Did I set up this brs mini reactor wrong?

[Leon Gorani]

So I bought the BRS mini reactor with the 1.5 sicce pump. I filled it up as shown with rowaphos to use to lower my phosphates. When I turned it on it was tumbling pretty good but every day I check it, the media isn’t moving at all, but water is exiting the output tube into my sump. So it is just not tumbling. And I checked to make sure it is on full power and it is, but idk what to do. Did I put too much media in it? I don’t think the tubing is too long and the 1.5 pump is strong enough right? Any tips? Thanks!

 

[Water Dog]

Are you using the media cylinder? I could be mistaken, but to my eye it looks like you just dumped GFO into the clear canister housing. There should be a media cylinder that you put your media into that will channel the water flow up through the media. This media cylinder is placed into the canister housing.

In the photo below, you see the media housing on the right.

 

[Leon Gorani]

Are you using the media cylinder? I could be mistaken, but to my eye it looks like you just dumped GFO into the clear canister housing. There should be a media cylinder that you put your media into that will channel the water flow up through the media. This media cylinder is placed into the canister housing.

In the photo below, you see the media housing on the right.

View attachment 2496250

Oh yeah it’s in there. But it looks like I’ve got a bunch of algae growing inside of it maybe that’s why? How would I keep it from growing algae inside? Lol I’m trying to get it open to clean it but I can’t unscrew it m. Here’s a pic

 

[Water Dog]

Is it near a refugium light? If so, I would clean it out to ensure it flows properly again. Then fashion an easily removable cardboard shade or even a piece of black plastic garbage bag over the clear cylinder housing to prevent the pomotion of algae growth.

I use the BRS minI reactor in my own system and it hasn’t skipped a beat. I actually mix ROX carbon and GFO and fully pack it so no tumbling occurs. Change the media out every two weeks.

As far as unscrewing it, it should have come with an RO canister wrench.

 

[Leon Gorani]

Is it near a refugium light? If so, I would clean it out to ensure it flows properly again. Then fashion an easily removable cardboard shade or even a piece of black plastic garbage bag over the clear cylinder housing to prevent the pomotion of algae growth.

I use the BRS minI reactor in my own system and it hasn’t skipped a beat. I actually mix ROX carbon and GFO and fully pack it so no tumbling occurs. Change the media out every two weeks.

As far as unscrewing it, it should have come with an RO canister wrench.

No I don’t have any lights in my sump turned on, the light in the pic is only on when my door is open. So it’s all dark down there. Gotcha, does that help with your phosphates? I am trying to get mine to tumble because that’s what I thought it had to do, I thought if it doesn’t move around it wouldn’t remove phosphates, for the gfo. But I could be wrong.
I do have a ton of gha I am trying to get rid of so that’s my problem I guess. And also in my last pic, it looks like it is only tumbling on one half side of the reactor inside now that I cleaned it lol.

 

[T-J]

Get your hands in your tank and start manually removing as much of the hair algae as possible. Grab it with your fingers and pull. Then come back with a brand new toothbrush and scrub the rocks to get as much off as you can.
Finally, get your self some turbo snails to clear out what's left. They won't eat it if it's too long, which is why the manual removal is needed first.

 

[Leon Gorani]

Get your hands in your tank and start manually removing as much of the hair algae as possible. Grab it with your fingers and pull. Then come back with a brand new toothbrush and scrub the rocks to get as much off as you can.
Finally, get your self some turbo snails to clear out what's left. They won't eat it if it's too long, which is why the manual removal is needed first.

Yeah I’ve been doing that every water change but it just keeps growing back. I will probably be doing a reflux treatment and hope for the best. Since I the reactor that should get rid of phosphates in due time. I do have two urchins but they aren’t doing much either but thanks for the tip! I will be buying more snails