What media would you put in a reactor ?

[chopshop]

Being a ex reefer...we always looked for new ways to make things perfect.
So my old reef tank is now my Flowerhorn tank and with it is a sump
My water paras are great...with only the nitrate with being 20ish..pretty much the same as my tap water everything else is 0.
Sump set up is inlet pipe into a hollow square sponge in section 1, also in this section is 1kg of maxspec bio balls on a 3d printed rack , then on top of them is the maxspec anaerobic block., and the heater.
Section 2 is the planted section lit by 2x tunze led lights one red one white and the plants are always needing trimming back every water change...
The baffles between Section 2 and 3 are some course sponges to filter out any solids!!
Section 3 the return...1kg of maxspec bio balls on a 3d printed rack and the media reactor.
Running in this reactor right now is rowaphos in the lower section and carbon in the upper.

I'm new to freshwater...so wondering is there anything in my sump layout you guys would change and also the media in the reactor

 

[duanes]

I consider the planted section of my sumps to be the most important, so 90% of the 125 has sump is planted, and about 10% is bio and mechanical media.
With this configuration, my nitrate is undetectable, as are ammonia and nitrite.

Above are the average test results for my system.
Below is the 125 sump, and as you can see, the pump, its plumbing and bio media are on the left.
Plants are deiffenbahia right, Vallisneria throughout, and mangrove trees far right.

Above are the mangrove trees.
As much as I can, I try to mimic the way nature cleans fresh water habitats, which is with terrestrial forests on river and lake banks.

I collect my own fish, and check water parameters wherever I collect.
I have yet to test any river and get any nitrate reading in these (including the river above) where nitrate is detectable., and that is why my sump is planted so heavily.
Exposure to Nitrate Increases Susceptibility to Hypoxia in ...The University of Chicago Press: Journalshttps://www.journals.uchicago.edu › doi

 

[chopshop]

That's a amazing sump

 

[duanes]

When 1st putting the sump together, it looked like this.

As you can see, I find baffles physically and creatively restricting, so my only bafflish wall is the panel of Porrett Foam which separates the pump, and bio-media are from the panted area, and acts as mechanical filtration.
I also think of the sump, similar to, and the way saltwater keepers think of as a refugium, and keep a population of shrimp in it, which help the Porret Foam free of plant matter, that might clog it up.

Since it is outside and gets a half day of almost full tropical sun, I also keep a couple young Chaetestoma plecos, and
some snails in it to eat algae on the glass, and use water lilies and floaters like salvinia to filter the sun.
Because it is in full view from the side, and from above on my patio, I try to keep it as aethsetically pleasing visually interesting as possible.
All plants are heavy feeders, so contribute well to holding nitrates at bay.

 

[chopshop]

Out door sump...looks great