Reactor help!

[Octopussie]

I just bought three xp plus phosban reactors. 1st Rowephos, 2nd Kent Nitrate Sponge, 3rd RowaCarbon. i have a 85 gallon tank with a 20 gallon refugium (cheatomorpha and 15 mangroves) as my only means of filtration. i wouldlike 2 add more fish to my tank so I just bought three xp plus phosban reactors. 1st Rowephos, 2nd Kent Nitrate Sponge, 3rd RowaCarbon. can i just run these reactors in a series on my return pump?

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee250/anthonyb989/reactor.jpg

[bertoni]

The flow from the return pump is likely far too strong for the phosphate media or for the carbon. I'd get a dedicated pump, or T the return line. Same for the nitrate sponge, I expect.

[Scissorhand]

^^ Agreed

I'd use a separate pump altogether.

With these 3 reactors, you'll have to take them off-line every few weeks etc... to refill or change media. It'll be a big inconvenience to tie them together with your return pump.

[Octopussie]

yes but i dont have a sump just a refugium as a filter so i keep the flow-rate slow.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee250/anthonyb989/halides006.jpg

[vegaskid11]

I am not sure what your return is set to but you probably wouldnt want any more than 80-120 gph going through your phosphate media and about 120-160 for your carbon. I have two XPs (1 carbon and 1 phosphate) I use a maxi jet 1200 with an internal 3-way T and (2) CPVC 1/2"OD ball valvea (all from Lowes and works well with 1/2" tubing). The MJ 1200 are only 15 bucks and they give you about 280 GPH to work with. Mine is set up this way and it gives me almost exactly the flow I need for my two reactors.

It would really be a pain to shut down you main pump while servicing the media. Also I like having all eflluent return into a high flow area (sump or refuge) to help it better disperse before entering the aquarium.

I dont know much about the no3 sponge but it would seem that it would require even less flow than the phosphate media so you may get away with all three reactors on one maxi jet 1200.

[Octopussie]

i have my refugium set at 50gph so the contact time is longer to the macro algae can absorb the wastes.

[vegaskid11]

So you only have 50 gallons per hour pumping through your tank. That seems very low to me for an 85 gallon. If your tank is thriving then it must be enough. Typically you want about 3-5x turnover through your sump. In your case with an 85 probably holding 75 gallons of water you would need 200-350 gallons per hour of turnover. That is typically, meaning what I have seen and done myself. If that low of a flow is keeping things clean then ROCK ON.

[vegaskid11]

Also, macro will pull nutrients from the water column at even a high flow. WIth chaeto like you have, many people like it to tumble.

50 gph will not be enough to run a single XP reactor let alone three.

[vegaskid11]

I calculated with my rowaphos media about 105 gph before it would slightly boil at the surface. Some media is much more course than Rowa so it may require less flow.

Also, my single XP with 500ML (about 300 grams) of rowa completely desimated my po4 levels within days. (My system is 600 gallons) Within about 2 weeks of using it I had virtually no algae growth in the main tank and ever since I have been using it I have hardly any growth from my macros.

[Octopussie]

so do you think i should run my return at 150 gph and with the three reactors in a series? i dont mind shutting off my return to change media. what order should the reactors go in? phosban, nitrate, carbon,? how many inches of fish would i be able to keep? 1" per gallon?

[bertoni]

The order probably doesn't matter much. 150 gph is probably fine for both the reactors and the refugium.

As far as stocking, inches per gallon rules don't work, in my opinion. Animals vary a lot. Some kind of rule relating ounces of fish per gallon might be almost useful, but an inch of puffer is very different from an inch of pipefish.

[Octopussie]

thanks :)