running carbon in phos reactor

Jonnyacrofeed · 07/02/2007, 06:55 PM

Hi, I was thinking of getting a phos reactor to run some carbon in. I have only two fish in a 36 gal tank right now and so I think that my bioload is pretty small. Would it be ok to put some carbon in the reactor and only run the reactor for so many hours a day and then shut it off? Or could this cause the carbon not to work anymore? Also sometimes I blow all the detritus off the rocks with a turkey baster; could I keep running the carbon while doing this, as a good way to remove the detritus, or whould this just clog the carbon up, or cause a nitrate factory? Thanks.

drstupid · 07/02/2007, 07:07 PM

consider getting a magnum 350 cannister filter, it's like $50. you can use the micron filter on it to polish your water when you do a major change/cleanup, and it has a media chamber for running carbon.

i got one for polishing, and found that when i run just carbon in it it does so much more for the water than bags of carbon in the sump.

i'm considering doing what randy-holmes farley reputedly does, and toss in a couple of tablespoons of phosban mixed with the carbon. apparently this gives you all the benefits of phosban in a higher flow without the tumbling action that causes the residues to release in the system. if i do that, i may toss my phosban reactor entirely.

Jonnyacrofeed · 07/02/2007, 08:22 PM

thanks, so can you clean the micron filter out and then use it aqain? Do you use the micron filter when you run the carbon or does the carbon have another prefilter? Also anyone else have any answers to my first post?

fatdaddy · 07/02/2007, 08:56 PM

You want to run carbon for dissolved organics (yellow stuff in the water) and dissolved metals such as copper. I don't think it would do anything for detritus, but as you say, if it gets caught it in the carbon reactor it will mostly likely end up as nitrate.

I run phosban and carbon together. It works very well. I've been tempted to get the cannister filter as suggested.

Jonnyacrofeed · 07/02/2007, 09:25 PM

thanks for the comments, anyone know if I could just run the reactor for a coulple hours a day and leave the carbon in the reactor when not in use?

HBtank · 07/02/2007, 09:49 PM

I run carbon and GFO 24/7 together in my reactor. Works great.

Before that I tried a magnum for about 1 week. Created microbubbles, does not hold GFO well, much harder to clean, etc.. etc..

Reactors are the way to go. I use seachem matrix and it settles on top of the GFO and allows for higher flow with only slight tumbling of the GFO.

fatdaddy · 07/02/2007, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jonnyacrofeed
thanks for the comments, anyone know if I could just run the reactor for a coulple hours a day and leave the carbon in the reactor when not in use?

go for it. I don't see any harm in running a rew hours a day.

drstupid · 07/03/2007, 07:00 AM

i would worry about it going anaerobic on you if you only ran it part time.

fatdaddy · 07/03/2007, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by drstupid
i would worry about it going anaerobic on you if you only ran it part time.

I'm curious. Would you explain your reasoning? What harm would that cause?

drstupid · 07/03/2007, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fatdaddy
I'm curious. Would you explain your reasoning? What harm would that cause?

it's a common problem with cannister filters, if they sit idle for like an hour the bacteria that have populated them die off and you end up blasting pollution through your system when you restart them. do a little googling through wetwebmedia's FAQ's for some examples. i'm a little concerned about using one full time for this reason, if there's a power outage. i'll probably just plug it into an AC3 powered outlet and keep it off in the event of a power failure.

so i would think the same principle would extend to carbon (or GFO) running in a phosban reactor. i hadn't actually thought about that until it was brought up here, but the parallel seems reasonable. maybe someone authoritative could debunk this .

Amphiprion · 07/03/2007, 09:25 AM

^^I agree. It will become an issue, especially as the reactor accumulates organics. I would either run it 24/7 or allow it to drain every time you turn it off.

Jonnyacrofeed · 07/03/2007, 09:56 AM

so if I did drain it every time could I just let the carbon sit in the reactor and use it again? Or could this still be unbenificial to my tank or cause the carbon to be uneffective?

hyperfocal · 07/03/2007, 10:42 AM

I've run carbon in with my Phosban, but after reading this article it doesn't seem to make much sense.

