My carbon reactor always clogs-I need alternatives

[Jon Lazar]

My media reactor always clogs within a week or so.  I'm looking for recommendations for a lower-maintenance replacement, or ways to tweak my current setup so I don't have to clean it every week.

 

I use a BRS media reactor, a MJ1200 feed pump, and BRS rox 0.7 carbon.  If you're not familiar, the reactor looks like a DI canister and feeds water from the bottom.  Inside there's a plastic screen and a sponge at the output end to keep the media from escaping. 

 

I've tried using only a small amount of carbon, putting the carbon in media bags, lowering the flow with a valve, and running it with only the screen and no sponge.

[sethsolomon]

use an aquamax reactor?  Also use larger carbon.  the rox carbon is so small it clogs very easily unless you are tumbling it.

[WheresTheReef]

I use the BRS reactor with rox 0.8. I reduced my use now to 1cup/month but it flows consistently. I feed it off a manifold from my return pump. I use filter socks in my sump and the return chamber is “relatively clean.” How is the chamber where your feed pump sits? Does the pump sit near the bottom of the sump and suck in detritus that would otherwise settle. Is there a way to add a prefilter to reduce the detritus that makes it into the reactor? 

I only use the sponges to sandwich the carbon.

 

While rox is pretty hard and low dust, I wouldn’t tumble any carbon. I believe tumbled carbon could break down into fine particles that can make their way into the DT.

Edited June 8, 2020 by WheresTheReef

[WheresTheReef]

I use this hard shell and not the old RODI style. Not sure if you are running this?

 

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/10-brs-reactor-refillable-cartridge-hard-shell.html

[Jon Lazar]

 

4 hours ago, sethsolomon said:

use an aquamax reactor?  Also use larger carbon.  the rox carbon is so small it clogs very easily unless you are tumbling it.

 

Do you like the Aquamax reactor?

 

19 minutes ago, WheresTheReef said:

I use the BRS reactor with rox 0.8. I reduced my use now to 1cup/month but it flows consistently. I feed it off a manifold from my return pump. I use filter socks in my sump and the return chamber is “relatively clean.” How is the chamber where your feed pump sits? Does the pump sit near the bottom of the sump and suck in detritus that would otherwise settle. Is there a way to add a prefilter to reduce the detritus that makes it into the reactor? 

I only use the sponges to sandwich the carbon.

 

While rox is pretty hard and low dust, I wouldn’t tumble any carbon. I believe tumbled carbon could break down into fine particles that can make their way into the DT.

 

So do you pack the carbon between the sponges? 

 

My reactor is downstream of my filter socks, so the water is pretty detritus-free.  I run the carbon reactor outflow back into the filter socks again in case there are any fines released.

 

14 minutes ago, WheresTheReef said:

I use this hard shell and not the old RODI style. Not sure if you are running this?

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/10-brs-reactor-refillable-cartridge-hard-shell.html

 

That's exactly what I use.  But it fits inside a clear DI-style canister:  https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-gfo-carbon-reactor-single.html

[sethsolomon]

15 minutes ago, Jon Lazar said:

 

 

Do you like the Aquamax reactor?

 

I have 2x Aquamax XL's and I really like them. I have 1 for carbon and 1 for GFO

[WheresTheReef]

1 hour ago, Jon Lazar said:

So do you pack the carbon between the sponges?

Yes I pack it. I push the bottom sponge down a little and add some carbon. I then use the back of the measuring cup to press the carbon down to make room for more. The top sponge stays pretty tight to the top of the hard shell.
 

I converted their dual reactor into 2 singles so we pretty much run the same except for the pump.
 

I use the water hose and a spray nozzle outside to clean the sponges out pretty well.

 

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

I would just switch to any upflow style reactor and would think it would work much better.  Not much experience with the brs reactors. Or if your just running carbon use a mesh bag and ditch the reactor all together. It’s really only good for a few days then it’s not doing much anyways. I use a bag and change it every week.