Media Reactors have been around for many years. They are now available from many manufacturers, but the media reactor we recommend the most is one of the classics, the Two Little Fishies PhosBan Reactor. Here are the reasons why the Two Little Fishies PhosBan Reactor stands out for me.

Internal or External
I like many internal-only media reactors, but not everyone has a sump or an AIO chamber that will fit them. Occasionally I use one reactor and rotate it between tanks when one tank has space for an in-sump reactor and another doesn't. Because the PhosBan Reactors are sealed and pressurized, virtually anyone can use them on any tank. A major factor for me when choosing a product for my tanks is versatility. The PhosBan Reactor serves a much wider audience than competing reactors with its range of modifiable sizes.

3 Sizes
The PhosBan reactor comes in 3 sizes:

  • the original PhosBan 150, the perfect size for the average hobbyist serving tanks up to 150 gallons
  • the larger PhosBan 550, a more industrial size that processes up to 600 gallons
  • the nano-size Little reactor, the smallest build for all your small tanks up to 50 gallons

Multiple Set Ups
Two Little Fishies has add-on parts that let you adapt the reactors for all kinds of tasks:

  • Use the reactor in a standard fashion for carbon, GFO, or your favorite chemical media.
  • Use the reactor with a superfine floss like Sera Crystal Clear Filter Media (10 micron) as a water polisher.
  • Use an NPX Adaptor to turn the reactor into a churning bio-pellet reactor for nitrate and phosphate removal.
  • Use a CDX Adaptor to convert the reactor into a CO2 Scrubber.
  • Fill the reactor with bio media, add a low-flow pump, and use a Two Little Fishies Reducing Tee on the inlet connected to a dosing pump to feed your bio media with an organic carbon source.

Linkable
You can link the Phosban 550s together with the included parts. To link the Little Reactor and Phosban 150s you can use the Extension Kit. With two linked reactors you get a variety of benefits:

  • Fill one reactor with carbon and one with GFO while using a single pump to power both.
  • Split your CO2 scrubber media in two. When the first chamber goes bad, move the second chamber to the first chamber position and then replace the media in the second position. This will maximize media life and give consistent CO2 scrubbing.
  • Increase total media capacity. In case you have a tank over 550 gallons you might need two reactors, but you won’t need two pumps.

Available Replacement Parts
I hate when I need to throw away an expensive reactor because the o-ring has gone bad and no one has it. The PhosBan media reactors have plenty of available replacement parts, so you can keep them running for years. Which also makes them a better option for your wallet in the long run.