Phosban reactor flow question...

[peckhead]

im using a maxijet 600 and wondering how much should i have the ball valve open or closed? right now it is in the middle i would say and only 1" of the phosban is getting moved around.

 

[peckhead]

and is it normal that my skimmer isnt making any foam since setting up the reactor?

 

[peckhead]

does anyone run a phosban reactor?!?!?

 

[saltn00b]

that thing is way too powerful. you need a mini jet or a water lifter
and even then, it needs to be carefully regulated.
the media should just barely be moving at the surface. any more and then media will tumble and get pulverized and enter the water column which is very bad!

 

[peckhead]

they recommend a maxi jet 500. i have a 600. i know alot of people use 400-600's so i dont think it is too powerful. so the media shouldnt tumble or move really at all? it has a ball valve on it that i can regulate the water.

 

[saltn00b]

no they recommend a mj500. they are a company not a forums board using acronyms. maxijet is does not make a 500. mj500 stands for minijet 500 i believe. do a quick search for it.

 

[saltn00b]

actually may have been wrong. this is what i use and what was recommended in my reactor (two little fishies)
http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20060420133518/www.**************.com/images/Categoryimages/normal/p_26091_12348D.jpg

 

[peckhead]

well i think that the maxijet 600 will work just the same. it is 160gph. after head loss of about 1 foot and the ball valve turned about half way i am getting very little movement of the phosban media.

 

[saltn00b]

thats the main thing - it should look like a slow rolling boil on the top surface. and you might see little channels going up the sides. works wonders.
whats you p04 at?

 

[saltn00b]

oh yea, you can also run carbon type media in the reactor as well

 

[peckhead]

to be honest with you, i dont know what my po4 is because i havent checked it in a while. i use ro water with 0 tds and i have 0 nitrate. i should check the po4 but i havent. i have some algea on the sand in some areas but other then that the tank is fine. i just got one to see if it helps with the random algea i have on the sand and some on the top of my over flow.
now i have a little tumble on the top of the media.

 

[saltn00b]

what algae? Cyanobacteria?
how much flow do you have? how much food do you feed, what type and what size tank / livestock list are you working with>?

 

[peckhead]

no no no, no cyano. just some very short hair algea. i dont over feed. i have a tomini tang and a false perc. 90 g with 30g fuge. i have 2 mj 900 and 1 1200 and a mag 9.5 return. and 2x250 hqi.