Carbon in Filter Sock vs. Reactor

[supertech99]

I'm sure this has come up before, but I like to run carbon and I watched this very informative video from BRS that demonstrates the improved effiency of running carbon in a reactor vs in a media bag.

 

What I want to know is in our smaller systems, would the difference be this profound? I have run reactors in the past on larger systems but was thinking that the carbon in a filter sock that I see alot of you guys do seems like it should work well as the water is still being pushed thru the media with a little bit or pressure via gravity (in sump application).

I'm running out of space and cash for my sump project and was wondering what kind of performance you all have experienced one way or the other.

Thanks

[Eco Marine Reef]

Everyone's system is different supertech99. Obviously, you already know the benefits of a reactor vs. a media bag full of carbon. In my experience, I have found the media bags (in my nano tanks) to be more than sufficient to maintain excellent water quality.

 

In my 16 gallon nuvo, I run a media bag containing 100mL of carbon. By staying on top of my general husbandry and swapping out my media every 2-3 weeks, I have no issues with using media bags. I like using a high quality of carbon to get the most for my money, since I am not using a reactor on my nano. With a small tank, it is relatively cheap to replace 100mL of carbon every week to few weeks. Some might argue, that carbon will exhaust within the first few days and should be removed. I cannot say, I have ever experienced any negative issues with replacing my carbon (inside a media bag) every few weeks. Additionally, I like the sleek look of a clean aquarium that doesn't have a ton of equipment hanging off the sides or sticking out the top. It is a very minimalistic and low tech approach, but it works.

 

Depending on your bioload, you may want to adjust the amount of carbon you are using. Are you currently using carbon in a media bag? If so, try using a smaller amount of carbon in your media bag and replace the carbon more frequently. In addition to your weekly husbandry, a small amount of carbon in the media bag can do wonders for your water quality. A media bag with carbon in it can be extremely effective when placed appropriately in your tank. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to a dedicated media reactor, then I believe it is definitely worth trying a media bag with carbon.

 

On a side note, I know several hobbyist who do not even use carbon on their reef tanks; however, they are very diligent about their general husbandry. There are varying degrees of success in this hobby, and it is all a matter of making compromises. Do you need a reactor to have a successful tank? Do you even need carbon to have a successful tank? In my experience, the answer to both those questions is no. Go ahead and give the media bag filled with carbon a whirl and see how effective it can be for your tank. Best of luck and keep us posted as to your success with carbon in a media bag.

[supertech99]

On my 75RR with a 20 gal sump I ran a reactor, it just made sense considering I was trying to use only as much carbon as I needed for the water volume. I was just curious as the water volume to carbon ratio is so much lower in my 15 gal display. I'm moving to a sumped application and trying to justify getting a reactor or not. I plan on having a BTA in this tank with 2 clowns. I want to make sure this nem has the cleanest, most stable conditions possible while keeping WCs and cleaning to once per week.