phosphate reactor

[Sprout579]

I have a 40g stretch hex reef and my phosphates are pretty high. Instead of wasting money on phosphate sponges I am going to get a phosphate reactor. I really havent found a whole lot about them. I am looking at the PhosBan Reactor, Three Little Fishes, I think. Does anyone have suggestions for set up, like if this will do the job and what size pump shoulld I use with it, and is there better substrate than PhosBan?

[flashardy]

I Have the Kent Reactor.
For the pump get the Mirco-Jet 450 I think.
I just got the Phosban Media. I put Mine on low flow. That is about it.

CLH

[Bemo]

I have the two little fishes phosban reactor. Got it about a month ago. Pretty simple install. I am using a powerhead hooked up to the ball valve that it comes with. Only suggestion is to keep the flow low, and don't spend a lot on a new powerhead.

[tdwyatt]

Ditto on Julian's reactor, it is an inexpensive yet well-made product, and will hold 150 grams of media and still tumble the media gently with a MJ (I am using a 1200 for mine, but I run a little extra media for the display I am using it on for evaluation.). Thanksgiving weekend saw Marine Depot sell them for under $25 USD this year...

[Sprout579]

I read some other threads about this and I read that I should use the MAxi-Jet 900 but all the recomendations from Phosban Say to use the Maxi-jet 400. Which one should I buy???

[tdwyatt]

The reactor comes with a ball valve that will let you control how much tumble occurs as the water goes through the reactor. If you're running a reactor at the same height as the pump (like in the sump for the PH, and the reactor hanging on the side of your sump), there is little head pressure loss, so there is little need to do more than the MJ 400. If you are running a remote reactor, with the PH in the sump, then you will need a larger PH. Just how big will depend on how far away the remote location is, how high the pump needs to push the SW, and/or how many turns the line makes and how long your flex pipe is going from the PH to the reactor. For me, it has to go up 5 feet, travel through a wall, and traverse a total of 12 feet of 1/2 ID pipe...

I elected to use the MJ 1200, partially due to the distance, number of turns, and height; and partially because I am using a little more than the 150 gms of reactor medium needed for the standard phosphate-removal GFH application (t.vol for system ~250G(US)). Calculate your head losses due to restrictions and height to determine what you'll need for adequate flow. Two Little Fishes recommends one reactor for every 150G (US) or 1 gm GFH/gallon system volume, max 150 gms per reactor.


HTH

[three90s&125sump]

Do they work?

[three90s&125sump]

Yup, still got a phosphate complex.

[Sprout579]

thanks, I believe it will be right in my sump so no remote lines. I think I will use the MJ600 just to be on the safe side of things, I hate to have to buy things twice..., thanks for your help

[tdwyatt]

I am waiting to see, I've always been a proponent of removing every little trace of free phosphate at every opportunity, because you don't get many chances to do this. Running a trap/reactor for phosphates is a means of removing whatever free phosphate shows up, so I cannot say a definite yes yet, but time will tell.

It appears to be keeping down the rate of algal scrapings for the front glass, mine had creeped up to every 6 days, but with the initiation of the reactor, the frequency has dropped back to every 12 to 15 days... with a DSB.


Waiting to see if other predictions fall into place.

[Sprout579]

wow that must be nice, I have to clean my front glass every day...

[three90s&125sump]

I have been scraping mine one a week but, I have to admit I should be doing it twice a week. I definatly want to know how this experiment turns out for you, Tom. How long will it take? a couple months? a couple years?

[tdwyatt]

Originally Posted by three90s&125sump

...How long will it take? a couple months? a couple years?

I dunno! I will prolly have to either change my dosing regimen (which I REALLY do not want to do due to past experiences), or extend the time period out further, there may be phosphate issues that I cannot determine or evaluate when using the DSB that has been in the tank 3 yrs now.

I had some issues with running the phosban when it first came out, but I think I was using too much anyway (problems with the tips of stony corals burning using it at the rate of 3 gms/gallon... ) just the decrease in the glass scraping frequency seems to tell me something good is going on, but I still have a few expectations that are not being met.


We shall see.

[Barcochris]

can you DIY one of these and if so do you have a link?

[tdwyatt]

you can prolly make one from one of the house-wide water purifier units, just use a piede of pipe down the middle and mount flat perforated discs on the pie at 1" and 9" from the bottom, cover the plates with pond filtration media, and voile!

yer done!