Actively Running Carbon in a Media Reactor

[goldenmean]

I have just started to actively run carbon in my 55g system.
I have a Two Little Fishies Phosban Reactor 150 being run my a maxi-Jet 600 pump. The reactor is hanging on the outside of my 15g sump. The maxijet is drawing water from the return section, pumping it to the carbon filled reactor, then the water is routed back to the return section.

The instructions from the media reactor says to fill the reactor with 2 to 5 inches of media(carbon). I added between 3 and 4 inches of carbon.
Now I have a couple of questions.

How often do I need to change the carbon?
weekly? every two weeks? or even monthly?
Should I fill the reactor to the max of 5 inches?


My tank is a mixed reef.
I have
Cofties(mushrooms, ricordias, and GSP - but no leathers),
LPS (brains, acans, duncans, trumpets, anchor, fungias, and blastos)
SPS (montiporas, pavona, gorgonians, and arco)
I also plan on adding a clam again in the near future which is the main reason why I want to actively run carbon.

Any other tips or trick that any of you have?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[NCguy]

I fill mine (TLF)about half way up and I change the carbon every other week.

 

[BarbMazz]

Mine's filled a little more than halfway, and I change carbon every 3 weeks.

Thanks for the reminder; I need to change mine out!

 

[deaclauderdale]

Beware of the little plastic o-ring/seal on the reactor as they have a tendency to leak.

 

[goldenmean]

Beware of the little plastic o-ring/seal on the reactor as they have a tendency to leak.

Now that a great piece of advice
especially since mine is hanging outside of the sump.
I just have no room to put it in my little sump.

I hear change the carbon every two week and three weeks.
Anyone else go a whole month?

 

[Frankie]

I use two back to back and change them out every month or so. There is a down side to using these reactors for carbon though. The carbon will pack over time causing channeling. Carbon is better ran in passively flowing water in fine mesh bags that can be kneaded every day or so to get the full use of it. I am working on a design that will be sorta like a reactor that is in a soft cylinder that can be kneaded.
Too many ideas, too little time.

 

[BigAl07]

*Dibs* on your old prototype once you're done with it

 

[BarbMazz]

I use two back to back and change them out every month or so. There is a down side to using these reactors for carbon though. The carbon will pack over time causing channeling. Carbon is better ran in passively flowing water in fine mesh bags that can be kneaded every day or so to get the full use of it. I am working on a design that will be sorta like a reactor that is in a soft cylinder that can be kneaded.
Too many ideas, too little time.

Huh. I do notice the carbon gets really packed together in the reactor! So you feel it's better to put it, say, in a mesh bag in the sump?

That would certainly make for less paraphenalia, AND one less pump!

 

[goldenmean]

Could you not just stop the flow of water for a moment and then start it back up again to keep the carbon from packing?

 

[Frankie]

I don't think so. I think that would just promote even more packing/channeling. Give it a try though.
The way i do it now is i have a trickle of flow running through it 24/7. I think the force of water through the reactors will pack it less if there is very little pressure. Even so, eventually it will start to channel and needs to be kneaded.