How much of a difference is there between bag and reactor?

[richardhmc]

How much of a difference is there between bag and reactor? I'm planning to use carbon and I was thinking if I just leave it in underneath hose connecting my display to my sump, that is a good flow no? Is there a drastic difference? Can I just put in a powerhead, and point it at the bag? thanks

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[Dustin1300]

The point I've always heard argued is that the water can bypass the carbon granules and reactors tend to "tumble" the granules. With a reactor you can also control the flow more easily than the methods you mentioned.


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[richardhmc]

I've gotten many views on this topic. It seems there's a conflict between the two.

I can see how reactors help with the tumbling of the carbon. Others say also that if put into the bag, water flow will naturally go around the back rather than through it.

However, someone told me that carbon is very brittle and it will dissolve very quickly if constantly tumbling.

I was told You don't need to "buy" a reactor for carbon. Put carbon in a bag, put the bag in a plastic container with holes on the bottom, direct your water to the top of the container and water will gravity feed it self through the carbon.

This makes good sense too. Any other opinions?

[Stuart60611]

The grinding of the carbon granules only occurs when you have too much flow going through the reactor. You only want the granules to slightly bubble. The advantage of using carbon in a reactor is the granules are lifted up slightly and spin allowing for the water to flow completely around the granules and therefore allow one to have the water pass through more surface area of the carbon, thereby making the carbon more effective. In a bag, all of the carbon is not exposed to the moving water. Plus, the carbon in a bag seems to channel much more easily so that you get clumping of the carbon making the carbon far less effective.

[richardhmc]

I was thinking about just hooking up a powerhead to a container like those used in chinese food places or a pvc and let it tumble in there.

Isn't that pretty much what a reactor is? just letting the medium get tossed around and not clumped together?

[NorthIAreef]

Just grab a gatorade bottle, cut a hole in thw lid for a piece of hose run off your return and poke a bunch of holes in the top half of the bottle. Fill it with carbon and you haved a reactor, for like 3 bucks

Got this idea from the ghetto thread on here.

[richardhmc]

that's a brilliant idea! haha