What to run in BRS dual reactor?

[MrPillow]

100 seems quite high. Can you elaborate on the tank in general, or perhaps link to a thread which will explain the situation?

 

[Hondatek]

Looks like you still have some kinks to work out. Make sure you clean all the algae off weekly of else your not exporting the nutrients.

 

[crister13]

I didn't know to clean the algae off that frequently. I will when i get home in one week. Should I clean one side or both sides of the screen? And also, about the reactor, can I run bio pellets in both? Would that be more effective than vinegar? Pros cons? I would like to not have to dose vinegar every day... But are the pellets just as effective in the dual reactor?

 

[MrPillow]

You need to be very careful with bio-pellet dosing. Using too much can rapidly deplete oxygen and lead to bacterial blooms of the non-beneficial variety. One reactor is more than enough, especially when combined with a scrubber.

 

[Hondatek]

yea clean both sides with an old credit card and just leave the tiny peices between the squares..... i never used a reactor and honestly see no reason to once your scrubber is more established

 

[crister13]

Ok didn't know that. Will do.

 

[crister13]

And I just saw that it takes a couple months to mature. So is that how long it will take to dent nitrates??? Cuz I'll wait until then to add other things.

 

[Hondatek]

It going to be different for each tank so it's hard to generalize it in how long it takes. I am 3-4 months scrubbing now and had stopped my nitrates and phosphates from rising between water changes at around my 1.5 month mark .Reduction can take 6-8 months from what i have read . You need to help it along with more water changes .

 

[kdpuffer]

Two things, I've always heard that you clean one side of an ATS a week, I've never ran one and am by no means an expert just stating what I've heard/read. I would be cautious with bio pellets as they do strip the water very well. I had a buddy who ran them and though his water was pristine he had a heck of a time with corals as the pellets stripped so much out of the water they couldn't feed.

 

[crister13]

Wow. Lol. Should I just get the carbon/gfo reactor? Does carbon really make the tank look a lot better?

 

[kdpuffer]

I would run carbon and GFO over bio pellets personally.