GFO and dirty glass!!

[reeferfoxx]

No, no reason for the GFO, I just enjoy spending my money on it!! Offcourse there is a reason!!! Lol

May I ask the reason? Lol Might be a better way to fix the issue at hand rather than sacrificing benefical critters for bad ones.

 

[lou dog420]

May I ask the reason? Lol Might be a better way to fix the issue at hand rather than sacrificing benefical critters for bad ones.

My phosphate has always been high. Tank was started with all dry, uncured, not even rinsed, pukani.

 

[Cary Hover]

I thought you were suppose to get the GFO to tumble. Everything I have read says this.

 

[lou dog420]

I thought you were suppose to get the GFO to tumble. Everything I have read says this.

You can run it either way.

 

[bdejong1112o]

From the description and build thread he is using the BRS mini reactor. For that one they recomend packing it in since its mixed with carbon.

 

[Bmezz]

GFO does not need the foam pads and should be tumbling a little

 

[Scurvy]

Dino’s are my first thoughts as well... i used to think it was a brown Cyano but im pretty sure its a form of Dyno’s. Bringing my No3 up around to about 5ppm helped tremendously.

 

[TheReefNoob]

I run it in a BRS rreactor,mixed with carbon. It is rinsed very well, 5 gallons run through it before it goes into service.

I run a BRS mini reactor with a carbon and GFO mix how long does it last before you would change it??? I have a 50 gal Display and 20 gal sump

 

[Luno]

Nitrates should be between 3 and 5 or slightly higher. Phosphates .02 to.03.

I would recommend running your white spectrum for a total of 5 hours to 5.5 hours including ramp up. I found after backing off my whites my glass stays much cleaner algae is almost non existent and the corals are still growing nicely. I clean my glass about every 4 to 5 days

"Nitrates should be between 3 and 5" is a pretty out there statement. Some prefer ULNS high output and high dosing. Some prefer as you say upto 5 even 10. Nitrates are up in the air these days as what should be a good level to aim for. Phosphate on the other hand has stay pretty universal where you suggest.

As for OP I've never enjoyed people using a single reactor for gfo and carbon. Both technically require slightly different flow and tumble levels. I would separate them into two different reactors. Have a slight tumble in your gfo.

 

[saltyhog]

I thought you were suppose to get the GFO to tumble. Everything I have read says this.

When run in a reactor by itself, yes. When mixed with carbon, the carbon spreads it out and prevents it from clumping. If you tumble the mixture the GFO will grind the carbon in to fines which would be a pretty bad thing in your tank.

Because of that when people run it and carbon in the same reactor they mix it roughly 2:1 and pack it tightly to prevent tumbling.

 

[lou dog420]

I run a BRS mini reactor with a carbon and GFO mix how long does it last before you would change it??? I have a 50 gal Display and 20 gal sump

Actually I have the full size dual reactor, but I only use half. I change it out weekly cause its usually clogged by then.

 

[msujohn]

Are you losing all flow through the reactor after a couple days? Or does it just slow way down? How much of each media are you using?

 

[Bow69]

Has anyone experienced STN after changing out your GFO? What’s a acceptable rate of phosphate reduction so you don’t have this?

 

[tony'stank]

I have a RSR 450. One month ago I converted part of the sump into a refugium with cheats and removed the filter socks. I added GFo & chemipure via a BRS dual reactor. After two weeks I had 6 various snails and 6 hermit crabs to the sump/ refugium. My sump refium actually looks cleaner now, with no build up of detritus than it did before I removed the filter soaks. Not having to clean a replace the socks every 2-3 days was a real bonus

 

[tony'stank]

Sorry posted to wrong forum

 

[Tek]

GFO does not need the foam pads and should be tumbling a little

Not when mixed with carbon or it will break down.

 

[Bmezz]

Not when mixed with carbon or it will break down.

Agree. I was referring to when using gfo in the 2 part BRS reactor. Gfo has its own chamber. Sorry for confusion

 

[Lonely reefer's]

I’m in the same boat
I have noticed after I replaced gfo my aquarium glass get dirty after for ~ the first week

 

[lou dog420]

Are you losing all flow through the reactor after a couple days? Or does it just slow way down? How much of each media are you using?

After about 4 days its down to a trickle, I don't run any filter socks.

 

[THX1138CY]

Since starting GFO my glass algae went from Green to Brown, the Brown stuff grows much faster. I think this is just the nature of diatoms. Getting the same stuff in the sand bed.