Dropping PH

[Ronk1109]

Hey everyone I’ll try and make this as short as possible.
running a brs mini reactor with carbon and gfo in the same housing. I have only been running this reactor for a few weeks now. And the tank is freshly cycled. Still fighting diatoms.When I originally loaded the reactor I didn’t mix the two media’s together. I loaded them on top of each other. I noticed the gfo not moving at all so I emptied the two out and reloaded them both mixing them together. Before doing this my ph was steady at 8.0-8.1. This is through my apex ph probe. I was running 1/3 cup gfo and 2/3 cups carbon. After 25 mins my ph plummeted to 7.6. I know gfo can cause I slight drop. This seemed extreme.Am I using too much for the amount of PO4 I am reading? Any help would be appreciated.
phosphate .1
Nitrate 5-10 ppm
Alk 8-9

 

[DEWreefing]

What size tank do you have?

 

[Ronk1109]

What size tank do you have?

54 gallon. Haha guess I should have added that. I know the 1 tablespoon per four gallon rule. I think I’m within that.

 

[DEWreefing]

Your tank should stabilize do you have corals?

 

[DEWreefing]

Also I don't recommend running carbon and gfo together if you can only have one run carbon for a few days then switch it out to gfo for 2 to 3 weeks then carbon for a few days and repeat.

 

[Ronk1109]

Your tank should stabilize do you have corals?

Right now I have two clowns
A toadstool leather and a small nepthea
And I don’t have room under the tank. I went with the mini reactor from brs because they said it was okay to run both. Hmmmm

 

[DEWreefing]

Right now I have two clowns
A toadstool leather and a small nepthea
And I don’t have room under the tank. I went with the mini reactor from brs because they said it was okay to run both. Hmmmm

I do not recommend because carbon will exhaust with in just a few days. By switching them out you can make your gfo more effective by tumbling correctly. Running both together you can not tumble. If you need to raise ph you can add a small amount of soda ash or kalkwasser

 

[Ronk1109]

I do not recommend because carbon will exhaust with in just a few days. By switching them out you can make your gfo more effective by tumbling correctly. Running both together you can not tumble. If you need to raise ph you can add a small amount of soda ash or kalkwasser

That is great to know. Thank you. But for the huge drop in ph. The same thing will happen when I run it solo? Or is it okay to run for a day or two at a low ph till it stabilizes? Or is it too early to even run? With low bio

 

[DEWreefing]

Did it drop at night? What time did you change it and try using a smaller amount I have always ran 2 cups and never had a ph drop.

 

[Ronk1109]

Did it drop at night? What time did you change it and try using a smaller amount I have always ran 2 cups and never had a ph drop.

Changed it at 6pm. And it was instant.

 

[Ronk1109]

Changed it at 6pm. And it was instant.

I shut the reactor down around 830 and by morning ph was back to normal

 

[ruskimax]

Gave up on GFO and GAC a long time ago. Always had trouble w the GFO dropping my PO4 too low and causing havoc. Water has been clear w/o GAC for some time as well. GFO is some serious stuff, have a 40gallon cube myself and get away w good skimming and matching feeding to water changes. Wondering, are you dealing w any nuisance algae? How are your feeding habits?

 

[Ronk1109]

Gave up on GFO and GAC a long time ago. Always had trouble w the GFO dropping my PO4 too low and causing havoc. Water has been clear w/o GAC for some time as well. GFO is some serious stuff, have a 40gallon cube myself and get away w good skimming and matching feeding to water changes. Wondering, are you dealing w any nuisance algae? How are your feeding habits?

Just diatoms at the moment. That’s nuisance enough haha. But no algae at the moment. Two clowns get fed pellets once a day and a very small amount of mysis. Water parameters are all good. And I may not need the gfo. That’s what I’m trying to learn.

 

[ruskimax]

Just diatoms at the moment. That’s nuisance enough haha. But no algae at the moment. Two clowns get fed pellets once a day and a very small amount of mysis. Water parameters are all good. And I may not need the gfo. That’s what I’m trying to learn.

That’s the hardest thing to learn in reefing I think (passing up equipment and additives that sound like they’re just what you need). If I was you, I’d get rid of the pellets and feed heavier w mysis and other quality frozen foods (won’t have PO4 issues and the bump in nitrates seems to get diatoms in check IME). Use the GAC if your waters cloudy, otherwise stick w natural solutions. If I could go back, I’d have started dosing phyto and pods earlier. Got rid of most of my sump clutter, only running socks and a small skimmer (since I dose NoPOx, though I’m sure the skimmer does more for O2 dissolution than actual removal of bacteria, carbon dosing in tanks w/o skimmers works just fine). Lastly, auto water changes are our friend. Wasted so much on chemicals, now I just rely on cheap old reef crystals and RO to take care of things in a more balanced, predictable manner. Either way, good luck!

 

[DEWreefing]

Diatoms would be caused by silicates in the water. Are you using rodi water? And your tank is till young after the cycle it could take a few month for diatoms to use up all the silicates. Saltwater requires patients do not try to rush everything. Clean the glass blow off the rock and just wait it out.

 

[Ronk1109]

Diatoms would be caused by silicates in the water. Are you using rodi water? And your tank is till young after the cycle it could take a few month for diatoms to use up all the silicates. Saltwater requires patients do not try to rush everything. Clean the glass blow off the rock and just wait it out.

Awesome. That’s pretty much all I am doing. The gfo wasn’t directly for the diatoms. I know that’s a normal phase. While going through the diatom phase is it okay to add a few frags here and there? And yes I’m using a brs 4 stage. Getting 0 tds out.

 

[Ronk1109]

That’s the hardest thing to learn in reefing I think (passing up equipment and additives that sound like they’re just what you need). If I was you, I’d get rid of the pellets and feed heavier w mysis and other quality frozen foods (won’t have PO4 issues and the bump in nitrates seems to get diatoms in check IME). Use the GAC if your waters cloudy, otherwise stick w natural solutions. If I could go back, I’d have started dosing phyto and pods earlier. Got rid of most of my sump clutter, only running socks and a small skimmer (since I dose NoPOx, though I’m sure the skimmer does more for O2 dissolution than actual removal of bacteria, carbon dosing in tanks w/o skimmers works just fine). Lastly, auto water changes are our friend. Wasted so much on chemicals, now I just rely on cheap old reef crystals and RO to take care of things in a more balanced, predictable manner. Either way, good luck!

Thank you so much I’m going to take your advice on the feeding. And I’ve had a few fowlr tanks so I never really worried so much about trace elements and po4. So maybe I am overthinking haha. Thanks again.

 

[DEWreefing]

I would wait till the tank is a little more mature around 6 months unless you don't mind losing corals stability is the key and your tank is not there yet.

 

[DEWreefing]

I did the same added fish and corals after about 3 month wish I would have waited lost some nice corals.

 

[Ronk1109]

I did the same added fish and corals after about 3 month wish I would have waited lost some nice corals.

Okay sounds good. I added a few very hardy soft corals and that’s it. And I swear the leather is growing already. But I will take it slow. I appreciate your advice.