Aquaforest GFO problem

[new2mac]

Hello everybody,
recently I decided to try Aquaforest Phosphate Minus (GFO) but experienced strange problem. No matter how thoroughly I rinsed the media once in the system it continued to break, with skimmer pulling rusty mud and water staying cloudy. To clear the water a mechanical filter was installed at reactor outlet which helped but filter media had to be changed every 3-4 days. Flow rate in reactor was reduced but ‘rust’ was still going out of it. I don’t think that is normal, never had this problem with other brands GFO.
Am I doing something wrong?

 

[jsker]

That is strange, I am sure you have contacted support @Aquaforest? @Aquaforest does have threads on the site to ask questions hopefully by singling aquaforest out they will see your question. They usually take a couple of day to get back on a question. I just started using the Phosphate Minus and I am not having any issue with clouding. In fact when I first started up my reactor I was surprised that I did not get the brown cloud that I would usually get with Rawa. I am the Phos Minus in a nylon sock/ bag in the reactor.

 

[new2mac]

That is strange, I am sure you have contacted support @Aquaforest? @Aquaforest

Probably I should do that but felt like rather first read some user experience.
Putting media in a bag greatly lower its efficiency even if it is placed in a reactor.
Thanks for the info.

 

[Aquaforest]

Hello,
You Don't have to rinse Phosphate Minus before use.
Brown dust is normal and this is safe for Reef tank.

Water in Your tank is still cloudy of that?

Aquaforest

 

[new2mac]

I kept Phosphate Minus running for a week and water stayed cloudy. Decided to install a mechanical filter at reactor outlet (it caught a lot of brown stuff) and in 10-12 hrs water cleared. To be sure mechanical filter was removed and water again become cloudy and skimmer was pulling all the time rusty dust. Now RM was removed from the system till solution was found.

 

[Tweaked]

Hello,
You Don't have to rinse Phosphate Minus before use.
Brown dust is normal and this is safe for Reef tank.

Water in Your tank is still cloudy of that?

Aquaforest

Wow, very cool

 

[EmptyWallet]

An old thread, but for anyone reading this for guidance like I am today, yeah the water coming out of the GFO reactor is nasty at the start. I just put a filter sock on the outlet pipe (which stains brown instantly) and that took care of it. The Aquaforest YouTube about Phosphate Minus recommends to put filter floss / some sort of filter media in to catch the 'rust water'.

 

[Cnidoblast]

I normally use seachem GFO

 

[EmptyWallet]

Our GFO options are limited here in Australia (usually TLF and AquaForest are your only options). I can't tell if my GFO is actually working or not. The water coming out of my reactor has the same level of phosphate as the tank (both = 0.50) after 10 hours of use. My phosphates a few days ago were 0.75 inferring it's working great and has already exhausted (reducing from .75 to .5), but last night I tested .50 phosphate coming out of the reactor a few minutes after I started it up for the first time with new GFO inferring it wasn't doing anything...

My best guess is that the output water is ever so slightly less in phosphate (so the tests appear to the human eye to be equal) but over 10 hours of running has made an impact. Last night I tested under artificial light which may have made it look higher. Going to repeat the test tonight (in daylight) after replacing the media again to see whats what... I might have a dodgy test kit (it's a new in date Saliftert kit) so i'll check that too... I've learnt that diluting the sample water with 50% RO water is a great way to double check your test results

 

[Jamie7907]

Not sure AF gfo is new, think it’s been acid washed which may account for the sludge/cloudiness when first using.

 

[EmptyWallet]

I hope that's not the case!

 

[Perry]

Hello all,
To clear the air, this to me has been the best phosphate remover I have ever used in any aquarium. The media does not require rinsing, however, as an old schooler, I still rinse well. This is not a cure all to phosphates, it removes, yet gentle approach. Let's face it, you could use products that would quickly eliminate, but that is not always a good thing, corals can sometimes freak if you rapidly reduce nutrients, whether NO3 or PO4. That said, I find Phosphate Minus, and the claim(no rinse required), to be bold, and not sure any other manufacturer stands by such a claim. To me, that means that the product is super clean, and likely rinsed or cleansed well straight away. The product can even be in play with a full out probiotic system. Hope that clears things up for you guys and gals

 

[EmptyWallet]

Sure you don't have to wash it, but only if you don't mind turning your tank bronze and filling it with GFO particles! I've got a 300 GAL with high phosphate (only a few months old started with 'dead rock') so am using 1L of media in an AquaForest Media reactor. After replacing the media, the first 20 litres or so of effluent are like mud. About 20% of the media particles are so small they go straight through the reactor top sponge and out the effluent in the first hour. Yes I am controlling the flow appropriately, even the AF youtube suggests you use filter floss on the effluent (which would solve my runaway particles I guess).

