- Hey, I'm Thomas
and this is the AquaMaxx Sigma In-Sump Media reactors.
Probably looks a little bit different
than most media reactors that you've seen
and has some seriously convenient features
that makes running GFO
or carbon in your sump a lot easier.
But, before we get too excited
and spilled the beans early, let's get cracking.
Traditional media reactors are pretty simple.
They're a closed container that allows you
to fill it with your desired media.
It'll have a lid that has a barbed inlet and outlet
so that water can be pumped through it
and an external pump it to deliver sad water.
It's simple and it works.
But, AquaMaxx's Sigma reactors adds some very simple
and convenient features that make running
and maintaining carbon or GFO in your sump
a heck of a lot more convenient with a pump base
that allows you to twist the reactor body
to control the flow rate
as well as completely lift the reactor off of that base,
to take it to a sink for cleaning and refilling
without having to drag the pump along with it,
plus an ingenious tension fit lid system
that ditches all those thumbscrews for a dial
that takes only a partial turn to release and lift off
for dumping and refilling.
These reactors are super cool
and definitely something special,
especially for their price which is about half the cost
of the only other reactor I've seen
that has similar features.
So, let's get them out of the box
so I can show you those features close up
so you can get an appreciation for what I'm talking about.
Is that me just saying, they're super cool,
it's easier if you.
Witnessed them in action.
In the box, you'll find the Sigma Reactor,
the pump, a pair of coarse foam pads,
as well as the installation guide.
The Sigma is available in two sizes,
the Sigma-1 and the Sigma-2.
The Sigma-1 is rated to hold up to one cup of carbon
or 3/4 of a cup of GFO
and has a roughly four inch by 4.3 inch base
and sits right around three and a half inches tall.
The Sigma-2 on the other hand can hold up to
either two cups of carbon or one and a half cups of GFO,
and is only slightly larger
with a roughly five by five and a half inch footprint
and 14 and a half inch height.
Both reactors run on reliable Sicce pumps
that also have their own flow adjustments
for extra control, which is fantastic.
There's virtually no assembly with these reactors.
All you need to do is push the output of the pump
into the base of the reactor
and place the foam pads inside the reactor
when you fill up the media.
The reactor itself is already fully assembled
right out of the box.
Okay.
So, let's dig into what makes these reactors stand out
from the pack, starting with the lid.
Like I was saying, most other reactors
have a set of thumbscrews and key holes
to hold that lid in place and a few others have threads
and you unscrew the body from the lid.
But this is the first reactor I've ever had my hands on
that uses a really novel tension or pressure fit system
to lock that lid in place while simultaneously sealing it.
Basically, how it works is there is a large dial
at the top of the reactor that you can turn left or right,
And when you turn it, it'll lower a tapered plate
on the inside of the lid that is holding a large O-ring.
As the plate is lowered, the O-ring
has less pressure put on it and it shrinks,
letting go of the sides of the reactor body.
And inversely, when you tighten it,
the plate squishes up the O-ring and forces it outwards,
which puts more pressure on the side of the reactor body,
which holds that lid firmly in place while also sealing it
so that the water has to flow through the slots
on the sides of the reactor.
This particular lid system is just so simple, but so smart.
And it completely takes the aggravation
of trying to undo a bunch of gummed
or locked up thumbscrews completely out of the equation.
Also, it's faster than trying to unscrew
the body of a reactor from a threaded lid.
I'm smitten with it.
I'm just saying, I really like it.
Great idea, I'm on board.
The second feature that really sets these reactors apart
from most others is the base of the reactor
that contains the pump.
Not only does it allow you to easily dial in the flow rate
by rotating the reactor body with a blue arrow pointing
at an intensity indicator, but you can also continue
to turn the reactor body until
that blue arrow points to open,
which allows you to lift the reactor body
up and away from the base for refilling and maintenance.
Meaning you don't have to unplug a pump
and fish a wire through a cabinet,
and then take that pump to the sink along with the reactor,
just to do a media change.
It can stay there.
You gonna leave it.
So for anyone who has ever put off swapping media,
because they just didn't wanna have to deal
with the hassle of the pump and the chords.
This is an awesome improvement over standard reactors
and you might actually do your media changes
when you're supposed to, because it's easier.
Now, similarly to a lot of other reactors,
Aquamaxx gives you a solid acrylic construction,
a flow diffuser plate cores foam pads,
to keep your media from going anywhere that it shouldn't
and the ability to take everything apart for cleaning.
But being an in-sump reactor,
you don't have to deal with tubing, which is excellent.
But more importantly, the reactor uses an up-flow design
with no central tube running
through the middle of the reactor.
Meaning more room for media and less finicky parts
that you need to clean with a foxtail brush.
Also, I don't know if it's just me,
but anytime I use those reactors
that have that thin tube down the center,
I always managed to get like one or two granules of carbon
or GFR down the center of that skinny tube,
and it ends up underneath.
And with my luck, it will be a reactor
you can't take the base apart on,
and then it just stays there forever
and drives me absolutely crazy.
So, I'm super glad there's no chance of that here.
It makes my heart happy.
The flow path for these Sigma Reactors
is pretty straightforward.
Water enters at the bottom,
flows up through the diffuser plate,
travels up through the media, which is sandwiched
between those coarse pads and then spills out the slots
at the top of the reactor,
down the sides of the reactor body and back into the sump.
It's a pretty smart design that keeps the footprint
of the reactor nice and compact,
but depending on the flow rate
and the water height in the sump,
may mean you might hear it in a dead quiet room.
For reference, here is what it sounds like
with a lowish water level and running at max flow
while there's nothing inside of the reactor
and I'm standing right next to it.
So I'm sure you can imagine that once it's in a sump
underneath a cabinet with a closed door.
You actually have media inside of the reactor
and it's running at a flow rating
that's appropriate for said media.
You're unlikely to ever actually hear at running.
Although we've already touched on maintenance
with this reactor, I'll go out on a limb
and say that keeping the track
at the bottom of the base clear of debris
and calcareous buildup is going to be pretty important
for smooth operation.
So you'll definitely wanna clean the base
along with the pump periodically, just like any pump really.
So don't forget about it indefinitely.
Every once in a while, drop the base with the pump
into a bucket with some RODI and either some citric acid
or Sicce Pump Clean, rinse it off,
and you should be good to go.
If you've been after an easier going,
a more convenient to use media reactor, and don't wanna have
to dump out your entire wallet to get one
and these Aquamaxx Sigma Reactors
just so happen to match your reefing mantra,
you can pick one up for yourself by clicking right here.
(soft music)