Can you use too much GFO?
- Thread starter buck50bmg
- Start date
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Yes absolutely!
You should monitor your po4 levels and use enough to keep your po4 in check but not much more. If too much is used it can be too aggressive at nutrient removal and cause necrosis - ususally on SPS.
It's also costly, so using more than is needed is not cost effective nor is it going to benefit.
If used in larger amounts it will likely take longer before it needs to be changed (simply becuase there is more media to absorb po4) but it may be too aggressive and cause problems also.
Jeremy
You should monitor your po4 levels and use enough to keep your po4 in check but not much more. If too much is used it can be too aggressive at nutrient removal and cause necrosis - ususally on SPS.
It's also costly, so using more than is needed is not cost effective nor is it going to benefit.
If used in larger amounts it will likely take longer before it needs to be changed (simply becuase there is more media to absorb po4) but it may be too aggressive and cause problems also.
Jeremy
aerius007
Well-Known Member
You can use too much too quickly, gfo is very effective and you want to start out with a little and work your way up over time. After you work your levels down to zero I dont see what the harm would be but dont know why would use more than you have to anyways.
gilmour01
Well-Known Member
+1...start out slowly with it, but down the line it wont hurt anything to use more than needed....its just not cost effective.
cherokee_dude
Well-Known Member
Yup! I learned the hard way with a change from used to fresh ferric oxide from BRS. I measure it out now... No problems since. And as was mentioned, go slow.
IME, I would run a small/med amount (Depending on tank size) until you test 0 and then swap out the used for half of what you used to get to 0 for maintenance. Testing is key.
IME, I would run a small/med amount (Depending on tank size) until you test 0 and then swap out the used for half of what you used to get to 0 for maintenance. Testing is key.
Sorry to dig this back up but it is on topic....i just recently bought some as well from BRS and i was curious how much are you suppose to use per 10 gallons or whatever are the measurements?
2 grams per gallon of water to start.
More info here: Bulk Reef Supply - Articles - GFO Instructions - Granular Ferric Oxide (GFO) Instructions
sps4mytank
Active Member
2 grams seem so little. I wonder if my total volume water is roughly 300 gallons are you saying i should use 600 grams? that seems a lil excessive no?
livingstone
Dan
Just 3 cups of HC for 300 gallons by my calculations.
please keep in mind that these are recommendations. recommendations from the retailer, who wants to sell more product. i would say use what makes sense to you and your bioload. test often and figure out what your system really needs.
cheers!
- ben
cheers!
- ben
Agree. Like anything in this hobby start low and slooowly increase.
As a GFO beginner, I feel the answer is yes you can use too much. Why? Because there are too many horror stories of problems out there that people have had. For this reason alone you should proceed with caution.
I have been using GFO for several years and feel confident that I cannot use too much. I am in no way endorsing this indescriminet use but rather stating fact. GFO does not cause reduction of nutrients so fast that it is detrimental to corals.
Think about it, GFO does not reduce nutrients faster than a 50% water change. IME, I have found that fresh GFO used in large quantities can reduce Alk during the first couple days of use. I always pump up the alk just before use.
I have been using GFO for several years and feel confident that I cannot use too much. I am in no way endorsing this indescriminet use but rather stating fact. GFO does not cause reduction of nutrients so fast that it is detrimental to corals.
Think about it, GFO does not reduce nutrients faster than a 50% water change. IME, I have found that fresh GFO used in large quantities can reduce Alk during the first couple days of use. I always pump up the alk just before use.
livingstone
Dan
I get about 4.13 grams in a teaspoon using BRS's conversion factors.
