Phos Reactor?

So I have been having a recent battle with cyano. I have cut back on the feeding, only use ro/di, and I am still getting cyano. The tank is approximately 45 gallons with a HOB filter rated for a fifty gallon and a sump with bio balls, carbon, and phosphate pad. (sump is about two weeks old). All levels are normal with nitrate unfortunately at about 20 ppm and everything else zero. I do not know what my phos levels are because I dont have a kit, but I suspect they are high. My question is that should I buy a phosphate reactor or just put media like phosban in my sump? Will I get the same effect out of putting the media in my sump versus a reactor? In other words, can I acheive the same outcome with my sump without having to by a reactor just to crowd my setup more with just to slip some media into it?

 

First I would remove the bio balls, they are nothing more than a nitrate factory. You can add phosban media to your sump if you want. I feel if you were to use a reactor you would get better results much faster.

 

sorry to interrupt but why is bio balls considered a nitrate factory...can you give a brief reason..These are always used in freshwater fish tanks...anything that makes it different in a marine tank?

 

They will collect waste, which will brake down to ammonia, nitrite and then nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite are deadly to your aquarium life. Bio balls are ok for a fish only tank, but for a reef I would not use them.

 

alrite...understood ..so it would be better if ammonia is broken down by the bacteria within the tank itself(LR etc?)

 

correct.

 

sorry for being the question bugger but if ammonia is broken down inside the tank or if the same happens in the sump..how does it really matter? If ammonia is broken down by the bacteria from the live rock, wont it still be broken down to nitrites and then nitrates?

Sorry but just being curious...maybe i could help my friends with these questions some day

 

I had a simular problem with my 55 gallon (no bioballs tho). While phosphate reactor solved the problem I had to stop running it 24/7 as some of the coral started bleaching from the phosphates being too low...

 

As far as the bioballs are concerned, well lets just say that they are not my concern at all. There is constant debate of whether or not they are beneficial in a reef setting, just like anything else, they will only work if you use them properly. For starters you need to run a pre-filter like floss of some sort that will prevent the bioballs from getting lots of build up on them. Furthermore, I have found with previous experience that a bi-monthly wash of half of the bioballs in tank water helps to keep out unwanted organics. Moral of the story is that bio balls are a great method for breaking down waste IF USED LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE. ***(Steps down from soap box)*** Now that I have got that out of my system....thanks for the replies all. I will contemplate it a bit more I suppose...I figured that you would get better returns from a reactor...ANY OTHER OPINIONS???? Thanks everyone.

 

bump