Somedays I feel totally in the dark

[KristaButler]

So the other day I was doing my routine fluval cleaning and the whole time I'm thinking, wish there was a better way to get the water to flow through this carbon.

So I watched a video about the different grades of carbon posted on another thread. At that point I found out about a media reactor. I swear sometimes I think, what else is there that I don't know about.

Anyways my questions are, should I get a media reactor? Or is using it in my fluval pretty much the same thing? Is there a better way to use it in the fluval versus using bagged carbon?

Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[PB_Smith]

the bagged carbon in the canister is subject to compacting, muck build-up and channels forming and water not being passed through the entire volume of carbon.
all of those potential issues are eliminated when using a reactor as the media/carbon is slowly peculated it can not get compacted and muck can't build up.
The only drawback/consideration when using carbon in a reactor is making sure it doesn't tumble too much and turn the carbon to powder.
Also the effluent should pass through some mechanical filter material like floss to trap any carbon particles that may escape.


IMO media reactors or fluidized bed filters are the best option for most types of filtration media available today. I have a DIY one running bio-pellets, one running GFO and one running Purigen.
funny, I currently don't have one for carbon, that's in a canister for now...LOL

 

[stingrays4]

Hi I tend not to use carbon,but when I do I put it in a filter bag rather than use the fluval type one's already in a bag,as already been said they compact all too easily. sorry do not know too much about reactors.