Who makes the best Media (Upflow) Reactor???

[tegee]

I am looking at replacing my current MRC media reactor with something that will tumble my GFO better. The MRC are great reactors, but IMHO for heavier type media where I get generate higher flow. The original TFL reactors did a great job with light media like GFO.

To that end, I was looking at the Vertex, NextReef and the Reef Octopus reactors. All seem to have a better bottom/open mesh plate, which in my opinion will help with lighter media and slower flow. Before I drop $$$ on a new one I would like to get other opinions out there on RC.

Any help would be greatly appreciated......Thx.

[fishez4alivin]

I bought the Vertex when I had a chance to hold it at a LFS. Cast Acrylic, sch 80, unions, a real ball valve. It gets even better when it's time to clean. The top screws on, no keyholes/screws to deal with. The center pipe that the water enters from has plate that slides up and down that pipe. There is a set screw, so you can lock it against the pipe. It's head and shoulders over the NextReef, which is what it replaced.

[shifty51008]

http://www.reefmania.net/products-fluidized.php

alot of people in out club use these and they work great. I have their skimmer and am thinking of upgrading my TLF one's to these also.

[tegee]

The problem I see with the ReefMania is the same issue I am running into with MRC reactor, which look like an identical build quality. They are both built like a bricks**t house, but the way the water flows threw the inlet and has to push through the round acrylic hub under the bottom plate does not allow for even flow on very fine media like GFO. And then it only has 6-8 holes on the bottom plate too, which again does not FME allow for even flow with GFO. The way TLF and Vertex the water has very little restriction when it flows through the bottom of the inlet and the bottom plate has 25-30 small holes which helps tumble the GFO really nice.

As mentioned, I love my two MRC reactors, but only for heavier and/or pelletized type media where you can generate a decent amount of flow......again from my experience.

HTH

[tkeracer619]

I have never been successful tumbling gfo in much of any reactor. They will for a week but always end up clogging. I gave up and just push more water through the reactors