Pax Bellum Arid n18?

[shrimped]

I just got an e-mail from Marine Depot about the Pax Bellum Arid n18. These look really nice while keeping nutrients down. I am planning on a Red Sea Reefer 170 (34 gallons) with Nyos Quantum 120 Skimmer (kinda overkill eh?). Will the n18 replace the skimmer, GFO, and Carbon Reactor for the Reefer 170? Any other things I need to know before pre ordering the n18?

 

[aquaman30k]

According to Triton and Pax Bellum, the algae reactors are not a replacement for a skimmer or a actual refugium. You will be able to use a hybid 50/50 method with Tritons dosing system if you are looking to go that way. Using one will allow your to ditch the gfo and biopellets but I don't know if you'll be able to ditch carbon since it's more of a water filter than a nutrient removal method.

Pax did recommend undersizing the reactor to maintain a steady algae growth instead of over sizing and stalling the algae growth.

The new reactors are bad butt looking and there are some really cool features available such as the calculator reactor supply and return adaptor for co2 removal and quick connect plumbing couplers for easy maintenance.

 

[HolisticBear]

I have a NYOS 120 and a DIY algae reactor in a 170 and I'm currently dosing PO4 to deal with low nutrients with heavy feeding. Still dialing it in, but NYOS + Reactor is alot of export.

I would have preferred an ARID, but it will not fit in the cabinet. I may still switch to one in distant future and plumb it outside.

As an alternative to Carbon for cleaning the water, I use KZ Coral Snow weekly.

 

[shrimped]

According to Triton and Pax Bellum, the algae reactors are not a replacement for a skimmer or a actual refugium. You will be able to use a hybid 50/50 method with Tritons dosing system if you are looking to go that way. Using one will allow your to ditch the gfo and biopellets but I don't know if you'll be able to ditch carbon since it's more of a water filter than a nutrient removal method.

Pax did recommend undersizing the reactor to maintain a steady algae growth instead of over sizing and stalling the algae growth.

The new reactors are bad *** looking and there are some really cool features available such as the calculator reactor supply and return adaptor for co2 removal and quick connect plumbing couplers for easy maintenance.

Thank you for the reply! Pax Bellum stated to not use the Algae Reactor with GFO, Biopellets, and carbon media. I don't know why they said no Carbon though. Maybe getting rid of the nutrients needed? Either if it works I am most likely not able to use this beast Algae Reactor due to the small tank and lack of nutrients. Should I go for a Nyos Quantum 120 and a Pax Bellum Arid n18 or Nyos Quantum 120, Aquamaxx Refugium kit (Marine Depot), GFO Reactor and a Carbon Reactor? I will look more into the Triton dosing.

 

[shrimped]

I have a NYOS 120 and a DIY algae reactor in a 170 and I'm currently dosing PO4 to deal with low nutrients with heavy feeding. Still dialing it in, but NYOS + Reactor is alot of export.

I would have preferred an ARID, but it will not fit in the cabinet. I may still switch to one in distant future and plumb it outside.

As an alternative to Carbon for cleaning the water, I use KZ Coral Snow weekly.

Thank you for the reply! Yea I was worried about the too clean water that most LPS Coral won't do well in. I am thinking of a few NPS Corals and inverts in the tank such as a Ball Sponge, a gorgonian or two, and a small colony of Dendrophylia. I will do more research about the KZ Coral Snow. Does it leave your tank with Crystal Clear water?

 

[HolisticBear]

Yea I was worried about the too clean water that most LPS Coral won't do well in.

Their is some balancing on reactor & nyos. I'm running the nyos drier and reactor fewer hours. With the addition of another fish, it will help. I'm also bare bottom, so I'm keeping the tank clean.

Hybrid has a build thread where he switched to Zeovit and then back over a few months, but he loved Coral Snow and kept with it. Their are some YouTube videos. I noticed a slight yellowing of my water (probably due to reactor) and a little KZ cleared it up. I personally dose just 1.5ml on Sunday night. Some people do it daily.

