To Gfo Or Not To Gfo

[Troy]

The school tank has started to gather some algae, now that it is getting regular feeding. So I run some tests and phosphate is creeping up. The test has 2 rows of number. the one that comes to mind is .045. says is one step outside the acceptable range and it is acting as a fertilizer.

So...., I have never run GFO. I have read that I should start with approx 1-2 cups of GFO, in a 110G tank. I have a reactor that was donated, but no pump. No name, no instructions.

Do I need to run GFO in a reactor? Or, can I use a media bag and place in my currently empty fuge?

What flow is required, if I use the reactor? Can I just tee off my skimmer pump, skimmer return or my return pump?

 

[WiredWeasel]

Hmm, that could work , but have you thought about using macro algae such as chaeto and using a refugium? That way you could incorporate the science of natural nutrient export and teach your students something.

In regards to the gfo you can run it simply in a bag or something but it would have to be quite fine as gfo is composed of small particles. Generally it's recommended to use gfo in a reactor to maximize the surface area exposed but you can stick it in a high flow area. It should be ok, but you may have to shift the contents around to expose more of the gfo.

 

[Sue]

With that low level of Phosphate I would get the Refugium setup and running instead of the GFO.

 

[TORX]

Please do not run it in a bag. It will clump and not be effective at all. I would just go with 1 cup in a tlf150 and mj600 for flow. It should be a light tumble as to not clump.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

 

[Troy]

I Have Chaeto in my first chamber of the sump, the second chamber is currently empty. The chaeto is keeping the nitrates in line they are 5-10. Also recently started to increase.

I think I may have just found my problem. I just found out that students have been going in after school to show there parents and the parents have been adding food so the fish would come out. I guess i need to lock to food up and make a sign to not feed the animals.

It makes sense now. The tank has recently got covered in algae, I figured it was the because of regular feeding and I noticed the temps creeping up. I didn't plan for overfeeding.

I also have to adjust the lights to account for the ceiling florescents now being on, where as in the summer, only the tank lights were on.

Other option is just get more fish, @reefdiver .

 

[Salty Cracker]

I'm always going to recommend GFO. Even as a preventative measure. Every bit of phosphate that isn't used up by algae is going to start to saturate your sand and rock. Adding more fish means adding more food, which means adding more phosphates. Sooner or later, there is bound to be an algae bloom (or 'old tank syndrome' or whatever the LFS used to call it). GFO just keeps the numbers in check, and is so easy once it's set up. I would think 1 cup of GFO every couple of months would do wonders for longevity, even if you're not looking to grow mad sps colonies.

 

[Troy]

I think I'm sold on the GFO, now to setup the reactor.

Is it as simple and running a flex line in/out of the reactor? Do I need to run a specific flow rate? I have plenty of excess flow to both my skimmer and return lines, I should be able to tee off either and pull up to 500G/hr.

 

[hark]

I'm always going to recommend GFO. Even as a preventative measure. Every bit of phosphate that isn't used up by algae is going to start to saturate your sand and rock. Adding more fish means adding more food, which means adding more phosphates. Sooner or later, there is bound to be an algae bloom (or 'old tank syndrome' or whatever the LFS used to call it). GFO just keeps the numbers in check, and is so easy once it's set up. I would think 1 cup of GFO every couple of months would do wonders for longevity, even if you're not looking to grow mad sps colonies.

What pump do you use with your gfo setup? I have somewhere a dual reactor that you can use gfo and carbon in at the same time, I bought it new a few years ago but never set it up to run. I need a pump that will turn the gfo enough, any suggestions on pump models to use or GPH ?

 

[Josh]

Maxijet 900 or 1200 worked well for me. You may get away with a 600. I personally use a 900 and only had to adjust the flow slightly. Depends on how and where you mount the canister.

If given a choice choose cobalt over marineland. Both have rights to produce maxijet but the euro made ones seem to last longer according to reviews.

 

[Salty Cracker]

I use a small pump, but so old that the paint is gone from it, but it was a maxijet of some sort. I have a throttle valve on the output so that stuff doesn't tumble too much.
I have the carbon stage first, that empties into the GFO stage, and on the output I have a fine mesh bag. I have heard that carbon dust can be harmful to tangs, so I try to keep the carbon from entering the tank as much as possible...

It doesn't take much power to run though, I have a beefier pump on my pellet reactor.

 

[Jewel]

I'd recommend GFO to be run in all our tanks, Carbon as well.
Phosphates in my opinion is the one thing that can persuade a person from giving you this hobby quickly .I never tested for it initially but now I do when I test my perameters.

It can be a bit costly but it's well worth it, I run mine mixed in a reactor with Carbon, 50/50, I use a Cobalt 900 with a valve to get it tumbling, change it out every two months.
I feel it's a nessesity on our tanks.

 

[Troy]

Aluminum Oxide vs GFO, what is better? What is the difference?

 

[Jewel]

Aluminum in a Reef tank is asking for trouble, if you do, test often and cross your fingers and toes,

 

[Salty Cracker]

Don't ever put aluminum products in the tank unless you're hoping to strip the tank of everything in 2 days (which is never good). Also, aluminum leeches back into the water column if you forget to remove it when it's full. Aluminum is one of those things the LFS likes to sell you to "fix" things, but not really a good long term solution. If anything, ROWAphos is something fairly easy to find at the LFS, and would be a billion times better than aluminum.