GFO Use

[ArowanaLover1902]

I have a 35 gallon mixed reef (Mainly softies, some LPS, and a few SPS). The tank is doing great and is almost 2 months old (but came from a year old tank). I'm having a bit of an algae outbreak and want to start GFO to control this. I use a skimmer, carbon, purigen, and chemi pure and test for low phosphate and nitrate levels (I assume the algae is consuming most of the phosphate) but algae continues to be present (it's not really growing or anything, its just there, and its all over the sandbed so manual removal is a major pain as well as detrimental to my microfauna and would stir up sand all over the tank while still leaving some behind). My plan is to lower my feedings a bit (which I have already started), get better fish food (I use pellets and want to switch to frozen), and get a better clean up crew (honestly mine is terrible, I'm considering doing away with all of it and starting anew, this time without hermit crabs, they keep killing my snails), and to add GFO to take phosphates even lower. I've read a bit about its associated cons (https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/2/chem istry) and have decided to only use it when phosphates start to climb. I'd love to feed my corals more often (the duncan coral seems to double every time I feed it reef roids) but don't want to raise my phosphates each time). Does this sound like a logical plan? Any advice?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What level of phosphate do you have and measured how?

What type of algae?

 

[Scorpius]

If you use gfo use 1/4 of whatever recommendation is on the package. Start low and slow.

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Get a reactor and a ball valve so you can regulate the flow going into the reactor. It will save you hassles.

 

[reeferfoxx]

and chemi pure and test for low phosphate and nitrate levels (I assume the algae is consuming most of the phosphate) but algae continues to be present (it's not really growing or anything, its just there, and its all over the sandbed so manual removal is a major pain as well as detrimental to my microfauna and would stir up sand all over the tank while still leaving some behind).

Chemi-pure Elite is GFO and carbon combined. Chemi-pure Blue is Carbon and Purigen combined. Either way, I see some redundancy in the dissolved organic elimination. Adding straight GFO could compound itself into a larger issue.

First and foremost getting specific numbers in the N and P side would help us help you more. As well as providing a picture of the algae growth. Worst case scenario is you've already created the low nutrient environment for a plague type algae to thrive.

 

[O'l Salty]

I wouldn't do anything right now as long as corals and fish aren't suffering. Your tank will go through uglier phases and messing around with nutrients may lead to more problems. My phosphates are .07 and I don't have any algae problems so don't count on GFO to eliminate it. Stability is more important and if you just can't stand the look remove as much as you can manually.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

Alright when I get home I’ll check the parameters and post them as well as those from my last few tests. I’ll post pics but the algae is reddish brown and grows across the sand bed in small frequent patches (this may be the CUC breaking it up at night). I’ve also got a little bit of hair algae on some of my zoas, it hasn’t been a problem though and it’s been there for months. It kinda battles with the zoas it’s on (only two) but they seem to usually beat it back. I’m just worried about a future bryopsis/bubble algae/etc outbreak because I’m seeming some shady algae growth in my sump. I’m figuring if I can cut off all algae now I can keep it down for a long time, my coral stocking is pretty close to done and I’m pretty close to finished with my filter.

 

[O'l Salty]

Alright when I get home I’ll check the parameters and post them as well as those from my last few tests. I’ll post pics but the algae is reddish brown and grows across the sand bed in small frequent patches (this may be the CUC breaking it up at night). I’ve also got a little bit of hair algae on some of my zoas, it hasn’t been a problem though and it’s been there for months. It kinda battles with the zoas it’s on (only two) but they seem to usually beat it back. I’m just worried about a future bryopsis/bubble algae/etc outbreak because I’m seeming some shady algae growth in my sump. I’m figuring if I can cut off all algae now I can keep it down for a long time, my coral stocking is pretty close to done and I’m pretty close to finished with my filter.

Might be diatoms on the sand bed. I had them about a month ago and they just went away on their own. I have some of the nastiest red, brown, black and green algae in my refugium but none of it every makes it's way into the tank. Not sure why. I cleaned some GHA off one of my large zoa colonies last night. I put it in a small dish of tank water then used a pipet to apply some hydrogen peroxide to the bad areas.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

I'll test soon but here is the algae, as you can see, its unsightly and it looks like cyano, but it never grows on the rocks and isn't slimy like cyano, it may just be diatoms, but still, I'd very much like it gone and think its eating phosphates/nitrates (a fish died in my tank a bit ago and I never could find the body, I think it may be what fed the outbreak). The tank would look so much healthier without it though.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

Well I've included a nifty chart of the past 4 test rounds I've done, dates are 4/5, 4/9, 4/12, 4/19. As you can see, nitrates are consistently zero while the phosphates are the only variable. My testing may not be perfect though, I use an API testing kit (I'm working on replacing it...and redoing my sump...and getting chaeto...and replacing my royal gramma with a firefish...and replacing my hermits with snails...and etc, the list goes on and on forever with a new reef tank). But how are my values? My skimmer has been pulling out some nasty brown water too. Would chaeto be able to outcompete my nuisance algae, I've got the lights for it (two current USA orbit led lights with a controllable spectrum [I'm using 100% red, 90% blue, 10% white, 10% green] and I am running my refugium lights opposite to the cycle of my display [I've heard this can help prevent spikes]).

 

[O'l Salty]

Parameters look fine. My nitrates and phosphate are higher but as long as they aren't zero you'll be fine. I've never had good luck with chaeto but I haven't really made a solid commitment to growing it. My nitrates have always been low naturally.