Emperor 400 OK for GFO?

[Fishy888]

I am thinking about using 1 of my emperor 400s to run GFO and carbon. The second I might turn into a refugium. Would I be able to run GFO in an emperor 400? Will the GFO be as effective as if it ran in a reactor? Does GFO suck up trace elements as well as phosphates? Would I be better off if I only run GFO without running carbon? Thank you.

 

[shwareefer]

The GFO and carbon should be mixed up together in the same bag in this application otherwise the GFO will all bind together and become useless. Mixing it helps keep the GFO pieces separated.

 

[Fishy888]

Good to know. Thank you. Can I just put it in the media baskets or should I just take the media baskets out and run it in bags? Does it need to tumble?

 

[shwareefer]

As you've no doubt determined, tumbling is what a gfo reactor does and that would be hard to accomplish in a hob filter. Also it's bad to tumble carbon because it will just grind itself into dust and go into your aquarium. You want tumbling - gfo alone in reactor. You want hob - mixed carbon and gfo, do not tumble.

 

[shwareefer]

I assume the media baskets are not that fine. I would put in a bag in the basket.

 

[Fishy888]

I will definitely do that. I have 2 of the 400s on this tank for the extra flow. Now I can put them to use. I will use one for the gfo/carbon and the other for either more carbon or as a hob fuge. I still plan on an overflow and sump/fuge so I might just use it for carbon. Thank you.