My filtration is not working - needs to be replaced fast, what do you reccomend?

[kien]

Originally Posted by mandyplo

Just purchased the dual Carbon & GFO reactor from BRS and it is simply not working - They have tried trouble shooting with me online and we cannot determine the problem, they are sending a replacement part but I have doubts it will help. (Not working as in no flow coming out of product line - it is dripping painfully slow and my GFO will not tumble, it sits as a solid brick on the bottom).

In the mean time, (and probably to keep as my permanent filtration) I am looking to purchase a new filtration unit. What do you guys recommend? I have been looking at the Fluval G3 unit and really like the sounds of it - just not so sure I'm ready to drop $300 on it. However fellow reefer experiences and reviews/recommendations tend to persuade me otherwise...

Any other recommendations? What about Bio Pellets? Can a bio pellet reactor replace a Carbon & GFO filtration system?

Thanks guys I have to put something in there fast I just purchased some clams that I'm really afraid of losing!

Edit: My tank is 55g with a very small bioload - 5 small fish, 2 clams and 2 corals

Are you just starting up the biopellets now or have you been running them for a while? If you are just starting them up then they will not filter your tank quickly. It can take weeks for the pellets to seed and do there thing. So just plopping new biopellets in today or tomorrow or even this weekend won't "filter/clean" your tank immediately. You can put the biopellets in a different reactor like a TLF 150 or some other media reactor that you might be able to find at your LFS.

If your phosphates are high you can throw some GFO in a filter bag and let it sit in your sump. You will have to aggitate the bag often though. This isn't the ideal approach but will work in a pinch if you're desperate and having phosphate issues. Ideally they should be fluidized in a reactor though.

Bio pellets are marketed with the ability to strip your tank of Nitrates and Phosphates so in theory you don't need to run GFO. However, that has not been my experience with them. I have to run GFO and biopellets together in order to eliminate phosphates in my tank. I know of people who are successfully using biopellets to strip phosphates and nitrates from their tanks though.

Biopellets are not a replacement for carbon. They are both used for two different purposes. Again, in a pinch you can always put carbon in a bag and dunk it in your sump if you don't have a fluidized reactor on hand.