A
Anonymous
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So I'm DIYing a little dual chamber filter media reactor. Which should go first, phosban or activated carbon? Does it make a difference?
I was just in the DIY and dont see anything regarding this dual chamber media reactor you speak of. :lol:
I have a DIY chamber that I run only carbon in. If I were to run phosban in it as well I would put it first. I would do this because if I were running it, I would be trying to remove PO4. I run carbon 24/7 just because.
I have a DIY chamber that I run only carbon in. If I were to run phosban in it as well I would put it first. I would do this because if I were running it, I would be trying to remove PO4. I run carbon 24/7 just because.
For some reason I'm thinking the carbon should go first. :?
Right now it's all in my head. I opened up an old closet yesterday and found some 6 foot lengths of 1/2" and 2" acrylic tubing that I had totally forgotten about. Going to the store today to see how easy it will be to slap something together.
Right now it's all in my head. I opened up an old closet yesterday and found some 6 foot lengths of 1/2" and 2" acrylic tubing that I had totally forgotten about. Going to the store today to see how easy it will be to slap something together.
Real easy, I used 2".
Buy a slip on end cap, a threaded coupler, and a threaded end cap. I used John guest fittings tapped into my return line to feed it and drilled a few holes in the solid end to let the water flow back int the sump. I use coarse black filter to hold the media in. It just sits in my sump. At 8" long it holds about 4-6 cups of carbon.
I also built a smaller HOB design with john guest fittings on both ends fed by a rio50 for my 30G tank.
These are literally 20 minute projects if you have the tools and materials on hand.
I would bet it doesnt really matter what media you put into the chamber first. The water has to pass through it all to reach the other end.
Buy a slip on end cap, a threaded coupler, and a threaded end cap. I used John guest fittings tapped into my return line to feed it and drilled a few holes in the solid end to let the water flow back int the sump. I use coarse black filter to hold the media in. It just sits in my sump. At 8" long it holds about 4-6 cups of carbon.
I also built a smaller HOB design with john guest fittings on both ends fed by a rio50 for my 30G tank.
These are literally 20 minute projects if you have the tools and materials on hand.
I would bet it doesnt really matter what media you put into the chamber first. The water has to pass through it all to reach the other end.
Couldn't you just use large diameter PVC to make one of these?
And trido, so you put a sponge at the solid end with the holes and pour carbon on top?
I've often thought about making something like this (but I've always thought about using acrylic sheets and making an open top box) but I've often wondered if it would gather up crud and have to be cleaned out more often than I change my carbon. Does it?
And trido, so you put a sponge at the solid end with the holes and pour carbon on top?
I've often thought about making something like this (but I've always thought about using acrylic sheets and making an open top box) but I've often wondered if it would gather up crud and have to be cleaned out more often than I change my carbon. Does it?
You need to see how high the media is in the reactor. I suppose you could use PVC but it wouldn't save you all that much money if you find the acrylic tube at the right price, and you'd have to open it up to guess and check how much flow you've got going through there.
I just got done talking with a former distributor of ROWAPHOS. One reason to have 2 separate chambers would be because carbon has a shorter useable life than the phosphate remover. He also said the phosphate remover would be used most efficiently if it was after the carbon to get the cleanest possible water. There are some concerns about phosphate remover releasing small amounts of iron into the water. I'm not sure if running a third chamber, again with carbon, would help this issue, but I may try it.
I just got done talking with a former distributor of ROWAPHOS. One reason to have 2 separate chambers would be because carbon has a shorter useable life than the phosphate remover. He also said the phosphate remover would be used most efficiently if it was after the carbon to get the cleanest possible water. There are some concerns about phosphate remover releasing small amounts of iron into the water. I'm not sure if running a third chamber, again with carbon, would help this issue, but I may try it.
Does it matter how much flow you put through it? I'm wondering if it would be just the same to do container that is put over the drain for the return pump so that all the water that goes to the display has to go through carbon. What do you think?
Carbon/Skimmer/ROWAphos Really carbon and skimmer i think can go either way, as long as ROWAphose is last. I am saying ROWAphos last because it owns the crap out of Phosban. I think phosphate absorbing material should be last because it can "clean up" the carbon's leaching of phosphates. Now thinking about it critically the carbon should go first so the carbon dust and anthing else can get sucked up by the skimmer.
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Honda Pilot
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Honda Pilot
Matt_Wandell":2bftx6uq said:
Matt,
i believe the iron you are talking about is Aluminum? many of the phosphate removing media uses Aluminum to pull said phosphates out. Look into phophate removers that do not have aluminum, or use it to do their work.
--marco
Reference:
http://www.reefcast.com/episodes/reefcast1.mp3 (download & listen)
Seems like you should skim first to remove the organics that would otherwise get into the pores of the carbon and turn out nitrates if you skimmed after carbon. Don't believe skimming can remove nitrates, as said above; but even if it did, why not just nip that in the bud by skimming first?
bacteria colonies have constant die off of bacteria (and new bacterial growth)-those dead bacteria produce plenty of stuff that a skimmer would be well employed to remove-plus, a skimmer does, by way off the water it pulls out, remove nitrates, to a small extent 
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