Would this work as a carbon reactor ?

[Idech]

I meant as a phosphate reactor but I suppose it’s the same requirements. If I can save a little money…

https://a.co/d/amErPhJ

 

[C_AWOL]

I think you mean that it's meant for biological filtering?

Air moving through carbon could possibly improve its performance but why not just put it in a high flow part of the sunp if money saving is the plan?

If your plan was to tumble the carbon then thats a terrible idea since carbon fines will cause hlle

 

[Idech]

I think you mean that it's meant for biological filtering?

Air moving through carbon could possibly improve its performance but why not just put it in a high flow part of the sunp if money saving is the plan?

If your plan was to tumble the carbon then thats a terrible idea since carbon fines will cause hlle

I corrected my comment but the title is wrong. This has nothing to do with carbon.

I need to lower my phosphate and I am looking for a cheap media reactor that works. I already have Rowaphos in a bag in the sump but it is taking a long time and I am plagued with GHA that’s suffocating corals.

 

[C_AWOL]

I don't think it would work well to keep gfo tumbling or even within the container frankly.

You would need some sort of additional sponge + floss to keep the gfo from coming out and the movement from air bubbles would likely only keep a portion from clumping (clumped gfo loses a lot of efficacy)

At the price of $24, I would just opt for a brs reactor mini or regular for $45/$55 respectively (before the common 10-20% off sales) and have something that works well for sure + will hold more capacity if needed.

 

[Idech]

I don't think it would work well to keep gfo tumbling or even within the container frankly.

You would need some sort of additional sponge + floss to keep the gfo from coming out and the movement from air bubbles would likely only keep a portion from clumping (clumped gfo loses a lot of efficacy)

At the price of $24, I would just opt for a brs reactor mini or regular for $45/$55 respectively (before the common 10-20% off sales) and have something that works well for sure + will hold more capacity if needed.

I’m in Canada so this would be more expensive for me. I’m looking at the Phosban 150 which is 89$ on Amazon. I already have a Sicce 1.0 pump and tubing so it wouldn’t be so bad.

 

[C_AWOL]

If you do go the phosban reactor route instead of any other alternatives, make sure you order extra gasket/o-rings. They kink easily and result in leaking.

 

[Miami Reef]

If only hair algae control was as easy as stripping nutrients. Life would be so much easier that way.

 

[Idech]

If only hair algae control was as easy as stripping nutrients. Life would be so much easier that way.

It started a while after I rehomed my foxface. Besides GHA, I also have tons of dinos. I’ve been battling them for almost 3 years now. My tank is in pitiful shape and I’ve never tried a reactor so why not ?

 

[Miami Reef]

It started a while after I rehomed my foxface.

Same here. When I rehomed my tang, I had a hair algae outbreak. It didn’t go away until I added another tang. lol

 

[Idech]

Same here. When I rehomed my tang, I had a hair algae outbreak. It didn’t go away until I added another tang. lol

I have a blue eye kole tang and a yellow tang. They aren’t touching it. I put my urchin back in the DT and added a starry blenny (it was supposed to be a lawnmower but the LFS made a mistake). Still no change.

 

[Miami Reef]

I also have tons of dinos. I’ve been battling them for almost 3 years now.

I’ve been following your posts for a while; you’ve been struggling with dinos for a long time with little results, despite trying all the conventional methods. I understand how frustrating it’s been for you.

 

[Miami Reef]

I have a blue eye kole tang and a yellow tang. They aren’t touching it.

Are you feeding them frequently? Sometimes withholding food can encourage them to seek other sources. Once they try it, they’ll continue eating it.

Yellow tangs are usually ferocious algae eaters.

 

[Idech]

Are you feeding them frequently? Sometimes withholding food can encourage them to seek other sources. Once they try it, they’ll continue eating it.

Yellow tangs are usually ferocious algae eaters.

I just scrubbed the rocks with a toothbrush and it came off very easily, with barely any scrubbing. So it’s not GHA… Some type of crap, I don’t know what.

Maybe because I’e been dosing a lot of bacteria recently. I turned on my UV and I’ll stop with the bacteria for a while.

Any idea what it might be ?

 

[Miami Reef]

I just scrubbed the rocks with a toothbrush and it came off very easily, with barely any scrubbing. So it’s not GHA… Some type of crap, I don’t know what.

Maybe because I’e been dosing a lot of bacteria recently. I turned on my UV and I’ll stop with the bacteria for a while.

Any idea what it might be ?

I was suspicious of the algae. It doesn’t make sense why a tang wouldn’t eat it.

It’s slimy? It’s probably Cyano, dino, or maybe even Chrysophytes. Can you get a microscope image?

 

[Pod_01]

Besides GHA, I also have tons of dinos. I’ve been battling them for almost 3 years now.

Is it Dinos or Cyanobacteria?

If Dino’s, and this is my tank specific, if I use TM A and K elements (dosing 1ml per 100l of volume) Dino’s tend to dissipate.

Picture of Dino’s

After few weeks to a month of dosing TM A and K:

I tend to reduce the light intensity by 10-20% for month or so.

In my case it seems the corals are missing some element and Dino’s explode. Once it is supplied all is back to normal.

Good luck,

 

[Idech]

Is it Dinos or Cyanobacteria?

Dinos were present for more than 2 years, with little breaks. Then cyano came and I got rid of it with chemi-clean. Cyano went away and dinos came back.

 

[C_AWOL]

Seems like a lot is going on from a quick skim.

Did you start with really old used rock by any chance (that might have come from a really nutrient rich tank)? At least with the gha aspect, doing a diy lanthanum reactor will be a cheaper (not necessarily safer) method to help remove any phosphate that's heavily bound to your rock to better combat the gha.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lacl-dosing-reactor-no-socks.638448/There are definitely more simple and less expensive designs but hopefully it gives you ideas.

As far as the dinos/mysterious bacteria, are you dosing any carbon source by any chance? At least from my experience, I've had no issues doing carbon dosing while utilizing a UV (for clarity purposes) but at too high of a dose, bacteria would grow immensely on every surface in the tank (comes off in sheets/globs when scrubbed off/basted off)

 

[Idech]

Did you start with really old used rock by any chance (that might have come from a really nutrient rich tank)?

It was mainly rocks used for 2 years in a freshwater tank. They were scrubbed, bleached, sun dried and rinsed. It was a long process, many many weeks.

At least with the gha aspect, doing a diy lanthanum reactor will be a cheaper (not necessarily safer) method

After brushing it today I now believe there is no GHA. It night be dead cyano that turned brown. Hopefully it doesn’t come back.

As far as the dinos/mysterious bacteria, are you dosing any carbon source by any chance?

No, I haven’t been dosing anything for months. Nitrates 26 ppm and phosphate 0,19.

 

[Miami Reef]

Do you use a protein skimmer?

 

[Idech]

Do you use a protein skimmer?

Yes but right now it is going crazy because of the chemi-clean treatment so it hasn’t been skimming for over a week. As we speak I am making rodi water to do a 33% WC tomorrow and hopefully it can start functioning again (I already did a 30% + 10 % WC).