Easiest to maintain phosphate reactor

[richiev]

What's people's opinion? I find the 2 fishies one a PITA to swap media in. The brs style seem like they'd be straightforward.

I'm also interested if anyone has any clever mounting options. I hate drilling holes in aquarium stand. Feels too... permanent.

Anyone just mixing gfo with carbon on bags and putting them in the filter media baskets?

 

[H2OPlayar]

I have a jumbo brs one and have been happy with it. I used to have the normal brs one and it was basically the same construction. I use 1/4-1/3 carbon and the rest gfo.

Just drill it. I used c clamps for a couple years, then was really happy when I drilled it into my stand.

 

[richiev]

I'm also cool with the answer of "don't use one at all, and just use Lanthanum Chloride".

CC @Thales based on what I'm seeing on humble fish

 

[RandyC]

I just use a BRS mini reactor with 1/2 cup ROX carbon and 1/2 cup high capacity GFO mix and throw the entire thing in the sump with a IM MightyJet mini pump. Have a spare 5” canister filter that I swap out when it’s time to change and clean the old one whenever time allows.

 

[JVU]

Similar to other replies above. I mix carbon and GFO (no tumble) in a BRS regular size reactor. Powered by an IM MightyJet. I have it hanging off of one of the internal baffles in the sump with a nylon screw and washer DIY hanging thing I put together from what they had at my local Ace.

Swapping out clean mix cartridge is easy but I still don’t do it often enough.

 

[H2OPlayar]

Fine!!! I'll go change my reactor mix. You can quit bugging me about it

 

[Thales]

I'm also cool with the answer of "don't use one at all, and just use Lanthanum Chloride".

CC @Thales based on what I'm seeing on humble fish

That isn't really my answer, but I don't know the question! What are the phosphate levels and why are you trying to change them?

 

[richiev]

That isn't really my answer, but I don't know the question! What are the phosphate levels and why are you trying to change them?

Just getting things generally prepared proactively on the new tank. I tested things and my phosphates are a lot higher than I expected given my nitrates (0.5, 5). Things are looking healthy, but if they keep climbing I'd like to be able to flip the switch on a reducer versus rush to get one.

This is 100% a "low data", preparing for the future, situation though. I haven't been testing the tank since setup because I didn't have any hard corals in it. So I don't have trends and I'm not sure if it is from all the phyto I dumped in during setup, the heavy feeding I've been doing, or the rock I used. My guess is a bit of all, especially given some of that rock came from higher nutrient setups, and while cooking it I was pumping phyto in.