GFO/Carbon reactor. Do you have one? Should I get one?

[kevin]

I've been reading about it lately. Some say don't use it if you don't need it. Others say they use it all the time. I don't have much going on in my 50g yet. 5 fish, couple zoo's, leather, & frogspawn. I have some red slime/cyano, but nothing crazy. Water isn't the clearest. I don't have a phosphate checker, which I was planning on getting.

I have everything setup in my cart for BRS group buy.
(deluxe reactor, rox carbon, high capacity gfo, hanna phosphate checker)

Good to have or not needed?

 

[kschweer]

I run them on both of my tanks and know a bunch of people that do as well. I have had good results running them. Crystal clear water and phosphates stay in check.

 

[downbeach]

I agree, worthy investment. Are you going to run your GFO and GAC in the same reactor?

 

[kevin]

I was thinking about running in the same. Although, the gfo will last longer so it would be a bit of a waste because you can't change out one. The dual reactor has iffy reviews about getting clogged. Most people say to run 2 separate reactors .. then theirs 2 bumps.. unless I hard plumb it and run it off my tunze(which would be little more worked envolved )

Sent from my HTC Gla

 

[downbeach]

I was thinking about running in the same. Although, the gfo will last longer so it would be a bit of a waste because you can't change out one. The dual reactor has iffy reviews about getting clogged. Most people say to run 2 separate reactors .. then theirs 2 bumps.. unless I hard plumb it and run it off my tunze(which would be little more worked envolved )

Sent from my HTC Gla

I agree that it's best to run individual reactors for each, both because of the change out differential, and flow rates. But, with a tank of your size, you'd have very little media in each reactor, and could run them both in one. If you did run two reactors, you could also run both off of a single pump, using a 't' and an elbow on the input side of the reactor. I don't think you'll need much of a pump with the relatively small amount of media that will be in each one.

 

[ERaquarists]

I run both in my tank as well, it definitely helps in keeping the water clearer and algae down. Just make sure you do the carbon change every two weeks and the GFO once a month. If you are dosing Iodine its suggested you turn it off, other than that LOVE IT!!

 

[Hawkeye]

I would personally try the carbon dosing approach and just do biopellets. The bacteria that consume the pellets naturally reduce phosphate and nitrate.

 

[howze01]

I like my biopellets too. Haven't had any nitrate or phosphae problems with them running.