Do I need a carbon reactor?

[Perpetual Novice]

I’ve been keeping a 75 gallon mixed reef running with a canister filter, 2 hob skimmers, 2 opposing gyres, and a copious amount of live rock as the only means of filtration and circulation. I sometimes run carbon or phosphate media by hanging a sock around the outflow of the skimmers although I don’t know if it’s actually effective. The corals live but only some of them really thrive under my conditions.

recently I picked up a neon green toadstool and genuine weeping willow toadstool for a price I couldn’t pass up. I’ve never kept leathers before because I didn’t want to deal with them leaching chemicals but I definitely want to add these new corals to my 75 display.

do you think I need to add a media reactor for carbon or a resin like chemipure? And if so, is there an way to add a reactor as a stand-alone and not a part of a sump since I don’t have one?

 

[homer1475]

While not NEEDED, they certainly are way more effective then just using carbon passively(like the way your currently using it).

When I ran a biocube I used the BRS mini reactor that has it's own pump, and put the reactor in my cabinet(stand alone).

If you dig back through BRS's videos on youtube, they did a video a long while back on how much more effective carbon in a reactor was, compared to running them passively.

 

[homer1475]

Since your already running a canister filter, why not just put some carbon in it's media tray? Wpould be basically the same thing.

 

[Perpetual Novice]

That is my last resort. The canister filter is tricky to remove for access and cleaning. I also try to leave it undisturbed as much as possible to help it breed copepods. I have two leopard wrasses that probably depend on it for food supplementation. for the combined peace of mind and convenience, I would rather just add a separate external reactor if possible. was your reactor submersible or HOB?[/QUOTE]

 

[homer1475]

Neither actually.

It sat in my stand as a stand alone unit. Only thing I had in the tank was a small cobalt MJ pump, and some hoses.

BRS Mini Reactor

looks like they use a Sicce pump now, but for 70$ with a pump, pretty good deal IMO.

I still use the mini on my large tank as just a carbon reactor. Only thing I did different when I went to just using carbon is to plumb it backwards so water is pushed down into the media as opposed to being pushed UP through the media like you would want for GFO so it tumbles. Carbon you don't want to tumble or rub together at all as the dust is known to cause issues in a running tank.