Looking to upgrade filtration need advice

[MohrReefs]

Hello everyone, I have a 44 gallon tank that has been up for about 2 years now with a 10 gallon sump. In the sump my filtration is a skimmer and a large ball of chaeto thats due for a harvest and water changes. I'm looking for a way to reduce phosphates in my system and was leaning towards a gfo reactor. Can I fit a reactor in a 10 gallon sump? I saw one on brs thats a carbon and gfo combo. If I'm skimming do I need the chaeto? Not trying to overkill just trying to get everything to a manageable level so I don't have algae issues.

 

[Spare time]

You can mix carbon and gfo in a bag. This makes it easy to take it in and how when needed.


However, I typically find that a thriving refugium can handle phosphates without issue, so maybe see how you can improve your chaeto performance

 

[MohrReefs]

You can mix carbon and gfo in a bag. This makes it easy to take it in and how when needed.


However, I typically find that a thriving refugium can handle phosphates without issue, so maybe see how you can improve your chaeto performance

So from what I know or have been told on r2r Chaeto doesn't absorb phosphates as well as it does nitrates. Are their better macros for phosphates?

 

[Pistondog]

So from what I know or have been told on r2r Chaeto doesn't absorb phosphates as well as it does nitrates. Are their better macros for phosphates?

I think the macros use nitrate and phosphates per the Redfield ratio. 16 x nitrate for each po4.
You could use an external gfo reactor.
As you have a skimmer, you could also carbon dose.

 

[FishyDP]

Check out two little fishies media reactor, can be mounted outside sump if space is an issue . Gfo can strip phosphates really quickly. Another thought is determine where phosphates are coming from and remove/reduce the source.

 

[Spare time]

So from what I know or have been told on r2r Chaeto doesn't absorb phosphates as well as it does nitrates. Are their better macros for phosphates?

It does absorb more nitrogen than phosphate but it can definitely absorb a lot of both.

Is it growing pretty well as it is? How long is the light on for? What all are you dosing and feeding?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello everyone, I have a 44 gallon tank that has been up for about 2 years now with a 10 gallon sump. In the sump my filtration is a skimmer and a large ball of chaeto thats due for a harvest and water changes. I'm looking for a way to reduce phosphates in my system and was leaning towards a gfo reactor. Can I fit a reactor in a 10 gallon sump? I saw one on brs thats a carbon and gfo combo. If I'm skimming do I need the chaeto? Not trying to overkill just trying to get everything to a manageable level so I don't have algae issues.

The two part reactor can be hung externally which I did a few years ago.
For chaeto, skimmer removes inorganics whereas the chaeto removes nitrates

 

[MohrReefs]

It does absorb more nitrogen than phosphate but it can definitely absorb a lot of both.

Is it growing pretty well as it is? How long is the light on for? What all are you dosing and feeding?

I mean I stuck a large quantity of chaeto in there to begin with, about 8 cups worth, so its hard to tell if it's growing. I normally leave the light on in the refugium all day but I'm trying to reduce that to 8 to 12 hours just hard to remember with my scramble in the am with kids.

I feed about a half a cube of mysis every 2-3 days. However, I did start with uncured dry rock which I suspect that's what contributed to most of my phosphates in the beginning because I had a bad gha issue until I scrubbed all the rock 5 months ago. It's starting to rear its head again and I'm trying to get ahead of it.

 

[MohrReefs]

The two part reactor can be hung externally which I did a few years ago.
For chaeto, skimmer removes inorganics whereas the chaeto removes nitrates

Do I need both? Or would the skimmer suffice with the reactors?

 

[MohrReefs]

Check out two little fishies media reactor, can be mounted outside sump if space is an issue . Gfo can strip phosphates really quickly. Another thought is determine where phosphates are coming from and remove/reduce the source.

Thank you I'll check that out, does it work for rimmed tanks?

 

[Spare time]

I mean I stuck a large quantity of chaeto in there to begin with, about 8 cups worth, so its hard to tell if it's growing. I normally leave the light on in the refugium all day but I'm trying to reduce that to 8 to 12 hours just hard to remember with my scramble in the am with kids.

I feed about a half a cube of mysis every 2-3 days. However, I did start with uncured dry rock which I suspect that's what contributed to most of my phosphates in the beginning because I had a bad gha issue until I scrubbed all the rock 5 months ago. It's starting to rear its head again and I'm trying to get ahead of it.

Is your nitrate also high or is that pretty low.

 

[MohrReefs]

Is your nitrate also high or is that pretty low.

I don't measure it but everything my tank coral wise looks healthy so I doubt it's an issue. Mostly LPS. If we HAVE to have the nitrates I'll test tomorrow and let you know but I doubt it's an issue with my skimming chaeto and weekly water changes.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do I need both? Or would the skimmer suffice with the reactors?

Skimmer should suffice

 

[MohrReefs]

Skimmer should suffice

Thanks, I was wondering if it was overkill to have the chaeto too. I'll stick a reactor in that chamber.

 

[Spare time]

I don't measure it but everything my tank coral wise looks healthy so I doubt it's an issue. Mostly LPS. If we HAVE to have the nitrates I'll test tomorrow and let you know but I doubt it's an issue with my skimming chaeto and weekly water changes.

I would test it. Often times people have to dose nitrate to keep phosphate dropping if phosphate is high and the refugium is working well (I have to dose phosphate occasionally for my refugium since I heavily add aminos (nitrogen) to my tank.