Do you use GFO?

[blebs]

I found out about GFO recently trying to deal with hair algae problems, and it was like a wonder drug in addition to a lot of elbow grease and rock scrubbing. Then I started reading how GFO can kill your corals if phosphates are too low, so I bought a Hanna phosphate meter (low range, wish i had the ULR). I had some sps STN/RTN earlier this falls, which may have been from GFO amongst other issues.

I started a fuge with chaeto. I got consistent 0 readings from the Hanna, so I stopped the GFO.

After not running GFO for 2 months, I have started to see signs of hair algae returning, although the readings are consistenly 0. I restarted GFO at very low levels (1/3 of what i used before) because of the hair algae, but worried it might kill the corals since the phosphate readings are low. Should I continue to use GFO?

 

[nkyreef]

How do you run the GFO? I have mine in a BRS mini reactor with carbon and I can never get my phosphates below 0.16. I wish I had your problems. Following along, hopefully you receive some good info.

 

[blebs]

How do you run the GFO? I have mine in a BRS mini reactor with carbon and I can never get my phosphates below 0.16. I wish I had your problems. Following along, hopefully you receive some good info.

in a media reactor with carbon. although my readings are 0.0 there is hair algae growth..... so i got them its just being sucked up by the hair algae i guess

 

[nkyreef]

I have a diy chaeto reactor and it grows green hair algae like crazy. It seems as if it's choking out the chaeto. Any livestock that will eat it?

 

[Big E]

Phosphates being too low can be detrimental to corals but GFO isn't any more a cause than any other Po4 reduction method.

Right now hair algae in your display is taking up what the GFO was doing before you took it out. The chaeto filter is also a factor in this. It would be advantageous to know what your NO3 levels are to make an educated decision on what to do.

If the hair algae is on the rocks, you need to make sure it's not feeding on detritus buildup. Start basting your rocks so you can export it through your skimmer.

The standard practice after scrubbing rocks is to make sure you have an ample snail supply to keep the algae mowed down so it can't catch detritus particles to use for fuel.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Did you also stop scrubbing and did you increase the cuc population or add herbivore fish?

Are you putting in more in than the current export or removing? That's chato and coral btw.

Are you focusing too closely on tests and not your eye?

 

[Fishninja]

How do you run the GFO? I have mine in a BRS mini reactor with carbon and I can never get my phosphates below 0.16. I wish I had your problems. Following along, hopefully you receive some good info.

Have mine in the same reactor and struggle get my phosphates under .10 too.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Have mine in the same reactor and struggle get my phosphates under .10 too.

Gfo works better when tumbled or fluidized. It needs more surface contact on the outside. Gac needs the water to pass through it and around it.

 

[happyhourhero]

I started to run it when I deviated from my method of feeding well and skimming and running an algae scrubber. I believe i sucked out my nutrients too quickly and basically crashed my sps. I have gone back to my old way and while some stn is still happening, corals are overall looking better.

Bottom line is I am no longer running it and dont feel like I am a skilled enough reefer to do so. I fare better keeping things as simple as possible and I regret that I stepped away from that for a time.

 

[mlb75]

Like others said GFO is just another way to export PO4 not a magic bullet. What I've found to be the trick is like any other filter it has to be "tuned" to your system. If it's lowering it much reduce the amount of media you're using or slow down the flow through that filter. It's just another tool that's available to do a job, IMO I like it a little better than growing chaeto if the reason for growing it is PO4 reduction since it's easier to control how much is "scrubbed" by the GFO vs the chaeto is going to grow or crash depending on other factors. Chaeto does have a ton of other benefits but IMO in a reducing PO4 perspective it's not as reliable as GFO. I run GFO to reduce the algae that grows on the glass and it's super effective at that, it's also how I know whether there's enough or not, I try to find and keep that balance. Depending on the GFO I can go 3 days or a week between needing to clean the glass, I try to keep it in the 5 day range.

The real trick is finding out where the phosphates are coming from and do what you can to fix that, biggest culprit I know of is normally the food you're feeding or the amount of food your feeding.

 

[indyjaco]

I ran GFO for about 9 months to remove PO4 and the associated algae. Now that I have things under control, I only use GFO as needed if I see an algae spike.

 

[rtparty]

I don't run GFO and never have. I have run other phosphate reducing media but only when absolutely necessary. For example, to fight and kill off the chrysophytes that were taking over my tank. The media helped break down the chrysophytes' cell wall so I scrub it off and not have it return. Worked like a champ. For everyday use? No way! I am doing Phosphorus currently to even get a reading in my tank.

Starving a tank of N and P can be a dangerous road as many are finding out. Especially if you started with dry rock. I would look into WHY you are getting GHA first. Try to remedy that if possible and only use GFO in an emergency.

 

[Dogtown]

I don't run GFO and never have. I have run other phosphate reducing media but only when absolutely necessary. For example, to fight and kill off the chrysophytes that were taking over my tank. The media helped break down the chrysophytes' cell wall so I scrub it off and not have it return. Worked like a champ. For everyday use? No way! I am doing Phosphorus currently to even get a reading in my tank.

Starving a tank of N and P can be a dangerous road as many are finding out. Especially if you started with dry rock. I would look into WHY you are getting GHA first. Try to remedy that if possible and only use GFO in an emergency.

What other phosphate reducing media are you referring to? Just curious.

 

[rtparty]

What other phosphate reducing media are you referring to? Just curious.

PhosGard which is an aluminum based media

 

[blebs]

Did you also stop scrubbing and did you increase the cuc population or add herbivore fish?

Are you putting in more in than the current export or removing? That's chato and coral btw.

Are you focusing too closely on tests and not your eye?

i do believe in treating the tank and not the numbers. minimal hair algae growth is what I'm seeing, but slowly increasing. phosphate 0.00 ppm.

haven't added too much cuc recently i probably could benefit from a re-up.

have plenty of herbivore fish, angelfish, kole yang and starry blenny. they don't really seem to like hair algae.

 

[SPR1968]

I run Rhowaphos (GFO) in a deltec FR509 reactor and it’s the best thing I ever did to my tank, getting phosphates locked down at around 0-0.03ppm. Nitrates are between 5-10ppm and the reef is thriving.

If your phosphate is high, then yes you do need to be careful and drop it down slowly to avoid affects on the corals but once you get it down why take the GFO out ? Just lock it down and keep it there. You then just change out the GFO as soon as it’s spent and the phosphate readings rises again.

If you have GHA then clearly you need to try and find the source of introducing nutrients such as RODI, over feeding etc but just keep running with GFO until you get the levels down. To start with this may mean changing the GFO out after several days/weeks depending on your levels. The GHA should start receding so be patient. I just now change mine around every 3 weeks.

For a GHA quick fix and to get ahead you could also look at Vibrant Liquid.

You don’t want ‘sterile water’ by any means so I also use Red Sea Reef Energy to feed the corals but there are other products available.

So in answer to your question, yes I use GFO and I run is constantly.

 

[mtraylor]

I run GFO and haven't seen any hair algae in my aquarium what so ever. I keep my phosphates between .04 and .1

I use the BRS premium GFO.

 

[B-rad]

Use to run GFO but my corals(especially my toadstools) absolutely hated it. Removed the GFO, never had a problem since.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

GFO works, the problem is that it works too well. I look at it as a tool for expert reefers only. I’ve killed too many corals with it, I threw my remaining tub away. Never ever again, if po4 gets too late high then I just water change more.

 

[Scorpius]

Gfo should be run low and slow. Run half the amount you need for your tank volume.