Anytime you can use a reactor would be better... passive filtration works but you have to imagine that not all the water is passing the media or is being forced through it.
In the past I've used Chemipure Elite and Clear FX pro... and while they work... my tank has never looked better going with just carbon and bio pellets in reactors. (or for some GFO instead of Biopellets)
I also don't believe that the media lasts that long... it really depends on the amount of nutrients in the system as far as how long it takes to be exhausted.