Now that said, I'm only attacking the no wash claim. It takes me 20 seconds to dump the first 20 litres or so before the water comes clear enough, and I use a filter sock on the effluent hose which captures the runaway GFO particles (about 10% of the total if not more, but sitting in the sock it's still being used not wasted) so it's no big deal at all.

As far as effectiveness goes, not sure just yet. With brand new media, the phosphate levels are about half coming out of the effluent pipe as opposed to the tank (or water pre-reactor). I'm not sure whether that is good or not. A lot of posts suggest it should be zero with fresh media, but with my Phosphates at 0.75 that might be unrealistic. I turned the flow right down, stopped the reactor for 10 minutes etc. to ensure significant dwell time and the water still came out 0.375 / half of the tank. Hmmm...

My phosphates today are between .1 and .3 (salifert tests are hard to read at that range). From .75 to .1 (if that's what it is) in a week from 2 'doses' (in my case 2x 1 L of media) would be an impressive result. I'm getting a Hanna Checker ASAP so I can get a much clearer indication on how effective this product is (and will update this post).

In Australia, this product is a fraction of the cost of RowaPhos (5l AF vs 500gram Rowa x 10), so it's still a no brainer to go with it.

 

[SewerynAquaforest]

Not sure AF gfo is new, think it’s been acid washed which may account for the sludge/cloudiness when first using.

It's pure

 

[SewerynAquaforest]

Sure you don't have to wash it, but only if you don't mind turning your tank bronze and filling it with GFO particles! I've got a 300 GAL with high phosphate (only a few months old started with 'dead rock') so am using 1L of media in an AquaForest Media reactor. After replacing the media, the first 20 litres or so of effluent are like mud. About 20% of the media particles are so small they go straight through the reactor top sponge and out the effluent in the first hour. Yes I am controlling the flow appropriately, even the AF youtube suggests you use filter floss on the effluent (which would solve my runaway particles I guess).

Now that said, I'm only attacking the no wash claim. It takes me 20 seconds to dump the first 20 litres or so before the water comes clear enough, and I use a filter sock on the effluent hose which captures the runaway GFO particles (about 10% of the total if not more, but sitting in the sock it's still being used not wasted) so it's no big deal at all.

As far as effectiveness goes, not sure just yet. With brand new media, the phosphate levels are about half coming out of the effluent pipe as opposed to the tank (or water pre-reactor). I'm not sure whether that is good or not. A lot of posts suggest it should be zero with fresh media, but with my Phosphates at 0.75 that might be unrealistic. I turned the flow right down, stopped the reactor for 10 minutes etc. to ensure significant dwell time and the water still came out 0.375 / half of the tank. Hmmm...

My phosphates today are between .1 and .3 (salifert tests are hard to read at that range). From .75 to .1 (if that's what it is) in a week from 2 'doses' (in my case 2x 1 L of media) would be an impressive result. I'm getting a Hanna Checker ASAP so I can get a much clearer indication on how effective this product is (and will update this post).

In Australia, this product is a fraction of the cost of RowaPhos (5l AF vs 500gram Rowa x 10), so it's still a no brainer to go with it.

Phosphate Minus has some adsorption capacity. It will adsorb certain amount of phosphates from water and it will stop. If your level is so extremely high 0.75 it will be better to check water that come out of the filter and when it will higher it's time to change it

 

[Piranhapat]

I just bought a few because they were on sale. I hope it works and don't want dirty looking water. My next WC I will try it and let you guys know what my experience is.

 

[SewerynAquaforest]

I just bought a few because they were on sale. I hope it works and don't want dirty looking water. My next WC I will try it and let you guys know what my experience is.

It's a premium product for a great price.

 

[EmptyWallet]

I just bought a few because they were on sale. I hope it works and don't want dirty looking water. My next WC I will try it and let you guys know what my experience is.

As long as you wash it in RO (filter bag) or drain the first water coming out of your reactor and use filter floss or sock it should be fine.

 

[Jamie7907]

It's pure

Never said it wasn’t pure. I said it was acid washed.

It's a premium product for a great price.

So how exactly do you get premium granular rust? Marketing perhaps or acid washing new rust may help it bind more but ime BRS gfo is just as good or better because it doesn’t tend to clump nor does it have the sludge though it is dusty.

As long as you wash it in RO (filter bag) or drain the first water coming out of your reactor and use filter floss or sock it should be fine.

Aquaforest says not to do this because the sludge and brown water are normal and you are washing away valuable gfo and it becomes less effective, I assume from reduced volume? Not really sure. Personally I don’t want all that stuff in my tank.

 

[EmptyWallet]

The AF youtube says to put filter floss in your reactor, that would certainly stop loose particles getting in your tank, and maybe some of the 'rust water'. I'm not bold enough to test letting the rust water through, to see if the skimmer and filter socks process it efficiently...