Old A.R.M.

[Delphinus]

How many long-term reactor users replace their media on a regular (or at least periodic) basis? I mean, replacement, not just topping up .. as in, taking out the old, chucking it, and putting in new. How often do you do this, and what's your reasoning?

(I'm starting to suspect that any downflow style reactor, or partial downflow style reactor, is going to suffer eventual compaction issues.)

[Aquattro]

Tony, I dump anything left after 2 refills. And I refill when it's about half empty. Not real quantatative, but the sludge gets tossed when it looks "sludgey".

[smokinreefer]

yeah, i just replaced my media...
there was about a third left after a few top offs...
it was sludgey... i rinsed it well and was gonna reuse it, but i decided not too... the texture just didnt feel right...
i suppose it can be used for substrate.

[Delphinus]

Ok, was just wondering. Thanks. Seems like I should buy new media then. My media is pretty sludgey. Seems like a waste to just chuck it but I'm not sure what it'd be good for, since it's still pretty granular. If a person could harvest the really fine stuff out of there they'd have something to rival sugar sand (maybe too fine, though).

But at this point it just seems like my pump is being overworked to push water through it. The pressure build-up seems to stress both the pump and the acrylic (I actually have to repair another seam on the reactor now ... at least it was on the inside partition wall instead of an outside seam like the last time an acrylic weld popped on me..)

I only got to about half way's used up before reaching this point. Makes me wonder that the only real good way to extend the useful life is to just have an up-flow style where the bed can be constantly fluidized (and thereby hopefully prevent compaction).

[Canadian Man]

On the downflow side of my reactor Tony I only have about 1 to 2 inches of media. Helps with this issue.

[Delphinus]

Cool idea Jonathan, thanks.