07/02/2007, 06:55 PM	#1
Jonnyacrofeed Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 234	running carbon in phos reactor Hi, I was thinking of getting a phos reactor to run some carbon in. I have only two fish in a 36 gal tank right now and so I think that my bioload is pretty small. Would it be ok to put some carbon in the reactor and only run the reactor for so many hours a day and then shut it off? Or could this cause the carbon not to work anymore? Also sometimes I blow all the detritus off the rocks with a turkey baster; could I keep running the carbon while doing this, as a good way to remove the detritus, or whould this just clog the carbon up, or cause a nitrate factory? Thanks.

07/02/2007, 07:07 PM	#2
drstupid Aquarist emeritus Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Narberth, PA Posts: 760	consider getting a magnum 350 cannister filter, it's like $50. you can use the micron filter on it to polish your water when you do a major change/cleanup, and it has a media chamber for running carbon. i got one for polishing, and found that when i run just carbon in it it does so much more for the water than bags of carbon in the sump. i'm considering doing what randy-holmes farley reputedly does, and toss in a couple of tablespoons of phosban mixed with the carbon. apparently this gives you all the benefits of phosban in a higher flow without the tumbling action that causes the residues to release in the system. if i do that, i may toss my phosban reactor entirely. __________________ i'm not a real doctor, i just play one on tv. Current Tank Info: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2429266

07/02/2007, 08:56 PM	#4
fatdaddy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Northeast Florida Posts: 1,191	You want to run carbon for dissolved organics (yellow stuff in the water) and dissolved metals such as copper. I don't think it would do anything for detritus, but as you say, if it gets caught it in the carbon reactor it will mostly likely end up as nitrate. I run phosban and carbon together. It works very well. I've been tempted to get the cannister filter as suggested. __________________ "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -- Aristotle

07/02/2007, 09:49 PM	#6
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	I run carbon and GFO 24/7 together in my reactor. Works great. Before that I tried a magnum for about 1 week. Created microbubbles, does not hold GFO well, much harder to clean, etc.. etc.. Reactors are the way to go. I use seachem matrix and it settles on top of the GFO and allows for higher flow with only slight tumbling of the GFO. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

07/03/2007, 07:00 AM	#8
drstupid Aquarist emeritus Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Narberth, PA Posts: 760	i would worry about it going anaerobic on you if you only ran it part time. __________________ i'm not a real doctor, i just play one on tv. Current Tank Info: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2429266

07/02/2007, 08:22 PM	#3
Jonnyacrofeed Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 234	thanks, so can you clean the micron filter out and then use it aqain? Do you use the micron filter when you run the carbon or does the carbon have another prefilter? Also anyone else have any answers to my first post?

07/02/2007, 09:25 PM	#5
Jonnyacrofeed Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 234	thanks for the comments, anyone know if I could just run the reactor for a coulple hours a day and leave the carbon in the reactor when not in use?

07/03/2007, 09:25 AM	#11
Amphiprion Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mobile, AL Posts: 6,611	^^I agree. It will become an issue, especially as the reactor accumulates organics. I would either run it 24/7 or allow it to drain every time you turn it off. __________________ You've done it now, haven't you? Current Tank Info: 40g breeder patch reef w/ seagrass; 2-250w XM 10K; Vortech MP40wES & MP10wES; BM Curve 7 skimmer; carbon & occasional GFO

07/03/2007, 09:56 AM	#12
Jonnyacrofeed Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 234	so if I did drain it every time could I just let the carbon sit in the reactor and use it again? Or could this still be unbenificial to my tank or cause the carbon to be uneffective?

07/03/2007, 10:42 AM	#13
hyperfocal Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Edge of oblivion Posts: 1,708	I've run carbon in with my Phosban, but after reading this article it doesn't seem to make much sense. __________________ "Froth at the top, dregs at bottom, but the middle excellent." -- Voltaire Current Tank Info: getting back into the hobby