Pump size for TLF reactors with GAC and NP biopellets?
 

Im planning on running two TLF reactors in parallel with GAC in one reactor and NP biopellets in the other.

What size of Maxi Jet pumps are people using for this kind of setup?

I ordered a 600, will this be enough flow?

I would have ordered a Maxi Jet 1200 ($29 at Blue World).

TLF recommends a 400-600 but I find running two reactors that the 1200 is a better choice. You have ball valves to tune down the flow on TLF's... so consider the fact that you can lower your flow with a bigger pump, but you can't make a smaller pump bigger.

You also need to consider the distance/height the water will travel.

Is this from personal experience using the 600? I will have to talk to Ken to get that pump it seems. Well at least I have a new 600 that I can sell.

even with one TLF i found that 600 won't make the pellets tumble nicely. 900 or 1200 will do better with one TLF. With two, I am not so sure, try to get bigger pump because you can always tune down the flow with your TLF ball valves

Yes personal experience. I have the 1200 running mine... and it could always be bigger.

I understand that you need some decent flow to get the pellets tumbling but does that toss up the carbon in the first chamber too much?

Actually my carbon barely tumbles with the 1200. Maybe I am using the wrong carbon.

You have the ball valves to adjust the difference flow between your carbon and pellets

Why do you need your carbon tumbles?

Not sure.... I am new to reactors myself... a couple months. I just know alot of media is supposed to tumble in them... but my carbon (Kent) barely moves.

The way i understand it that Carbon tends to be more effective if the water is slowly flowing through it and if too much tumbling action can cause carbon to actually abrade itself into smaller pieces, meaning anything it absorbs can be released back into the tank.

Interesting. I have not heard this before. Maybe its good my carbon does not tumble then.

So I should have pellets in the first chamber full blast then slow it down with a valve to the second chamber with the carbon?

How is yours set up?

You might want to look at running two pumps...I tried to run pellets and carbon with a single MJ1200 and I wasn't happy. Now I run a MJ1200 on my pellet reactor, and a MJ600 on my carbon reactor and I'm happy. I've also noticed that if you're not careful, and push the rubber 90 elbows on the TLF reactors all the way down you end up cutting off more flow to the reactor, as the hose barb on the reactor almost butts up to the top of the elbow.

A half full TLF reactor with pellets BARELY tumbles correctly with a wide open MJ 1200. A 600 would work for a GAC only reactor.

If your return pump is large enough you should look at teeing off of it to run your reactors. I run a Vertex UF15 with bio-pellets, and a BRS reactor for carbon teed off the return line from the Barracuda. No more piddling around with MJ's clogging up etc.

I have one pump 1200 for each reactor because now i am using 2x Deltec FR-509 Fluidized Reactor, but i did have TLF 150 before and was also use 900 on carbon and 1200 on pellets (was just too small for size of my tank and leaking problem)

Also when i replace carbon or fill up pellets on each reactor, i want to able turn them off separately.

I am using a Maxi Jet MJ1800 on my TLF 150 and it works perfect. I had 2 -150s being ran by this pump without issues. Carbon should not tumble at all it defeats the purpose. I am switching to a NextReef MR1 and hope this pump will work as well as it does on the 150.

Thanks guys, a lot of good options and setups out there. Its going to take me some time to decide whats going to be best for my setup.

I was using a MJ1200, was working great, but wanted to cut down the number of pumps i had in the system, so I Tee'd off my return pump. My return is a dart gold, but i have low pressure since i'm dumping back to my sump for flow control. I had WAY more flow comming from my MJ1200. I don't think it's too little now, but more would be better, might go back.

As for people with issues of the tumbleing, make sure you get a mesh mod or sometihng for the reactor. the filter stuff that comes in there doesn't allow enough flow. With my MJ1200 i had too much flow and had to reduce it so the pellets would stop getting stuck in the top. You also need to clear out the stuck pellets every once in awhile, you should be getting LOTS of flow then.

NP pellets
 

I had trouble with the pellets. They would tumble well in my zeo reactor, but the filter material I used to stop pellets from escaping would clog with mulm. I switched to a plastic mesh used for needle point that I got at a hobby shop for 98 cents a sheet and cut it to size. No more problems with mulm.

I read that somewhere as well. Hopefully Michaels will have something similar.

Ask Ken at BW where he gets the screen for the NextReef MR1.

Thats where i got mine 98 cents per sheet.


I have 2 tlf reactors as well. I had them on separate pumps for a while, still do.
when it was just carbon and gfo the 1200 was just barely adequate. tee'd with ball valve on each side to control.

Now I use a 400 for the carbon. 1200 was not enough flow for the pellets so I took a line off my return.