Gfo in media bag
- Thread starter Jl330
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Put it on the return pump.
It kinda depends on how much you use and how high the Po4 is.
It kinda depends on how much you use and how high the Po4 is.
If you do the test a couple times and it’s high. It’s high.
I have api as well.
See how it goes really.
That’s Reefing!
That’s Reefing!
Hahaha!
Been there ! It’s actually a big step.
Ime , I prett much always do every api test twice in a row. Usually get prettt close. It’s kinda a close estimate. Was actually in the ballpark the one time i got a triton test.
Thought I'd post an update. Over the weekend I tested using the API test and was showing around .5 phosphates. This is after showing around 1.0 originally.
Last night, tested again, showing .25.
Hoping to be undetectible on this test by weekend. I'll keep this updated. Oddly enough, I feel like my blasto is already looking more pink and less brown.
Last night, tested again, showing .25.
Hoping to be undetectible on this test by weekend. I'll keep this updated. Oddly enough, I feel like my blasto is already looking more pink and less brown.
See if it goes back up in a few days. If you have high P numbers, then your rock and sand (aragonite) can hold/bind a lot more in reserve and it will release some as the water level falls. It can take pounds and pounds of GFO to get it to where it goes down and stays down - a friend of mine needed a whole 5 gallon bucket to get rid of the terrestrial phosphate on his dry rock purchase... and it took about 4 months of every-other-day changing.
When using the GFO, use a little bit, but use it quickly. Bertoni (on RC) had some study once that the stuff gets coated in organics easily and stops absorbing when it does. I would use all that you can use in 3-7 days and replace it. Smaller amounts and more frequent changes seem to work best.
Here is a quote from Dr. Holmes-Farley's phosphate article:
When using the GFO, use a little bit, but use it quickly. Bertoni (on RC) had some study once that the stuff gets coated in organics easily and stops absorbing when it does. I would use all that you can use in 3-7 days and replace it. Smaller amounts and more frequent changes seem to work best.
Here is a quote from Dr. Holmes-Farley's phosphate article:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php
I have a few other methods employed to bring it down as well. Was hoping this would get it low enough that they would be able to keep up. My fuge and biopellets should in theory do it. But I'll continue gfo as needed.
ETA the tank is 14 months running except for thr live rock added a couple months back. It should in theory be done leaching.
I'm going to siphon some of the sand out though.
Organic carbon dosing does more for nitrate than phosphates... don't drive your nitrate to zero trying to lower phosphate.
If the rock is full of phosphate, then it will never be done leaching (unbinding) until the water level is at a low concentration for a long enough time. The rock will release to "equilibrium" and then stop... you have to lower the water/tank level to get the rock to release more.
Don't do too much sand at once. It is not good to disturb too much of the oxic and anoxic zones or else you could have some die off and a mini cycle.
If the rock is full of phosphate, then it will never be done leaching (unbinding) until the water level is at a low concentration for a long enough time. The rock will release to "equilibrium" and then stop... you have to lower the water/tank level to get the rock to release more.
Don't do too much sand at once. It is not good to disturb too much of the oxic and anoxic zones or else you could have some die off and a mini cycle.
Just popping back in to say the phosphates are back up around .5-1.0 after dropping to .25 briefly.
I swapped out the gfo but that's all I had left and I put it in a higher flow area.
I need to buy a bigger supply apparently. Are there any other methods for phosphate control?
I swapped out the gfo but that's all I had left and I put it in a higher flow area.
I need to buy a bigger supply apparently. Are there any other methods for phosphate control?
Gregg @ ADP
Valuable Member
That plastic light diffuser grid is your friend. If I have a tank with a pre-fabbed sump, I’ll modify the chamber so that there is a shelf upon which I can put media if there isn’t a reactor. Pretty easy to do. You can cut it to fit easily, and you can make it whatever height you want it by cutting ‘legs’ out of the grid and attach them to the shelf piece with zip ties.
A lot of people use socks, but I’m way over socks. I build a flow-through shelf under the drain line(s) upon which I can make whatever elaborate sandwich of filter pads and media that I want, and the water absolutely has to flow through it to get to the filter.
Cost? About $10
A lot of people use socks, but I’m way over socks. I build a flow-through shelf under the drain line(s) upon which I can make whatever elaborate sandwich of filter pads and media that I want, and the water absolutely has to flow through it to get to the filter.
Cost? About $10
Lanthanum Chloride is probably your only other option if you want fast. Chaeto/Fuge and water changes are good, but more to maintain low levels than remove a large amount of phosphate. Skimming heavy and resonsibly feeding are important too. If you want to continue with GFO, then you might need a few gallons of it and an active reactor - something like a smaller Phosban reactor and a cheap Lifeguard 400 pump will work. You are likely fighting aragonite that has a lot of phosphate bound to it, which can be significant and can take quite some time to remove. Pull the trigger on that Hannah Ultra Low before you get too low - being near zero is OK, but getting to zero can be a problem... the more accurate tool can really save you.
Gregg @ ADP
Valuable Member
Check out my reply immediately below your reply quoted here.
A big part of the effectiveness of GFO (or any media) is the amount of water flowing through it and exposure of media to water. Getting more water through media makes it more effective/efficient.
Putting a sense media in a bag in a high flow area is better than putting it in a low flow area. But even then, water is going to want to go around it rather than through it. Absent a fluidized reactor, you need to find a way to force the water to be exposed to not just the media, but all the media.