I really like the build quality of the ARID. Lots of ways to run tank, but my goal was to avoid GFO & Phosguard in this tank and so far the plan seems ok. Heat is an issue with home made reactor. I wanted to do the NYOS and the Skimz reactor, but they will not fit inside the sump together

 

[shrimped]

Sorry to hear the equipment doesn't fit in the sump together. I remember getting two reactors for my current AIO Red Sea Max C130 only to find that one can fit inside the back chamber. This is the main reason I want to get out of AIO and go for the reefer series. Seems to me that many people including you really enjoy KZ's existence. I'm thinking of starting out with the Nyos 120 and dosing KZ once in a while. When I purchase more Coral and fish the ARID n18 could come in handy. I have also heard of people's tanks being too clean with the n18 so they dose small amounts of Phosphate and Nitrates to the water along with heavy feedings.

 

[Jonathan Iu]

MarineDepot is pre-order and when I ordered they cancelled it. I ordered from ReefBum instead.

 

[shrimped]

MarineDepot is pre-order and when I ordered they cancelled it. I ordered from ReefBum instead.

Why'd they cancel it?

 

[Jonathan Iu]

The order is in but since its a pre order they refunded me first..but why charge me in the first place?

 

[Jonathan Iu]

Stupid Reefarse cancelled also. No communication. Nothing

 

[shrimped]

Stupid Reefarse cancelled also. No communication. Nothing

Daannng that sucks... sorry bout that man. Like yea it's stupid how they charged you first then refund all of a sudden.

 

[Jonathan Iu]

Customer service isn't their forte. Still I managed to buy from Marine Depot.

 

[SantaMonica]

I am thinking of a few NPS Corals... Does it leave your tank with Crystal Clear water?

NPS and clear water are not good together. NPS need very heavy food particle concentrations in water, especially at night. In reefs at night, sometimes the particles are so dense that a diver can't see his own hand.

 

[shrimped]

NPS and clear water are not good together. NPS need very heavy food particle concentrations in water, especially at night. In reefs at night, sometimes the particles are so dense that a diver can't see his own hand.

Oh what??? That'll be creepy to not see you hand at night. I guess I might just keep a fat head dendro. No gorgonians. Thank you for the reply though I would've never known that.

 

[Jerel]

Outside of the Triton Method, Pax-Bellum has always implied that an A.R.I.D can be the "sole" filtration of your system. I've been running solely a N18 on my ELOS Midi system for a little over two(2)months, which isn't highly stocked at this point but No3 and P04 needs to be dosed in order to be detectable. I am controlling those parameters instead of reacting to them.

Oh, N18 was acquired from Manhattan Aquariums

 

[reefluvrr]

I too am considering an N18 for my net 60 gallon tank. I have room to put in a small fuge 1gallon. I just don't know if the Pax N18 is that much more efficient than a fuge? Any thoughts ?

 

[reefluvrr]

Unique Coral is selling Pax-Bellum $50.00 off until tomorrow.

 

[shrimped]

I too am considering an N18 for my net 60 gallon tank. I have room to put in a small fuge 1gallon. I just don't know if the Pax N18 is that much more efficient than a fuge? Any thoughts ?

I'm pretty sure that the Arid is a totally different thing than a fuge. I may be wrong but pretty sure a fuge is to mildly control nitrate/phosphate and be a safe place for pods to grow. Fuge also can hold sand and rocks for pods.

 

[Trailermann]

According to Triton and Pax Bellum, the algae reactors are not a replacement for a skimmer or a actual refugium. You will be able to use a hybid 50/50 method with Tritons dosing system if you are looking to go that way. Using one will allow your to ditch the gfo and biopellets but I don't know if you'll be able to ditch carbon since it's more of a water filter than a nutrient removal method.

Pax did recommend undersizing the reactor to maintain a steady algae growth instead of over sizing and stalling the algae growth.

The new reactors are bad *** looking and there are some really cool features available such as the calculator reactor supply and return adaptor for co2 removal and quick connect plumbing couplers for easy maintenance.

Have I been reading Pax Bellum web information wrong? I thought that the ARID reactor can successfully replace a refugium.