Easy to use, setup and maintain. Perfect for utilizing GFO and Carbon in the aquarium. No annoying thumb screws and leaky lids like other reactors. BRS recommends a Sicce Syncra 1.5 pump to operate this reactor. Sold separately or packaged with the pump. Choose a different pump depending on mounting height and amount of media used. Not for use with biopellet media.
The Dual BRS GFO and Carbon Reactor features several distinct advantages over other brands.
- Ultra-transparent media cartridge allows for clear viewing of reactor media
- Heavy duty plastic construction.
- 1/2" Push Connect fittings and ports throughout reduce head pressure and provide ample flow rates.
- High quality easy to use double O-Ring push- connect fittings.
- Easy to operate, clean and maintain.
- High quality ball valve for precise tuning.
- Ability to run carbon and GFO at the same time.
- (2) 3 Ft. sections of tubing
- Holds three cups of carbon (Aprox. 300g) or two cups of GFO (Aprox 290g) per canister
- Not for use with Biopellet Media
- Dimensions: 14.5"H x 14"W x 5.25"
- Sicce Syncra 1.5 Dimensions - 4" H x 2.4" W x 3.1" H
- Pump (optional) and media sold separately
The BRS GFO & Carbon Reactors use 1/2" Push Connect fittings and 1/2" Mur-Lok Polyethylene Tubing
What's Included?
Standard
- BRS Media Reactor - Dual (2x 10" Canister Housings)
- 1x 1/2" Push-Connect Union
- 6ft (2x 3ft sections) 1/2" RO tubing
- 1x 1/2" QC Ball Valve
- 1x RO Canister Wrench
- 2x 10" Refillable Media Cartridge
- 1 Year BRS Warranty
W/Pump
- 1x Syncra 1.5 Reactor Pump
- 1x 1/2" NPT x 1/2" Push-Connect Fitting
SKU | brs-gfo-carbon-reactor-dual |
---|---|
Aquarium Type | Saltwater, Freshwater |
Reactor Placement | In Sump, Wall Mount |
Media Capacity | 3 Cups / 710mL |
Warranty | 1 Year |
Product Questions
Thanks.
Thank you for reaching out to us. Yes, you can, just make sure you are getting the proper flow.
Please let me know if you need anything further and take care!
Thank you for reaching out to us. Generally you can achieve this with the GFO being first and the carbon being second as it is receiving a slower flow rate, you can also use the sponges to keep the carbon from tumbing.
Please let me know if you need anything further and take care!
Thanks for reaching out to us. The BRS reactors use half inch threaded ports for the intake and output.
Let me know if you have any other questions, and have a great day.
You need this fitting in 1/2" https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/search?p=R&srid=S1-5SEAP&lbc=bulkreefsupply&w=npt&url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.bulkreefsupply.com%2fmur-lok-male-npt-x-push-connect.html&lgsku=Mur-lok%20Male%20NPT%20x%20Push%20Connect&rk=1&uid=937738783&sid=1&ts=rac-data&SLIPid=1589401254818&rsc=aM2nvWrd8rg0uHtP&cnt=5&method=and&isort=score&rt=racclick
Take care
It does not matter what media you place first since the flow through the canisters will be the same. That being said, running the carbon first will help prevent detritus from clogging the GFO over time.
I hope this helps!
Happy Reefing
GFO will be first in the reactor and then carbon. It will be noted on the reactor too with a sticker.
Take care
You would need to add a carbon and GFO of your choice. We do not intend this to be used with any other kinds of media.
Take care
Take care
Also I’ll be running the reactor off a manifold where should I put the return line on the sump. My sump set up goes Skimmer, Refugium, then return.
The carbon can start running during the cycle but I would not do GFO until the tank is cycled and you know you have high enough phosphates to use GFO. If you use it with barely any phosphates you will strip the tank.
Take care
We do sell extra media cartridges for this reactor and they can be found at the link below. Have a great day!
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/10-brs-reactor-refillable-cartridge-hard-shell.html
You certainly can! Just use the pump in the tank and it will pump water up and over your glass, through the reactor and back into the tank!
Here is a link to the hard shell reactor replacement pads.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reactor-replacement-pads-hard-shell.html
Have a great day!
The dual reactor comes with 1/2" tubing. Have a great day.
Does it matter which media flow hours through first?
How does it flow through each, outside down to bottom then up middle?
The reactor has labeled "IN" and "OUT" ports but you can flip the bracket if you require the feed pump to be on the opposite side.
It does not matter which media is placed in the first canister but many people find it easier to tumble their GFO by placing it in the first canister and holding their carbon between sponges in the second.
When run as recommended, the water flows into the reactor, down around the outside of the refillable canister and then up through the bottom of the canister.
