamps from Fluval for an fx canister filter. The clamps lock on the back of the tank, the clips are removable and adjustable to hold the tube in place. Just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

Kongar · Feb 25, 2021

DED65 said:
No sump. I hung mine on the wall behind and above the tank, not pretty but it is in a back room. I run a m900 maxi jet pump from the back chamber and cut the supply lines a little longer so they won’t come out of the tank. I have the supplies to run it from the cabinet, silicone tube and the clamps from Fluval for an fx canister filter. The clamps lock on the back of the tank, the clips are removable and adjustable to hold the tube in place. Just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

So I gave up on the IM reactor. It’s more hassle than it’s worth. You convinced me to try the brs dual reactor and it’s a million times better. I ended up running it right off my return pump with the silicone tubing kit. It works fantastic gfo tumbles nice, carbon stays put, and I now have an unused chamber in the back.

For those in a similar boat - I’d mount the brs dual reactor (or similar) behind the aio, OR just forgo the reactor altogether and do bigger water changes.