Phosphate reactor
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flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by manners http:///t/391194/phosphate-reactor#post_3467980
Can i run a phosphate reactor with out a sump but still have it under the stand...? Not quite sure how they work
They work a little like a canister filter. You have an intake hose and an output hose. Media goes in the reactor and water is drawn up from the pump into the intake hose...the output hose has a valve and it must be turned way down to make the flow slow enough so the water is exposed to the media and then it trickles out of the output hose to the fish tank or sump. The reactor...according to the instructions that came with mine, says to place the reactor close to the water level of the sump. So the same would apply to have it for the main tank...making it unsightly.
Originally Posted by manners http:///t/391194/phosphate-reactor#post_3467980
Can i run a phosphate reactor with out a sump but still have it under the stand...? Not quite sure how they work
They work a little like a canister filter. You have an intake hose and an output hose. Media goes in the reactor and water is drawn up from the pump into the intake hose...the output hose has a valve and it must be turned way down to make the flow slow enough so the water is exposed to the media and then it trickles out of the output hose to the fish tank or sump. The reactor...according to the instructions that came with mine, says to place the reactor close to the water level of the sump. So the same would apply to have it for the main tank...making it unsightly.
manners
Member
The reactor...according to the instructions that came with mine, says to place the reactor close to the water level of the sump. So the same would apply to have it for the main tank...making it unsightly.
Thats no good... Is there anything i can run in my canister that will improve my phosphate removal process?( i run chemipure, a phospatepad, filterflauce, a sponge pre-filter and ceramic rings)
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by manners http:///t/391194/phosphate-reactor#post_3467993
Thats no good... Is there anything i can run in my canister that will improve my phosphate removal process?( i run chemipure, a phospatepad, filterflauce, a sponge pre-filter and ceramic rings)
Thats the stuff I ran in mine too...it helps but not as great as a reactor will.
Macroalgae however is fantastic for removing nitrates and phosphates. There are some really pretty ones out there, not the ball of green moss looking stuff like cheato. Caulerpa prolifera looks like turtle grass, and the red macros are breathtaking. As you prune away the extra growth you remove the phosphates and nitrates from your tank.
Originally Posted by manners http:///t/391194/phosphate-reactor#post_3467993
Thats no good... Is there anything i can run in my canister that will improve my phosphate removal process?( i run chemipure, a phospatepad, filterflauce, a sponge pre-filter and ceramic rings)
Thats the stuff I ran in mine too...it helps but not as great as a reactor will.
Macroalgae however is fantastic for removing nitrates and phosphates. There are some really pretty ones out there, not the ball of green moss looking stuff like cheato. Caulerpa prolifera looks like turtle grass, and the red macros are breathtaking. As you prune away the extra growth you remove the phosphates and nitrates from your tank.
acrylic51
Active Member
I agree with Flower......
Curious though.....How often are you performing maintenance on your filter system......I bet that filter floss and prefilter sponge looks pretty grungy when you clean things up.....
Personally I'd ditch the filter floss and the pre filter pad. Those things collect "debris" and your water is constantly being run through "muck", and you could add all the reactors in the world, but the bottom line without that filter being kept clean your going to continually run your "clean" water through decaying matter; which will lead to phosphate and other issue.....Just my .02
Curious though.....How often are you performing maintenance on your filter system......I bet that filter floss and prefilter sponge looks pretty grungy when you clean things up.....
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by manners http:///t/391194/phosphate-reactor#post_3468107
I clean it every 1-2 weeks, if i loose the prefilter and floss wont the debris just get caught in the phosphate pad and chemipure resulting in the same thing?
The only thing that was in my sump was the skimmer. However the yuck sediment settled in the bottom of the sump to be cleaned out. Which eventually burned up my skimmer pump because I didn't discover it until the skimmer had stopped.
Because of that, I disagree to remove the prefilter and floss. As long as you keep up maintenance and swap it out, I think it is better than not having it. Sort of the lesser of two evils kind of thing.
Originally Posted by manners http:///t/391194/phosphate-reactor#post_3468107
I clean it every 1-2 weeks, if i loose the prefilter and floss wont the debris just get caught in the phosphate pad and chemipure resulting in the same thing?
