Phosban reactors.

[caferacermike]

Ok so I want one.

Is there really a difference between say, a PM $100 model or a $60 2 fishes kit? I mean besides media and a pump. Does a larger amount of media really mean anything? I've read the phosban is spent in about 7 days. Some say that ina reactor it lasts about a month. Why? Does more media mean it lasts longer in a smaller tank or is it wasted just the same. Would I want a giant reactor for a small tank or a small reactor for a large tank? Get it? This is for a 75g that I just want to add a little something extra. I have trace amounts of phos in my system and it contributes to algae on the glass rapidly. Trying to prevent hair algae problems. I do 20g water changes about once every 2 weeks or once a month depending upon how much I work.

[hobogato]

you know how cheap i am, so i used to run phosban in a homemade pvc reactor. i would tell you you could have it, but someone borrowed it and never gave it back - pump and all. heres the basic idea: about 12" of 3" pvc with a cap on each end. it stands upright, so you may want to glue a third cap on the bottom backwards so the bottom is flat and not rounded. put a hose barb in the pvc at the bottom and a circular piece of plastic above it (i used acrylic) that has holes all drilled in it. then a piece of fiberglass windowscreen. drill holes in the cap at the top and then hook up a small powerhead to the hosebarb at the bottom. the water flows up thru the phosban and out the holes at the top. i also mixed carbon in with the phosban to keep it from clumping.

btw, the original idea for this came from garyp :)

[caferacermike]

I could glue femal slip to female threaded, say 2" to 4" pipe. They make a drain clean out cap that is flat and threaded... But how large is another question. How much media to work correctly but not just being a waste? I have an old Eheim 2217 cannister I could adjust the cleaning vlave to restrict the output flow, thereby reducing the flow. Is that to big? To much media?

[hobogato]

not sure mike, i ran a single container (dont know size, it was $20 at FA) and changed it out about every 2-3 months.