Running GFO/ Carbon?

RedReefer · Jan 31, 2014

I'm running GFO / Carbon in a BRS reactor. I'm having some issues of coloring in my sps. I have 60 - 65 gal total water volume and run a SRO xp 1000 sss skimmer. I change 20% water weekly RC salt. I feed one or two times a day pellets and every three days Larrys Frenzy, oyster feast and roti feast. I have been told probably 50/50 some people run gfo/carbon and some don't. Should I run GFO / Carbon or not ?

CastAway · Jan 31, 2014

What do your Phosphate test at? How's your water clarity?

RedReefer · Jan 31, 2014

Water is super clear po4 ranges from .001-.005.

Reefing Madness · Jan 31, 2014

Do you typically run GFO? Your system is super clean.

Dan1789 · Jan 31, 2014

If your phosphates are lower than .08, I see no need for GFO

RedReefer · Jan 31, 2014

I've been running it on this 57 rimless with 20 sump since it was setup 3 months ago. Never tried running without it.

RedReefer · Jan 31, 2014

I actually had better color on my coral in my old redseamax 34gal with no sump.

jpfaubel123 · Jan 31, 2014

sorry to hi jack.your thread but im wondering the same thing only i.run gfo only no carbon but ive heard something about its bad running gfo without carbon

KoleTang · Jan 31, 2014

Not sure if this will help or not, but it is good information (I did not write this):

DRAFT POST I have saved.

GFO:
Think about it like using duct tape to clean the lint off your pants. The lint sticks to the tape. Once every inch of the tape has lint sticking to it, no more lint sticks. GFO/Carbon works in a very similar way. Carbon has organics and particles stick to it, GFO picks up phosphates.

Why be careful with GFO? Any change in a reef tank that is fast, good or bad, can be devastating to corals. Why would one run GFO only a few hours a day? Because one figures that if his phosphates are high, running it for a few hours a day will only lower it so much and it will not be a shock to the system.

If you use 'less than the recommended amount' but keep the pump on 24/7, well, all you have done is run water through it until it cannot absorb any more phosphates. You haven't really bought yourself anything here as far as the speed of the phosphate decrease, you have just limited how far it will go down. If you put enough in the reactor to absorb every last phosphate in the tank running the pump 24/7 for the next 3 days and then the GFO will be used up, great. However, if you don't replace the GFO for 4 weeks, well then that is 25 days that the phosphates have to build up before you replace the GFO. Then, you put in the full amount and it starts all over, drops it to zero over a few days and then keeps it there slightly longer than the last time. You essentially put your tank on a yo yo where the route down to zero phosphates is fast and the route back up to higher phosphates is slow.

What to do? My advice is that when you start GFO, use the recommended amount, but only run it for a few hours a day, that way, your phosphates don't lower too fast. After a week, maybe you can change to 24/7. Some people complain about 'clogging' of the reactor, to which I say, switch to using half the recommended amount, but change it twice as often. Personally, I run a little more than half the recommended amount, I run it 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening and I replace it every 2 weeks religiously now.

Starting with less than the recommended amount could work if you intend to step it down, but it is harder to keep up with I think. You'd have to do something like 3 Tablespoons over 3 days and that lowers it from .70 to .60 and then is exhausted. Now, I will go with 4 tablespoons over 4 days and that lowers it from .60 to .45 so on and so forth. Then, if you forget to change it out after a few days, they start to go back up. For me, it is easier to put the reactor on a timer and just control how much water is going through the GFO. Up to the person, I guess. You for sure can't use half the recommended amount but still wait 4-6 weeks to change it out, that will absolutely not help ease into it, in my estimation.

jpfaubel123 said:
sorry to hi jack.your thread but im wondering the same thing only i.run gfo only no carbon but ive heard something about its bad running gfo without carbon

They have no relation.

RedReefer · Jan 31, 2014

So what about the people with killer high end sps that run no carbon & no GFO? If I have a oversized skimmer and feed properly with 20% weekly water changes do I need it?

Mike O'Brien · Jan 31, 2014

There are valid reasons to run carbon in conjunction with gfo. First is mixing the two together in the same bag. Gfo alone tends to compact and solidify alone. If you mix in some carbon that is much less likely to happen.
Next is using a dual reactor. Gfo removes more than phosphate from the water so by passing the water through gac first you lengthen the usable life if the gfo.

KoleTang · Jan 31, 2014

RedReefer said:
So what about the people with killer high end sps that run no carbon & no GFO? If I have a oversized skimmer and feed properly with 20% weekly water changes do I need it?

The only thing that will be able to answer that question is your test kit.

RedReefer · Jan 31, 2014

My hanna phosphorus checker has never had a reading of .006 or higher.

RedReefer · Feb 1, 2014

Bump anyone?

Reefing Madness · Feb 1, 2014

Nothing wrong with .006. You hav a super clean system, and if your numbers went above that, it wouldn't take you much to get them down really quick. I say you don't need it at this point, your stripping the system now.

RedReefer · Feb 1, 2014

Thanks

chefmur · Feb 1, 2014

I run GFO and Carbon in my SPS tank, I change the carbon once a month and the GFO once every two months. I do feed my fish and corals heavy, also do 20% water change once a month. I have no algae problems and color looks great on SPS. Colors were not as good until I started feeding more, I use coral frenzy, oyster fest to feed the corals.