The only thing that was in my sump was the skimmer. However the yuck sediment settled in the bottom of the sump to be cleaned out. Which eventually burned up my skimmer pump because I didn't discover it until the skimmer had stopped.
Because of that, I disagree to remove the prefilter and floss. As long as you keep up maintenance and swap it out, I think it is better than not having it. Sort of the lesser of two evils kind of thing.
acrylic51
Active Member
The junk should settle out in your sump where your easily able to remove and siphon it off.....
I look at the floss and such just as running a dirty filter sock continually.....Bottom line you pick your own poison's basically in the hobby, and a lot really depends on how diligent you are to maintaining your tank and equipment......I guess I'll revert back to why most people convert to a sump.....Yes the biggest "pro" is a place to hide or place your equipment, but probably another big reason is the ease and cost effectiveness of running a sump vs a canister filter; due to the constant maintenance to keep them running "pristine", and the cost of the materials that constantly need changing out. If you keep those materials in your canister, I'd highly suggest if your not already doing so, when you feed to shut the canister filter down. This might/should buy a little time between changing out materials......
I look at the floss and such just as running a dirty filter sock continually.....Bottom line you pick your own poison's basically in the hobby, and a lot really depends on how diligent you are to maintaining your tank and equipment......I guess I'll revert back to why most people convert to a sump.....Yes the biggest "pro" is a place to hide or place your equipment, but probably another big reason is the ease and cost effectiveness of running a sump vs a canister filter; due to the constant maintenance to keep them running "pristine", and the cost of the materials that constantly need changing out. If you keep those materials in your canister, I'd highly suggest if your not already doing so, when you feed to shut the canister filter down. This might/should buy a little time between changing out materials......
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/391194/phosphate-reactor#post_3468173
The junk should settle out in your sump where your easily able to remove and siphon it off.....
I look at the floss and such just as running a dirty filter sock continually.....Bottom line you pick your own poison's basically in the hobby, and a lot really depends on how diligent you are to maintaining your tank and equipment......I guess I'll revert back to why most people convert to a sump.....Yes the biggest "pro" is a place to hide or place your equipment, but probably another big reason is the ease and cost effectiveness of running a sump vs a canister filter; due to the constant maintenance to keep them running "pristine", and the cost of the materials that constantly need changing out. If you keep those materials in your canister, I'd highly suggest if your not already doing so, when you feed to shut the canister filter down. This might/should buy a little time between changing out materials......
I find siphoning off the gunk to be much harder than changing media on a canister (only because I can't get down to it comfortably to do so, I am disabled). I love my sump and I won't be going back to the canister ever. The media indeed is expensive over time, and it's way too easy to forget about it. Given a choice I will aways choose a sump, the extra water volume alone is worth it's weight in gold. IMO
A filter on the sump however I think is a good idea to preserve the expensive and very necessary for it all to run return pump, and the expensive skimmer pump. A replacement pump on the skimmer cost me $185.00...much cheaper than a new skimmer but expensive nontheless.
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/391194/phosphate-reactor#post_3468173
The junk should settle out in your sump where your easily able to remove and siphon it off.....
I look at the floss and such just as running a dirty filter sock continually.....Bottom line you pick your own poison's basically in the hobby, and a lot really depends on how diligent you are to maintaining your tank and equipment......I guess I'll revert back to why most people convert to a sump.....Yes the biggest "pro" is a place to hide or place your equipment, but probably another big reason is the ease and cost effectiveness of running a sump vs a canister filter; due to the constant maintenance to keep them running "pristine", and the cost of the materials that constantly need changing out. If you keep those materials in your canister, I'd highly suggest if your not already doing so, when you feed to shut the canister filter down. This might/should buy a little time between changing out materials......
I find siphoning off the gunk to be much harder than changing media on a canister (only because I can't get down to it comfortably to do so, I am disabled). I love my sump and I won't be going back to the canister ever. The media indeed is expensive over time, and it's way too easy to forget about it. Given a choice I will aways choose a sump, the extra water volume alone is worth it's weight in gold. IMO
A filter on the sump however I think is a good idea to preserve the expensive and very necessary for it all to run return pump, and the expensive skimmer pump. A replacement pump on the skimmer cost me $185.00...much cheaper than a new skimmer but expensive nontheless.