Thanks for getting in touch with us in regards to your leaking reactor. We do have replacement O-Rings for those canisters. I have included a link below to this item. Please let me know if there is anything else that we can assist with. Thanks!
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/o-ring-for-10-reverse-osmosis-canisters.html
Thanks for getting in touch with us in regards to using Phosguard in our reactors. These would be great for use with Phosguard. Please let me know if there is anything else that we can assist with. Thanks!
We do sell extra tubing for our reactors. This is sold as 1/2" Mur-Lok RO tubing.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/1-2-mur-lok-polyethylene-ro-tubing.html
Have a great day!
Happy reefing!
Have a great day!
We sure do! You can purchase replacement hard-shell cartridges for our reactors at the link below!
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/10-brs-reactor-refillable-cartridge-hard-shell.html
Happy reefing!
If you would like to hard-plumb your reactors, you can certainly plumb directly to the canisters using 1/2" npt fittings.
Have a great day!
Whether you are using one media or both, it's totally fine to flush your media prior to running on the tank. We prefer to do so after the media is inside of the reactor by turning it on and running the initial output into a bucket. We demonstrate this briefly in a video at the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezQfrJeVZXQ (media flush is around the 4 minute mark).
Hope this helps!
Schedule 80 Reducing Bushing 3?4” Spigot x 1?2” Slip
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/schedule-80-reducing-bushing-slip-x-slip.html
1?2" Male NPT x 1?2" Push Connect
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-male-npt-x-push-connect.html
From my calculations, you would need about 2 cups of Standard GFO and 0.81 cups of ROX 0.8 Carbon.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-calculator
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/o-ring-for-10-reverse-osmosis-canisters.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSkYO6qxYpU
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/o-ring-for-10-reverse-osmosis-canisters.html
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/sicce-syncra-silent-1-5-pump-357-gph.html
ken
The dual reactors can be run off of your return pump. You will just need to convert down to ½” female NPT threads and then with the fitting in the link below (sku 100003) will thread into your return plumbing and allow the push connect tubing to be used with the reactor.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-male-npt-x-push-connect.html
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-ro-elbow-stem-x-push-connect.html
I am currently running a dual reactor with GFO and carbon. I am considering running bio pellets instead. Would it need to Br modified and what would you suggest I run in the second chamber?
Thanks for your help
Bill
Depending on your system size we do not recommend running bio pellets in the standard dual reactor. This would clog very quickly and not feed the correct number of pellets. We recommend a dedicated bio pellet reactor instead.
I have some questions on the BFS dual GFO and Carbon reactor. Which one is best for my size tank..
I have a 75 G reef with a sump under the tank in the cabinets... I have room for the reactor next to the sump I have limited space inside the sump with my skimmer etc.
So, can the reactor sit outside the sump and how big of a pump will be needed and the dimensions of that pump so I can be sure the pump will fil in the sump...
If you could give me that info I'll get it ordered.
Thanks
James
The dual reactor will work perfect and easily can be mounted in the sump or externally mounted to the outside or wall of the stand. If the reactor will be within the 2-3 feet of tubing included we recommend the Cobalt Mj1200 pump which is very small only 4x 2x 4 inches. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
I have included a simple link below for the instructions on removing the fittings but it sounds as if you already know the general way to disconnect them.
I have included a few items below which can be added to the tubing to make it easy to disconnect which not dealing with the mur lok fitting.
1/2" Female Thread Cam Lever Coupling - D
SKU: 209945
1/2" Female Thread Cam Lever Adapter - A
SKU: 209927
1?2" Male NPT x 1?2" Push Connect ( you will need 2)
SKU: 100003
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/content/post/Installation-Instructions-for-Mur-lok-Push-Connect-Fittings
This will certainly work well for a 90 gallon system. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
While it is possible the flow rates would be different from chamber to chamber and impact the performance. ideally separate pumps or a larger reactor will be needed.
We do not recommend bio-pellet in the reactor for several reasons. In the second chamber the flow is greatly reduced (the whole unit if placed in the first chamber) The flow on a stand alone bio-pellet reactor is best adjusted independently from carbon and GFO to keep from adding too much flow or too little which either makes the pellets clog or release too much food into the tank. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
Goes inside it. Do i need all gfo and if so what kind of gfo?
The Dual reactor will work great to run carbon for removing color, and odor from the water and GFO for removing phosphate. This is one of our favorite set ups to keep the system running!
