Gfo - Your Experience?

[Canadianeh]

Anyone has experience using GFO bulk from reefsupplies.ca?

Particularly, GFO made by ESV (http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-store/E.S.V.-BULK-Granular-Activated-Carbon-20lbs.html) $9.25/lbs

and

GFO German High Capacity (http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-store/Granular-Ferric-Oxyde-Bulk-GFO.html) $24.95/lbs

What's your takes on those two if you are using them?

Planning to use it with IM Aquagadget mid size reactor to tackle hair algae that starts to developing in my 4 months old tank.

 

[TORX]

HC all the way. I only use the HC GFO. But I use it. It obsorbs more before needing to replace it.

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[Canadianeh]

HC all the way. I only use the HC GFO. But I use it. It obsorbs more before needing to replace it.

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so you bought the same product from reefsupplies? Does it cause any cloudiness? On their website, says:

Although this is HC GFO, excessive tumbling my still cause it to grind / dicintegrate and send GFO dust into your sump / tank. Unlike biopelets GFO must NOT excessively tumble in your reactor. Tumbling will cause some grinding.

 

[TORX]

It wouldn't cause cloudiness. If it does grind and makes it out of the reactor, it is a heavy brown dust. Many put a 200 micron sock at the output to catch anything if it manages to make it that far. If used properly, HC GFO will remove/strip any traces of phosphates from your tank.

If you have high phosphates, then only use a 1/4 of the recommended until levels get down. If you use the suggested, then it will strip your phosphates over night and kill most your coral in the process.

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[Nonuser]

HC all the way. I only use the HC GFO. But I use it. It obsorbs more before needing to replace it.

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how often do you replace and how much do you use per-gallon?
so you use this continuously and its main function is to lower Phosphates due to (feeding, Fish waste)

 

[Salty Cracker]

I use a mesh bag on the output of my reactors. I put carbon first, GFO second, and I do run them both together, but I keep tumbling on the gfo to a minimum. I put the carbon first so that hopefully the CFO holds in dust, as carbon dust has been rumoured to cause disease in tangs...

 

[Salty Cracker]

how often do you replace and how much do you use per-gallon?
so you use this continuously and its main function is to lower Phosphates due to (feeding, Fish waste)

I replace monthly, and yep, it's sole purpose is to reduce phosphates so that the nuisance algae has nothing to feed on. low phosphates means no hair algae (or very very little).

 

[TORX]

how often do you replace and how much do you use per-gallon?
so you use this continuously and its main function is to lower Phosphates due to (feeding, Fish waste)

I use a cup of HC GFO changed 4-6 weeks in a TLF150 and adjust according to my tanks needs. Approx 150 TWV.

I was running 2 cups and changing less often, but found it difficult to keep it tumbling properly with that much in the reactor.

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[Nonuser]

Does GFO Bind with Phosphates and that if its left in the reactor too long will it not have the reverse effect and cause phosphates to leech back into the system? Also you have to test soon after adding because does GFO not reduce phosphates quickly and could cause the Coral issues you mentioned? if so what other than a WC can correct that issue?

 

[Canadianeh]

I use a mesh bag on the output of my reactors. I put carbon first, GFO second, and I do run them both together, but I keep tumbling on the gfo to a minimum. I put the carbon first so that hopefully the CFO holds in dust, as carbon dust has been rumoured to cause disease in tangs...

You put carbon and GFO together in one single reactor? How do you separate the two? Which reactor you are using that allows you to use them together in one reactor?

I am planning to get Innovative Marine Aquagadget mid size reactor that comes with a pump

 

[vdubz]

I think salty means he has 2 reactors, running in succession of each other. Carbon in the first reactor, GFO in the second reactor. Then a mesh bag on the output

 

[Salty Cracker]

Does GFO Bind with Phosphates and that if its left in the reactor too long will it not have the reverse effect and cause phosphates to leech back into the system? Also you have to test soon after adding because does GFO not reduce phosphates quickly and could cause the Coral issues you mentioned? if so what other than a WC can correct that issue?

GFO does not leech upon saturation, only aluminum oxide has that trait.
GFO reduces phosphate levels fairly slowly, again compared to aluminum oxide which strips it right out, so if you're changing it every 3-4 weeks you will see a very gradual reduction in the PO4 levels in the tank. Maintaining a regular changeout schedule should ensure your phosphates remain low, unless you increase something in the system such as feedings. Then you woudl have to change your schedule to suit.

 

[Franco]

i use bolt of them and no problem, its good products....

 

[AdInfinitum]

For small and mid-sized systems GFO is an absolute necessity if you wish to keep corals sustainably. When ever you feed you add phosphates and therefore they must be removed constantly as well and GFO remains the safest most predictable and easiest way to do it without large space requirements.

 

[Josh]

what does GFO do to chaeto production?

 

[AdInfinitum]

what does GFO do to chaeto production?

.....are you trying to produce chaeto...or is the chaeto there to export nutrients??? Rhetorical question...lol

Once your phosphates are very low chaeto growth will drop off to nothing. People keep chaeto to export nutrients but the truth is...unless you have the space for a very large productive fuge, growing a ball of chaeto will have a negligible effect on your tanks nutrient levels. So many people are in love with "natural" methods for our entirely artificial systems but the practical reality is that for most standard sized systems and sumps two small reactors, one bio-pellets and one GFO will easily accomplish the nutrient control that most systems require.
Using large refugiums have great benefits in producing food sources and bio-diversity but they take time, space, dedication and experience to be employed effectively. Pellets and GFO are space and energy efficient and as close to a plug and play solution as this hobby has.

 

[Josh]

Yeah the chaeto for me is more about the pods for my mandarin, i just meant will it kill the chaeto, but it sounds like it will just limit its growth instead. Sounds like theres very little reason not to run it?
Is purigen similar or the same thing?

 

[Pistol]

GFO is tooooo expensive, face it, its just rust

 

[Dingets]

With the money we spend in this hobby, I find gfo relatively cheap. The decision you have to make is if you need it or not. If you're testing high despite good tank keeping habits than purhaps you need it. If tests are coming up 1 or 2 above zero I would suggest you don't need it. A little bit of phosphate assists with coral growth.


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[Cliff]

GFO is tooooo expensive, face it, its just rust

I second that! That's why I m using lanthanum