Pros and cons to gfo

[thedasher]

Hey guys I was thinking of starting gfo's but noticed that some people dont use them and was wondering if it was because it is bad for your corals/fish/invertebrates. What are the pros and cons to gfo's?
Thanks

 

[JOKER]

If you are having trouble with phosphates then gfo will help you. Lots of people use it, some use it in bags and others use reactors. Reactor is best way to go but you don't want it to tumble a lot. Just be sure to rinse before use or the dust will be everywhere.

 

[that Reef Guy]

If you are having trouble with phosphates then gfo will help you. Lots of people use it, some use it in bags and others use reactors. Reactor is best way to go but you don't want it to tumble a lot. Just be sure to rinse before use or the dust will be everywhere.

I was using it but my Corals were Fading in Color.

The Day After I stopped using it the SPS started to Color Up Again.

So I do not use it anymore.

 

[Preyou]

I do not see that it negatively affects my corals in any way, but I only run it every once and a while. When I see any signs of hair algae or cyano, I will begin to run a reactor with GFO for a couple of weeks. When the two weeks passes, I will remove the reactor from the system until the next time I need it. I typically do a similar thing with my carbon filter. If I do not physically see a reason to run it I do not run it. Phosphate in trace amounts is not bad for the system.

When I started my current system I was running a dual media reactor with GFO and carbon 100% of the time. At some point I decided to try removing the combo from the system to see what effect it had on my coral growth and color. I saw absolutely no difference over three months and now only run carbon and GFO as needed.

Looking forward to seeing other opinions on this though... My mind is still wide open and I have not seen a whole lot of hard data on the benefits or negatives.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The cons are expense, bother, you might possibly drive phosphate too low, it reduces silicate, and it may release iron. One brand has also been suggested to release other metals, but it is not a common US brand.

The pros are it readily reduces phosphate, reduces silicate, and it may release iron.

Obviously, some of the pros and cons are the same, and which it is depends on your needs.

I use it in my system mixed with GAC in a canister filter.

 

[Waters]

I have used it from day one in a reactor and have continued to use it without any issues so as of right now there really aren't any cons for me.

 

[specialk]

The cons are expense, bother, you might possibly drive phosphate too low, it reduces silicate, and it may release iron. One brand has also been suggested to release other metals, but it is not a common US brand.

The pros are it readily reduces phosphate, reduces silicate, and it may release iron.

Obviously, some of the pros and cons are the same, and which it is depends on your needs.

I use it in my system mixed with GAC in a canister filter.

Randy -- I am glad you said you run it in a canister. I am thinking of doing the same thing. And here's why ... and I welcome your thoughts to this and if this will solve my problem.

I have a 145 system .. run some softies and just added about 15 sps small frags. I had to leave for new your for a month and a half and during that time I still had someone doing regular water changes for me and everything. But when I came back I noticed hair algae. Obviously high phosphates. And also, alot of my sps are growing, BUT they are not their regular color and they have very minimal poly extension. Their color is clearly fading and almost looks like it is bleaching out -- yet it is still growing.

I am assuming this is due to high phosphates and by running some GFO in a canister filter, may this get rid of and fix this problem?

PS -- all other water parameters are fine. Calcium, nitrate, etc.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Elevated phosphate may be the problem, but it could be other things too. Trying GFO seems a reasonable plan to me. Does the water look clear?

 

[specialk]

Elevated phosphate may be the problem, but it could be other things too. Trying GFO seems a reasonable plan to me. Does the water look clear?

Yah water looks fine. Looks clear and all good.