Media Reactor ????
- Thread starter BansheeGrl10
- Start date
Media bags like purigen and chemipure act as a filter floss that trap detritus which will aid in high nutrient levels unless she cleans the bags weekly. Doesn't that defeat the purpose? She's trying to decrease maintenance. There's nothing wrong with running biopellets, GFO or carbon with a reactor in a tank that small. Your concern will be stripping the tank of all the nutrients. Start slow and add media to get your desired nutrient levels. If they go to low then supplement with acropower or aqua vitro fuel. Those products were designed for just that.
After having Nuvo 16 running for a year, I started to develop cyano problems. About a year ago, I went for ultra low nutrients and couldn't be happier with the results:
On each side (with upgraded caddies):
1 bag of purigen (I stagger change every 3 months)
I have a filter sock mixed with GFO and activated carbon
Eshopps nano skimmer
Media reactor+bio pellets
I still do 20% bi-weekly water changes
My tank is a bit heavier stocked with 2 anemones, 2 clowns, plates, hammer, a war coral, a chalice, and galaxea.
[attachment=67513:name]
On each side (with upgraded caddies):
1 bag of purigen (I stagger change every 3 months)
I have a filter sock mixed with GFO and activated carbon
Eshopps nano skimmer
Media reactor+bio pellets
I still do 20% bi-weekly water changes
My tank is a bit heavier stocked with 2 anemones, 2 clowns, plates, hammer, a war coral, a chalice, and galaxea.
[attachment=67513:name]
Phyto can vary a ton depending on what nutrients are used, how much is used, and how they top off their phyto cultures. But in a nano, if you're not using a skimmer, you will only need to dose phyto once after each water change to replace the phyto that was pulled out. There is nothing removing it but the corals and filter feeders.
So here is what you do, use the phyto as a water scrubber source and not over pollute the water.
only add 1/2 a cup of phyto after each weekly water change or 5/8th of a cup if you do bi-weekly water changes. And if you don't do a water change at least bi-weekly, start.
General rule: don't pay too much attention to what the manufacturer prints on the side of the bottle as to what the benefits are. Most of these are typically overstated, totally untrue or can come with consequences that you might not like... the few good/correct products suffer because of the rest that are mis advertised. Most people think that a product works because they introduced the product during a phase of heightened awareness and better care... and it was the awareness and increased care that made the difference not the product. ...not all, though.
IF the phyto could grow in your tank, it could use nutrients that film/other algae might use and could, in theory, reduce available nutrients. Big "if." IF the phyto did multiply in your tank by surviving the mechanical filtration, then you would have green tank water and would probably be begging for your film/other algae back. ...so while not completely inaccurate, it is also not that helpful.
IF the phyto could grow in your tank, it could use nutrients that film/other algae might use and could, in theory, reduce available nutrients. Big "if." IF the phyto did multiply in your tank by surviving the mechanical filtration, then you would have green tank water and would probably be begging for your film/other algae back. ...so while not completely inaccurate, it is also not that helpful.