Poll: Do you GFO?

[Want2BS8ed]

RowaPhos 24/7 at recommended amounts. Medium fish load, but they're all fat... I feed heavy!

M

 

[MJC]

It is not a one size fits all product IMOP

I use to use it religiously because thats what I was told.
Then I stopped just to see what would happen and 5 years later do you know what happened…. I saved a lot of money that's what happened. It was just somthing my set up did not need.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My tank right at 11 yrs old. I just started using Chemipure elite. I have an bryopsis out break. I have no measurable NO3 and PO4 before using. Thought this would help. But it isn’t. .

Bryopsis is one of the pests we endure that is not easily killed by low nutrients before the organisms we want to keep also suffer from the low nutrients, so other methods are generally needed.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

To run gfo in my tlf 150, do i need the foam pads?

Something is generally needed to keep it inside of reactors, although I've not used the one you are referring to.

 

[Zaphod1]

Tank is over 18 years old and I use GFO only when I am going to create a problem...ie getting rid of something or cleaning.

 

[Zaphod1]

Tank is over 18 years old and I use GFO only when I am going to create a problem...ie getting rid of something or cleaning.

 

[Zaphod1]

Double post

 

[nhlives]

I use nopox and supplemented with GFO for the first 9 months. Now just nopox. Hanna ULR median is about .04 ppm. The added GFO drove PO4 to zero which I didn't really want. Lots of snails, one yellow tang and UV. No visible algae.

 

[David S]

Been using GFO 24/7 for a number of years.
Never had any micro algae issues until a year and a half ago, when my tank developed Bryopsis.
Too late I found out that the pump feeding the GFO reactor had stopped running. Needless to say I'm more careful anout the running of my equipment

 

[2Wheelsonly]

I wont touch that stuff with a 10 foot pole. It's just TOO effective and I end up killing so much when I use it. No matter how little I use I never seem to get it right...

I feel like our hobby grade test kits are garbage for this kind of stuff. When I detected 0.2 po4 way back in the day I used it and killed stuff, when I was around 0.04 I used a small amount and killed stuff. Then you read "oh but the test kits only show you whats available in the water column, even though you show 0 there is probably alot more" ...like ok...like then why test for it? Like no!

I rarely test for po4 and I don't use GFO and my life has gotten much easier in the reefing world.

 

[Robsk]

Current vote count seems to suggest a lot of us are either all in or all out with GFO. Interesting topic. I have a fuge with chaeto, good size skimmer, and run gfo 24/7. Been doing it this way for 2 years. Heavy SPS. Feed frozen every night.

 

[Sanya]

I use nopox and supplemented with GFO for the first 9 months. Now just nopox. Hanna ULR median is about .04 ppm. The added GFO drove PO4 to zero which I didn't really want. Lots of snails, one yellow tang and UV. No visible algae.

What is your schedule for UV? 24/7? And how many Watt is it? Thanks

 

[Mako61]

I use GFO 24/7 as needed. I mix it with my carbon I change monthly. I vary the amount mixed based on phosphate readings. I run 1.3 cups of GAC mixed with 0.3 - 0.0 cups GFO. I have a heavy fish loaded 110. I mostly do this because its easy.

 

[Ryan Rosales]

Only using regular GFO from BRS, just 2&1/2cups for 50gal, approximately 1/2cup per 10gal.
Have Salifert PO4 test kit to determine levels every week, the only time I turn on the valve for my GFO reactor is when PO4 level goes 0.25ppm and turned off when level goes down 0.03ppm. So that makes two tests per week.
Still haven’t changed the load for 4months now but still able to reduce PO4 to acceptable levels within 24hrs.
One good determinant for good water condition are Euphillia corals that I keep, does the job.

 

[CivicS14]

Is there any issues with turning off the valve to the GFO? I was worried about it sitting in stagnant water.

Only using regular GFO from BRS, just 2&1/2cups for 50gal, approximately 1/2cup per 10gal.
Have Salifert PO4 test kit to determine levels every week, the only time I turn on the valve for my GFO reactor is when PO4 level goes 0.25ppm and turned off when level goes down 0.03ppm. So that makes two tests per week.
Still haven’t changed the load for 4months now but still able to reduce PO4 to acceptable levels within 24hrs.
One good determinant for good water condition are Euphillia corals that I keep, does the job.

 

[Ryan Rosales]

No issues about stagnant water with the turning on and off once a week.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

No issues about stagnant water with the turning on and off once a week.

I would not want tank water trapped for a week. In many cases it will become anaerobic. To be sure, try smelling it when it first starts up.

The only thing that may make this not so bad is that GFO itself will bind hydrogen sulfide.

 

[Ryan Rosales]

Well, after the tank water passes through the GFO reactor, it goes through a second reactor where I have a bag of Purigen. I guess that addresses your concern.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well, after the tank water passes through the GFO reactor, it goes through a second reactor where I have a bag of Purigen. I guess that addresses your concern.

I don't think Purigen absorbs hydrogen sulfide, so I'd still do the smell test.

 

[Ryan Rosales]

I don't think Purigen absorbs hydrogen sulfide, so I'd still do the smell test.

Will try that when I get back from San Francisco. Thank you[emoji1305]

 

[GoVols]

RowaPhos 24/7 at recommended amounts. Medium fish load, but they're all fat... I feed heavy!

M

+1
RowaPhos tumbling in it's own reactor, Junkie ;Wacky, over here

And start out at a very low dose as to not shock your corals