Aquarium reactor

[Mikesilverado8888]

Do I need a reactor in a bio cube 29. What does a reactor do?

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[jolt]

Reactors come in several flavors. Off the top of my head: calcium reactor used to maintain alk (overkill for 29g, I use BRS 2 part alk.ca on my 32g), GFO reactor used to control phosphate (I run one on my 32g), GAC reactor used to hold carbon (probably overkill for 29g, I just throw a mesh bag with GAC in my sump), biopellet reactor used to control nitrates and phosphates to a lesser degree (overkill for a 29g, water changes, controlling your bioload -- don't overstock -- and controlling feeding are probably a better bet)

[Neon Reefer]

If you are having algae problems or an SPS tank w/ higher than 0.05 ppm of Phosphates then a reactor could be the answer. However there are specific phosphate binding agents other than GFO that are made to run in a mesh bag. Like Seachem Phosgaurd or Salifert phosphate killer and then there are medias besides carbon that run in a bag to lower DOCs like Seachem Purigen. However these Seachem products are aluminum based and in large amounts can irritate soft corals especially zoas and palys. In a 29 biocube style tank I would start w/ bags of media running in the bags located in the back of tank. But a reactor like the Lil Fishy 150 can hang on back of tank and run off a small utility pump in the back of tank. I have run one on a 28 and it was beneficial, I ran carbon on the bottom of reactor w/ GFO on the top should it could gently tumble.

[Sascha D.]

GFO reactors can be used for all forms of dry media like phosphate binders and carbon.

Zeovit reactors are for the Zeovit system. Some people use it in tanks as small as 29g.

Kalkwasser reactors are for dosing kalk. It basically does the same thing as a calcium reactor, but on a smaller scale.

[Bpb]

A good rule of thumb is, if you have to ask what something is, you can probably get by without it, but never hurts to read up on what they do, and their purposes. No reactor is a magic wand and they can all completely kill everything in the tank just as quickly as they can improve the tank if you mis-use them. Use of media reactors can be a really helpful tool to smooth out some pesky problems, but they're not without their risks.

[Sascha D.]

I wouldn't use a reactor in a tank as small as 29g. It's probably unnecessary. Whatever problem you have could be cured faster and more easily than using a reactor.

They're unsightly and I wouldn't use one unless I could hide it in the stand.