Question For Reefers That Don’t Really Test Water

Luke.

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2015
Location
Kitchener
Are you guiding running gfo? If so how often do you change it out ? I know your suppose to keep a eye on phos but if you’re like me and don’t check water prams much how often you switching it

Currant tank 40g
 

Troy

New Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Location
Niagara
I change every 3-4 weeks. Or if you start seeing the brown film forming faster than normal on the glass.
 

Kman

Super Active Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2014
Location
KW
I rarely run GFO but when I do I run it till I see it becoming less effective. I watch my tank for signs like algae on my glass growing faster then it normally does. I pay attention to my tank daily so I know it typically takes a week to week and a half to see signs of growth on the glass. If I see it before this I know something has changed. It really depends on how much phosphate input the tank has. Some people it lasts longer others not so much.
 

Matt1997

Active Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Location
Barrie/Sudbury
I use aluminum oxide. I didn’t test any water parameters for the longest time. Only recently I started dosing due to the alk consumption I expierience. Now I test. Still don’t test phosphates, nitrates, ammonia or nitrites. I don’t even test those during the cycle
 

Troy

New Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Location
Niagara
I just started to test due to an Cayno breakout. Long story short, my RODI unit was falsely reading 0PPM. So I upped my GFO to 1.5 cups (from 1 cup) and increased my water changes to 10-15% per week and within 5 weeks and 2 GFO changes the cayno is gone. My phosphates are consistently running less than .075. Nitrates between the .05 -.12 levels. I still don't understand the relationship of the Cal, Mag and Alk. But they all read in the acceptable levels.

I still have a lot to learn, but the corals are opening, some show signs of growth. The sand is white again, and I see noticeable growth of purple coral-line algae.
 
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Mido

New Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2018
Location
Toronto
I hardly ever test
I run gfo in a home made reactor! More like a passive flow Change it every 3 months
 

monizb

Super Active Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2011
Location
Strathroy, Ontario
Barley test my water the less I do the better it looks and corals and fish are happy ..... I change water once a week and I use Red Sea pro salt and have for years now and I run carbon gfo I change it out once a month maybe two [emoji847] that’s all I ever do on all my tanks my 75 gal will soon look like this my 16o I miss
54719c3d9cfae5a69954473afa6babc4.jpg



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Luke.

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2015
Location
Kitchener
Barley test my water the less I do the better it looks and corals and fish are happy ..... I change water once a week and I use Red Sea pro salt and have for years now and I run carbon gfo I change it out once a month maybe two [emoji847] that’s all I ever do on all my tanks my 75 gal will soon look like this my 16o I miss
54719c3d9cfae5a69954473afa6babc4.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Verrryyy nice set up !
 

Salty Cracker

Administrator
Staff member
Website Admin
Joined
Mar 10, 2012
Location
Rocky Mountains BC
every 3 weeks for normal ferric oxide, 4-5 weeks for the hi-cap. Every few months I take the gfo offline for a while and run carbon instead. Bio pellets run 24/7

Since I'm sps dominant, and sps reacts badly to phosphate, I do have to test periodically, but I've never edged upwards beyond the scale read by the phosphorous checker (parts per billion), so I know it works.
 

Shooter000

HomeGrownFrags
Joined
Jan 19, 2015
Location
Alvinston, Ontario
every 3 weeks for normal ferric oxide, 4-5 weeks for the hi-cap. Every few months I take the gfo offline for a while and run carbon instead. Bio pellets run 24/7

Since I'm sps dominant, and sps reacts badly to phosphate, I do have to test periodically, but I've never edged upwards beyond the scale read by the phosphorous checker (parts per billion), so I know it works.
You don't even want to know my phosphate, giggle giggle mr.ppb, lmfaou
 

derrick orosz

Super Active Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Location
Ayr, Ontario
I don’t test anything lol... I run a brs duel reactor with carbon and gfo which I change every 4-5 weeks ( need to do tomorrow) and do 10 gallon per week water change on Wednesday or Thursday. I also have a small amount of two part calcium and alkalinity mixed into my ato which I takes 4 days to go through the 5 gallon jug of rodi water.
Two or three times a week I also add red seas reef energy coral energy A and B.... as long as my sps are happy I’m happy
 
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