Not much more will be needed beside the GFO and Carbon. For nitrate control the best will be regular water changes however there are several options for nitrate control available. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-bulk-gfo-granular-ferric-oxide.html
You can place this anywhere, most will place the pump in an earlier section of the sump and the drain from the reactor into the return section. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
You will not be able to run Bio pellets in the standard carbon or GFO reactors. They will be a bit of a head ache and clog very quickly. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
The flow will typically be base off of the GFO requirement. You will place the sponge at top to prevent GFO from flowing through. Ideally the GFO will tumble smooth without being forced to the top. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
You certainly can use the reactor and Carbon and GFO with a freshwater tank! Any of the Carbon and GFO supplements will work great at clarifying the water and removing phosphate. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
That will work just fine with many types of media. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
You can use the dual for GFO and carbon really well! However for sulfur you will want a dedicated nitrate reactor ( to keep the correct flow and gas release). I have included a link below! Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/skimz-monzter-nm152-external-nitrate-reactor.html
This could work however the Eheim pump connects to 5/8" tubing which will be very very difficult to convert to the 1/2" OD Polyethylene tubing on the reactor. we do not currently have any adapters or components to make the connection. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
1. BRS GFO & Carbon Reactor – Dual
2. BRS GFO & Carbon Reactor - deluxe
When using the ROX 0.8 carbon you can select either and they will work great! You will use around 1/2 cup of media an the reactors can handle twice that amount. If you are planning on using GFO as well the dual will be nice as you can change the Carbon and GFO at different times. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
The reactor can be placed anywhere in the sump or out of the sump. It is sealed and will not leak if mounted externally. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
Unfortunately the dual reactor would be a little small however could work with ROX 0.8 carbon and High Capacity GFO. On a larger tank such as 200 we recommend more room in the reactor with the Jumbo BRS reactor or even the Phosban 550. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
GFO will be run very similarly to carbon however ideally it will be tumbling. You will change the carbon once every 4 week and GFO once every 6-8 weeks. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
The MJ1200 would be a little limited to push back up 30". we recommend an alternative such as a sicce 1.5 which can handle a greater head height. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
In the Dual reactor the plumbing and all components will be included. With the Dual it is recommended to run the GFO in the first chamber and carbon in the second chamber.
With tubing installed and bracket the system will take 11" wide, 15" tall and 5" front to back. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
These will work on a wide variety of sizes depending on the amount and type of media used. Up to 200+ gallons when the High Capacity GFO and ROX 0.8 carbon are used. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
You can attempt to move the position of the canisters to adjust so they are not next to each other if needed. Other medias can easily be used in the reactor without issue. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
Great question. When dealing with water clarity it can vary greatly depending on the elements in your tank. If the water contains green water (Algae) It will be tough for the Carbon to remove any of the colors from the water and a large water change will need to be performed. With the GFO often you can attempt to add an additional sponge in the top to help catch any GFO particles from flowing into the tank. If the issues continue feel free to give us a call and we will be more than willing to help!
Thanks
We do have replacement pads available (Listed in the link below). Unfortunately we do not have replacement screens available. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions!
SKU# 204186
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reactor-replacement-pads-hard-shell.html
I am sorry to hear about the reactor leaking, You most likely are not doing anything wrong however the connections sometimes need to be removed and reinserted to make a proper seal with the quick connect. If the issue persists feel free to give us a call and we will be more than willing to help!
Thanks in advance for any info.
Due to the great deal of pressure needed to force water through the carbon block this would not be possible with an ordinary water pump. Also, the small pore size would quickly clog as detritus from your system was pumped through the block. I would stick with one of our granular carbons.
I hope this helps!
Have a great day :)
As long as it has a reasonable amount of power it should be just fine.
Assuming you want to run GFO and carbon you would want the dual reactor for a tank that size. If you just plan to run a single media, then the single would be fine.
The reactor has a small air bleed hole that can be found on the underside of the bracket/lid assembly when the canisters are removed. Most likely it just has a bit of detritus stuck in it. You should see one large exit hole in the middle, and towards the exit side of the reactor a very small hole. Cleaning that out will help the air to bleed out of the system as it runs. That said though, couple of other points worth mentioning.
First of all, if air is finding its way into the reactor you likely need to submerge your pump farther. Sounds like its sucking in air.
Second, and likely most importantly, if their is some air in the reactor it won't effect the performance in anyway. The water is traveling through the system as it should so removing the air is purely an aesthetic thing. It is just for looks, so you could just as well leave it as well :)
Its not problem to run the GFO chamber empty but it wouldn't be useful to add twice as much carbon. It would still need to be changed in the same amount of time so it would really just be a waste :-)
There isn't really a right way or wrong way here. Your going to cycle the tank over so many times over the coarse of a day, week, etc that I would just plumb it in the most convenient way possible. Generally this is going back to the same chamber you pumped it from as then you don't have to worry about any odd siphoning issues or anything like that. Your looking for the least amount of flow that keeps the GFO from turning into a big brick, so long as it hasn't solidified into a block your good to go :-)
Yes they are connected in series and will both have the same flow rate.
