Reactor hookup questions

[Gobynoob42]

I'm trying to figure out how to add a media reactor to my small sump. Where are they placed and how does the filtered water go into the return? Should I make a manifold?

My return line is 3/4"ID braided hose. I'm looking at getting a Phosban 50.

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[DaveK]

You have a few ways you can do this. The super easy way is to just use a additional pump to send water through the reactor and then from the reactor either go to the display tank or back to the sump.

The other way is to use a T fitting to split the return line and then use valves to control the flow through the reactor verses what goes to the display tank.

You can expand the idea of using T fittings to create a manifold with as many T's and valves as you need. Hint on construction. Use all T fittings and end the last one with a short piece of pipe and and end cap. That way it's easy to cut off the end cap if you need to expand your manifold.

It is possible to run the entire output from the return pump through the reactor, but this is less than ideal. First, you always want to be able to remove a reactor and not have to shut down the system. After all you need to replace media or clean it from time to time. Second, most media you use in a reactor works a lot better if the flow through it is fairly slow. The media needs time to process the water.

 

[Gobynoob42]

I was thinking of having the intake pump in the overflow chamber, then placing the output hose in the return chamber. Seems a waste to skip the skimmer and refugium stages though. Perhaps it would be better to have both intake/output in the same chamber?

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[DaveK]

You usually don't want to take water from an overflow area to feed a reactor. If you do that, the reactor will pick up a lot of dirt, acting like a mechanical filter. Ideally, you want the water feeding the reactor coming from the return area of the sump, after it has already been processed by any mechanical filtration and skimming you have.