Coral coloring specialists Aquaforest have added two new media reactors to their range. The AF90 and AF110 are 90 and 110 millimeters in diameter and share the same name and purpose as their predecessors, but this time they have a sleeker, more modern look, and have gone through a few design tweaks to improve maintenance and durability.
The biggest improvement with the new models is that they now feature a twist-lock mechanism for quick and easy access to the media inside when the old ones used a number of plastic screws that got progressively stiffer and more awkward over time. The top of the reactor has a more ergonomic shape which we hope will also allow for better grip when opening with wet hands, and the whole device is designed to work in or out of water or slide seamlessly into the spare sock chamber of their new PVC sumps.
Inside the reactors are two sponges and two media plates just like before, and the plates can be slid and locked into position to either sandwich static media like carbon or provide a physical barrier between two or even three different medias when used in the same reactor body. But these new clear acrylic media plates look thicker and stronger than the old thin purple ones, which were also prone to turning brittle in the harsh marine environment.
The hosetails/barbs have been upgraded to be more glossy and sturdy-looking and are 16mm and 20mm diameter respectively. They can rotate too, something that the old ones couldn’t, helping to eradicate issues with placement, potential hose kinks, and ease of fitting to both pumps and manifolds. These improvements are a welcome evolution of the old AF design and will be appreciated by both brand loyal and non Aquaforest users alike.