The tubing is 1/2" RO tubing which can be found at the link below. Fitting wise, it depends on your setup but elbows are largely it. Perhaps a 1/2" union if you need to connect two pieces together in a straight location (but its usually cheaper just to buy a longer length of tubing then to buy the fitting to connect two together).
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/1-2-mur-lok-polyethylene-ro-tubing.html
Most folks use the lignite carbon in the reactor as its easy to work with in that setup. As far as GFO goes, most people use the standard GFO. The only reason to use the high capacity GFO would be if you need more then fits in the 2 cup capacity of the reactor, because the HC is twice as dense it goes twice as far for the same volume.
Those folks are confusing the pump with the Marineland Maxi Jet 1200. The marineland pump used to be the go to standard however they took the design to China and ever since those pumps make a very loud rattling noise when used in a reactor or other situation with back pressure. The cobalt aquatics MJ1200 is the old original italian made pump and is the same tried and true quiet and reliable pump we were all used to and the one recommended for the reactors.
The reactor has a fixed capacity (two cups of media that needs to tumble, like gfo, and 3 cups for media that doesn't, like carbon) so how big it is really depends on the media you plan to run and how much you need. What medias were you planning to put in the reactor?
We recommend the cobalt mj1200 for use with the dual reactor. It plugs right in, works well, and tend to last a long time.
The height is total. The amount of media you use isn't dependent on the reactor (though it has a max capaicty). The amount of media you use is dictated by the size of your aquarium and what actual media you are using. Instructions would be on the container of your media, but you can use the BRS calculator on the website to calculate out the amount for any of our BRS brand medias ahead of time. You can find it at the top of the page or at the link below:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-calculator
I will be upgrading my tiny 14 gallon tank to a nice 50 gallon soon. Is this product recommended for a brand new tank?
I would suggest running GFO and carbon on any tank, even better if its a new tank as you can help keep it in good shape rather then trying to to recover after things get out of hand.
Unfortunately the dual reactor doesn't have a hang on back configuration. It could either be mounted to the wall,stand, etc behind the tank or even just set on a desk. If you need something that has the ability to hang on the rim of a tank then I would look at the Two Little Fishies Phosban Reactor. It has a hang on back mount. The 150 will have plenty of capacity for a tank your size.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/phosban-reactor-150.html
The dual reactor is not compatible with biopellets. As much as we would wish otherwise, biopellets do not play nice with other medias and need to be run in an entirely separate reactor :-)
I think these are what your looking for:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reactor-replacement-pads-hard-shell.html
It should be changed once its capacity has been reached. The best way to know this is to monitor your phosphates with an easy to read phosphate meter like a Hanna phosphate checker. Usually this is about 4-6 weeks but entirely depends on how much phosphates you have, which is almost entirely related to how much you feed. GFO will not release phosphates back into the aquarium however once its reached its capacity it will no longer be removing new phosphate so the levels will begin to rise.
With the dual reactor its best to run GFO in one and carbon in the other. GFO generally is changed less frequently then carbon when its feasible (usually monthly) whereas carbon is changed every 2 weeks. Keeping them separate allows you to do this :-)
The dual reactor is not compatible with biopellets. For biopellets you would want a separate biopellet reactor. The BRS biopellet reactor works great for tanks under 50g, otherwise something like the octopus BR series reactors are usually the next size up for folks.
Thats not an issue. The chambers may look a little empty with the amount of media you use for a tank that size but it won't hurt anything and youll have it for your big tank this spring.
All it takes is a 1/2" push connect union which the reactors themselves come with. Otherwise I have them linked below as well.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-ro-straight-union-push-connect.html
GFO stands for Granular Ferric Oxide and it is a phosphate remover. Its actually one of the few effective ways of removing phosphate from the tank which is pretty important as its not only an algae food, but it also inhibits the growth of stony corals as well. Here is a short video we did on GFO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6uXz_G1xiA
The GFO reactor cartridges have sponges (which can be removed) vs the biopellet reactor doesn't have sponges but does include an additional larger fitting for using with bigger pumps as typically biopellets require higher power pumps.
They are 1/2" inline ball valves. They can be found right here:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-ro-inline-ball-valve-push-connect.html
You would want to use these replacement filter pads:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reactor-replacement-pads-hard-shell.html
I have 15 medium size fish.
The capacity of the reactor chambers is 2 cups for GFO. For a tank that size it would work if you were using the high capacity GFO as you would only need 1.5 cups. If you were using the regular GFO you would need 3 cups and then it would not work (then you would want to look at something like the Jumbo reactor or a different manufacturer reactor like the Vertex).
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