Which method

My tank is sadly becoming overrun with cyano, it's a carpet of red slime on the sand and is growing up the rock work. I've been told to use RO/DI, but I cant buy a unit as the house is not mine, and I know they need to be flushed if not used I wouldn't know where to start with one. I was thinking about getting a GFO/biopellet reactor? But which one would be best? I know I need to control Nitrates and Phosphates but which would do it best and which pellets are the best I've heard other talking about EcoBak?

 

go pick up a phosban reactor, and just put some GFO, or you can do biopellets, increase flow in tank, and you should see a pretty decent decrease in cyano..

 

Try some Eccobak in your filters, this has worked well for several members

 

Anything to reduce phosphate is good. I think just using lots of GFO is the easiest. Also, anything to remove organics is good, flow to keep detritus from settling, GAC, water changes. Siphon out what is there regularly. Once your tank water is really pristene, sometimes it's necessary to turn the lights off for a few days to kill off whats left. Also chemi-clean can finish it off. I'm not a fan of either, as the dying cyano can release lots of toxins and nutrients into the system. Also, chemicals can sometimes nuke your biofilter, so between the two, I'd prefer lights out, but if you do either run lots of GAC.

 

I figured a reactor gonna pick up the cheap one from purelyh20.
Where do you buy Ecobak from? haven't seen too many online retailers sell the stuff.
Is there much of a difference between bio pellets and GFO?
I plan on picking up some Seachem Matrix Carbon.

 

Yes, GFO just binds phosphate and works instantly. Biopellets take a few weeks to start working and work by driving bacterial growth. The bacteria is then exported, removing the nutrients with it. Biopellets are more advanced and many people have issues with them. I think this is mostly just because they don't understand them, but nevertheless, GFO is much more foolproof IMO. If you want to go the biopellet route do a lot of research.

 

Just a quick search turned up ecobak here. There are other biopellets too. Bulk reef supply sells them, the Two Little Fishes Biopellets are popular. The brand really dosn't seem to matter too much, although they all have their followers...
250 ml Warner Marine EcoBak ULNS Pellets

 

buy an ro/di unit.
attach a "Y" to your washing machine, 1 outlet goes to the machine and the other to the ro/di.
when you leave the house and find another, take out the unit, take out the "y" and put the washing machine back.

 

+1 to ^

Or buy a portable RO/DI that connects to the faucet.

 

+ k. I didn't know they made portable ones!