Two Little Fishies ATLPBR150 GFO PhosBan 150 — Upflow Media Reactor

Reviews

1. E Edward 5/5

   Clears water with carbon and purigen

   I placed carbon and Purigen in the reactor and the aquarium clarity improved noticeably. Installed in the chamber with the pump return feeding it; following a few online tips gave me excellent results.

2. R Ruby 5/5

   Excellent value and reliable operation

   Great performance for the cost. I run GFO and sometimes cupisorb with a small ~185 GPH pump and the included adjustable valve. It hangs on the back or fits in a sump and has never leaked for me. Good, dependable unit.

3. L Lauren Bystricky 5/5

   Worked great after I fixed a misplaced O-ring

   My unit leaked at first because the lid O‑ring had popped out during setup. Once I reseated it the reactor ran perfectly. I prefer this design over other reactors because it opens more easily, though you will need to rinse the chamber when changing media. If foam clogs bother you, use two reactors and fill the first with filter floss to trap fines and simplify maintenance.

4. D Dan 5/5

   Complete kit that actually works

   This came with soft elbow fittings, cable ties, a ball valve and plenty of hose. Warmed the hose to fit the barbs and set it up as a sand filter — after 3–4 weeks it's been running without problems.

5. A Adrián 5/5

   Excellent product — bought another for carbon

   Does its job well; I'm using it with Rowa and liked it enough to purchase a second unit to run carbon.

6. L Lou Shoes 5/5

   Does the job for low-flow De*Nitrate use

   I set this up to run a De*Nitrate bag at under 50 GPH where my canister and HOB couldn’t. No leaks and quiet operation so far. I chose a pump with enough head to lift back to the display and used 1/2" hose for plumbing. Expect a few weeks before you see major changes in nutrient levels.

7. T Tommy 1/5

   Failed quickly on me

   A small L-shaped plastic fitting broke within minutes and a week later a head cover failed, causing a large leak. I was disappointed with the durability in my experience.

8. J Joe Kidd 4/5

   Handy as a fluidized sand bio-filter

   I use this as a fluidized sand filter with under 200 ml of hand-sifted oolitic sand. It provides biological filtration and mild calcium release, ideal for bare tanks and easy to move between setups. The soft rubber elbows are OK for outflow but weak on the intake—swap to 1/2" hard elbows and cut vinyl hose for a sturdier pump connection. Pump selection is important: a moderate 140 GPH mag drive worked best for gentle churn; a much stronger pump overexpanded the sand.

9. S Steve Bison 5/5

   Solid build and easy to service

   Not the cheapest, but the fittings and build quality are good. I used an Eheim pump and Rowaphos media; the media fluidizes nicely. I greased the lid O‑ring lightly and the unit seals well. The included ball valve is handy for flow control.

10. A Alberto 5/5

    Pump choice matters — beware throttling high-flow pumps

    This reactor performs well but needs the right pump. I hung mine on the tank with a hang kit. When I tried throttling a very high-flow pump down to the recommended ~20 GPH it vibrated and became noisy — too much back pressure stresses the motor. Choose a pump and valve combination that can run smoothly at low flow.

11. C craigo 3/5

    Performs well but some design flaws exist

    It handles PhosBan and charcoal fine, but the lid is very hard to remove without leverage and one of my units developed a top-seal leak despite cleaning and O‑ring lubricant. The included sponges can clog and push media upward, increasing maintenance. The upflow concept itself works as intended.

12. Y yjcinseattle 5/5

    Finally controlled my phosphate problem

    On a 44 gal tank this removed phosphate effectively. Prep and backwashing are important — I used a T and a small back-pressure reducer to help with rinsing and ran it in a sink for about 30 minutes to clear fines before installing. Finding the correct flow to maintain a fluidized bed took some tuning, but the results are worth it.